Description
Have you ever thought about how particular stages of life are represented in literature?
At every stage of life–child, teen, adult, elder—literature speaks to us (and for us). Reading books and stories written for an audience of different ages illustrates the transformative power of words.
In this class, we’ll explore how reading contributes to our process of human development. We’ll talk about psychologist Erik Erikson’s life stages in relation to the readings. We’ll also touch on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s journey as a way to make sense of our stories.
Using this framework, we’ll discuss a range of titles geared toward the development of children (classics like Where the Wild Things Are), coming of age themes for teens (like Catcher in the Rye or The Perks of Being a Wallflower), as well as titles that speak to how we become grownups. Add some “must reads” to your list, as you learn more about yourself!
