Politics and Philosophy in Literature (PPL)

Politics and Philosophy in Literature (or just PPL) was a class offered at East Term II 2008. It was taught by the (in)famous Mark Marvelli, who made it clear to the class just how racist J. R. R. Tolkien really is. The TA was Josh. The class explored Utilitarianism, Existentialism, Fascism, Post-Colonialism, Diplomacy-ism, Hobo-baby-ism, Murderer-Society-ism, and many other ism's not mentioned above. In the end, each student read a book and presented it to the class, despite huge lobbying from Zach Taylor to go see the Dark Knight instead, and analyze it as a class. Throughout the course the students also learned about over-throwing tornadoes, just how strange Mason is, the oddities surrounding the North Sea, amazing dominance in Ultimate (they were the campus champions), New York as happiness with Omaha as a Secondary Principle and Vegas getting nuked, not to go to law-school, just how dishonest Mark is, Reefer Madness, the amazingness of Josh the TA, what is and is not censored in the termbook (i.e.: 'masturbation' became 'self-indulgence,' 'pissed' became 'unreasonably upset," but we got away with an assortment of other strange things.) In the end, each student departed with a unique but carefully controlled (because TiP is just Fascist like that) experience that they will never forget.

Books

• Hard Times by Dickens
• The Plague by Camus
• The Stranger by Camus
• No Exit by Sartre (with an amazing performance by Neima)
• The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum by some Heinrich Boll
• No Telephone to Heaven by Michele Cliff

Films

• Children of Men A.k.a.: No Little Children for Old Men
• The Seventh Seal
• Reefer Madness

Students

• David
• Jane
• Nick
• Lydia
• Amelia
• Christine
• Hiromi
• Mason
• The Ànie
• Nathan
• Patrick
• Sam
• Janie
• Lulu
• Ari
• Anthony
• Neima
• Soekmin