In his Western Civilization: Emergence of the Modern World course, professor Alex d\u2019Erizans\u2019 students not only study European history, but also learn how Western literature influences the modern world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not an art history or a literature class, but literature is a way to get at history. For example, I\u2019ll show students modernist paintings,\u201d says d\u2019Erizans. \u201cArt and literature help elucidate the history they\u2019re learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Published in 1818, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley\u2019s world-famous novel about Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his nameless lab-created monster (called a \u201chideous phantasm of a man\u201d), is not only one of d\u2019Erizans\u2019 favorite stories, but required reading for students in his Western Civilization class.<\/p>\n
Because the story of Frankenstein deals with a lot of the issues that we grapple with today, d\u2019Erizans says the novel energizes students in a way that nothing else does. \u201cFrankenstein 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\u2019s not necessarily any interaction between the people,\u201d says d\u2019Erizans, who points out that ideals touched on in Frankenstein\u2014such as loss, abandonment, fear, and appearance\u2014still resonate in today\u2019s world.<\/p>\n
The tragedies of Frankenstein
\nIn the novel, Dr. Victor Frankenstein runs away from his creature after creating it, which some of d\u2019Erizan\u2019s students find tragic. \u201cThis reflects the diverse nature of the student body here at BMCC,\u201d says d\u2019Erizans, who came to teach at BMCC from the University of Illinois at Urbana, a school that\u2019s very different from BMCC.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany 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,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s unique to BMCC in a way I did not see at the University of Illinois.\u201d<\/p>\n
Classroom diversity enhances discussions
\nBMCC prides itself on its very diverse student body, so it comes as no surprise that d\u2019Erizans\u2019 students engage in vibrant classroom discussions. For example, when discussing communism in Western Civilization class, according to d\u2019Erizans, there are students whose families have experienced communism\u2014which then segues into a classroom discussion about nationalism.<\/p>\n
\u201cTopics will come up such as, \u2018in order to be a nation, do you need a state? Well, Palestinians in the class oftentimes say, \u2018No, we are a nation, yet we don\u2019t have a state as such called Palestine\u2019,\u201d says d\u2019Erizans. \u201cAnd 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Class discussions also revolve around the idea that individuals can impact the world, even by marching and petitioning. \u201cBut in order to understand where this concept comes from, it\u2019s important to look at European history,\u201d d\u2019Erizans says.<\/p>\n
The French Revolution laid a basis for politics
\nd\u2019Erizans\u2019 favorite era is the French Revolution because of the impact it has had on the modern world. \u201cThe 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,\u201d he says. \u201cThis very language, this very source of political power, derives from the French Revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many times, d\u2019Erizans\u2019 students are surprised to learn that the notions of \u201cleft\u201d and \u201cright\u201d in politics have a distinct historical source. \u201c[Political \u2018wings\u2019] derived from the way the seats were arranged at the National Convention, one of the meeting bodies during the French Revolution,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s an example of how our very language is impacted by history.\u201d<\/p>\n
d\u2019Erizans says even the simple notion of \u2018time\u2019 derives from European history. \u201cThe regimentation of society came about through industrialization, where it seems like we have more and more to do in less and less time.\u201d<\/p>\n
History \u2018lives and breathes\u2019
\nd\u2019Erizans describes history as a \u201cliving, breathing entity\u2014one that requires constant scrutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d says d\u2019Erizans, who wrote a history book titled The Strangeness of Home: German Loss and Catastrophe in Hanover 1943-1948. \u201cI want my students to take the lessons from history and use them as they progress in their own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In his Western Civilization: Emergence of the Modern World course, professor Alex d\u2019Erizans\u2019 students not only study European history, but also learn how Western literature influences the modern world. \u201cThis is not an art history or a literature class, but literature is a way to get at history. For example, I\u2019ll show students modernist paintings,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-283138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283138"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283138\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}