ENG 109 - The Sporting Spirit

Semester Hours: 4

This course examines the literary and cinematic interpretations of sports and sporting themes. Primarily, we will study the impact of sports on modern society and look at issues of morality, ethics, and economics. We will also look at the way sports can be viewed as “metaphor for life.” We will read and view several examples of major American sports (baseball, boxing, basketball) and also take a brief view of the history of sports in America. Among the major works to be studied are Bull Durham, The Old Man and the Sea, A River Runs Through It, and Field of Dreams. We will also use Ken Burns’ series Baseball.

Cross-Listed: FS 109
Intellectual Perspective: HC