Illustration by Sir John Tenniel of the Cheshire Cat, from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, 1871.
Escapism
A First-Year Tutorial offered fall 2021, taught by Elizabeth Prevost, professor of history and chair of studies in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia
Whether to face a global crisis or navigate the frustrations of everyday life, humans love to create and inhabit imaginary worlds as a temporary respite from their troubles. This tutorial will explore various immersive stories and experiences, past and present, that have offered such escape. From mysteries to Middle-Earth to Minecraft, we will consider the history of different mediums and genres of books, games, plays, films, and other texts as a balm for personal conflict or collective discontent, and investigate how dynamics of inclusion and exclusion are embedded in escapist social networks. And although it is often associated with avoiding reality, we will ponder whether escapism might actually help us confront the realities of our lives with greater clarity, perspective, empowerment, and purpose.
Why I’m Teaching This Topic
I was already engaged in a research project on the history of British detective fiction (and reading habits more generally) when the covid pandemic hit. Now, more than ever, I am interested in how people use books and other mediums both to distract from their troubles and to make sense of a bewildering world around them.
– Elizabeth Prevost