Travel and the Making of the Modern World

Instructors:  Vikrant Dadawala and Yan Slobodkin
Meeting time: Monday, 3:00-5:30pm
Canvas Site

Travel and the Making of the Modern World

The myth of the intrepid European explorer sailing the oceans in search of a new country is an enduring one. But this romantic view obscures the reality of what were often violent and confused encounters between Europeans and others. Focusing on a different European, Asian, or African traveler each week, this course uses travelogues, diaries, fiction, film, art, music, and maps to interrogate what it meant to be a traveler in search of a new world. We will consider historical and methodological questions such as: What does it mean to be a witness or a narrator? What was the meaning of “discovery? Why did Europeans explore the world instead of the other way around? What was the role of race and sexuality in these encounters? Can we recover redemptive stories of wonder, enchantment and friendship that transcend the limitations of their time? Throughout, we will learn how to approach historical sources and world literature with an open and critical mind.