Olivia Smith’s Profile

In this course, students will examine how representations of “the criminal” in literature and visual culture are constructed and circulated for a variety of purposes. We will look closely at the ways institutions (prisons, schools, hospitals), as well as disciplines (natural sciences, social sciences, humanities), shape definitions of “normalcy” and “deviancy.” The course will begin with the invention of the modern-day prison in the 19th century and conclude with representations of criminality in the digital age.

In this course, students will examine how representations of “the criminal” in literature and visual culture are constructed and circulated for a variety of purposes. We will look closely at the ways institutions (prisons, schools, hospitals), as well as disciplines (natural sciences, social sciences, humanities), shape definitions of “normalcy” and “deviancy.” The course will begin with the invention of the modern-day prison in the 19th century and conclude with representations of criminality in the digital age.