RLST 150 AF -Eye of God: Race and Empire

Institution: Pomona

Description: In mythic cycles from the “Western Tradition,” there has been a sustained intrigue over the relationship between the human eye and the heavenly sun. From the Cyclops of Homer’s Odyssey to its refiguring in D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation,” the powers of the eye are equated with those of its celestial counterpart. This intrigue has been reshaped-but not lost-with the advent of modern visual surveillance techniques. In this course, we will examine a range of manifestations of the solar eye, paying particular attention to the relationship(s) it bears to reality and the ways in which the solar eye operates in schemes both great and small of confidence and illusion. We will consider works by Plato, Foucault, Ellison and Morrison; documents in government policy; and movies like “The Fly,” “Cube,” “9” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. (PRT). Letter grade only.

Prerequisite(s): Please check course schedule for requirements.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.