FS028 In Search of Heroes













FS028

In Search of the Heroes of Our Time

Each generation finds and defines its own heroes. We will try to identify the "heroes" of the last fifty years: figures drawn from public life and the worlds of entertainment including literature, music, stage and screen, professional athletics. (My own list, but not necessarily our final list, might include: John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and Princess Diana, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, The Graduate and Luke Skywalker, Muhammed Ali and Willie Mays.) Analyzing these "heroes" and examining theories of the creation of the hero from Max Mueller to Joseph Campbell, we will construct our own definition of "hero," and use it to comprehend the heroes of our time. Students will use various sources: the internet, feature films and documentaries, fiction and non-fiction and acquire the skills to do original research, organize and analyze large amounts of data, and present their findings in written and oral presentations.Ultimately students prepared final papers and power point presentations on their own heroes.

Instructor:

Professor Thomas Beyer

Office:

T-Freeman T-3; T-Milliken

Office Hours:

T-1:15-2:30; M-F 10-11

Office Phone:

443-5536

Email Address:

tom.beyer@middlebury.edu

Home Phone:

443-5609