In his Western Civilization: Emergence of the Modern World course, professor Alex d’Erizans’ students not only study European history, but also learn how Western literature influences the modern world.
“This is not an art history or a literature class, but literature is a way to get at history. For example, I’ll show students modernist paintings,” says d’Erizans. “Art and literature help elucidate the history they’re learning.”
Published in 1818, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s world-famous novel about Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his nameless lab-created monster (called a “hideous phantasm of a man”), is not only one of d’Erizans’ favorite stories, but required reading for students in his Western Civilization class.
Because the story of Frankenstein deals with a lot of the issues that we grapple with today, d’Erizans says the novel energizes students in a way that nothing else does. “Frankenstein grapples with the idea of loneliness; the idea of alienation. We see this time and again in our society. We see it on the subway, for example: One is close to other people, but there’s not necessarily any interaction between the people,” says d’Erizans, who points out that ideals touched on in Frankenstein—such as loss, abandonment, fear, and appearance—still resonate in today’s world.
The tragedies of Frankenstein
In the novel, Dr. Victor Frankenstein runs away from his creature after creating it, which some of d’Erizan’s students find tragic. “This reflects the diverse nature of the student body here at BMCC,” says d’Erizans, who came to teach at BMCC from the University of Illinois at Urbana, a school that’s very different from BMCC.
“Many mothers in the class are appalled that Victor, the father to his creature, abandoned the creature, as if a mother would abandon their child. The story resonates and disturbs them in a particular way because of their own particular situations,” he says. “And that’s unique to BMCC in a way I did not see at the University of Illinois.”
Classroom diversity enhances discussions
BMCC prides itself on its very diverse student body, so it comes as no surprise that d’Erizans’ students engage in vibrant classroom discussions. For example, when discussing communism in Western Civilization class, according to d’Erizans, there are students whose families have experienced communism—which then segues into a classroom discussion about nationalism.
“Topics will come up such as, ‘in order to be a nation, do you need a state? Well, Palestinians in the class oftentimes say, ‘No, we are a nation, yet we don’t have a state as such called Palestine’,” says d’Erizans. “And it gets especially interesting then, when you have Israelis in the same class. With certain issues, the discussions become energized because of the varied life experiences of the students.”
Class discussions also revolve around the idea that individuals can impact the world, even by marching and petitioning. “But in order to understand where this concept comes from, it’s important to look at European history,” d’Erizans says.
The French Revolution laid a basis for politics
d’Erizans’ favorite era is the French Revolution because of the impact it has had on the modern world. “The French Revolution laid the basis for politics. Following the French Revolution, no matter who you were: a democrat, conservative, dictator, anarchist, the way in which you gained political power was by appealing to the people,” he says. “This very language, this very source of political power, derives from the French Revolution.”
Many times, d’Erizans’ students are surprised to learn that the notions of “left” and “right” in politics have a distinct historical source. “[Political ‘wings’] derived from the way the seats were arranged at the National Convention, one of the meeting bodies during the French Revolution,” he says. “That’s an example of how our very language is impacted by history.”
d’Erizans says even the simple notion of ‘time’ derives from European history. “The regimentation of society came about through industrialization, where it seems like we have more and more to do in less and less time.”
History ‘lives and breathes’
d’Erizans describes history as a “living, breathing entity—one that requires constant scrutiny.”
“The main lesson I want to impart on students is the notion that they should be energized by history and what it can do for them,” says d’Erizans, who wrote a history book titled The Strangeness of Home: German Loss and Catastrophe in Hanover 1943-1948. “I want my students to take the lessons from history and use them as they progress in their own lives.”