MLA Seminar: Beauties, Beasts, and Boundaries

From fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood to mythic mermaids, fox women, and horror films, women have been viewed as closer to animals — whether through familiars, transformation, or simply their “wild” nature. These associations persist even today, as women are more likely to engage in animal advocacy and care, while masculinity is still associated with animal consumption and use. 
Through a whirlwind tour of literature, film, philosophy, science, and cultural studies, this course examines how ideas about gender have informed our understanding of the human-animal boundary. Topics include popular culture, critical theory, conservation and activism, biotechnology, and posthumanism. Together, these subjects invite us to turn a more critical eye toward what is gained and lost in maintaining such distinctions.