ENG 235: Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees in Fiction, Poetry, Song and Film

Course name: ENG 235 Topics in Literary Study: Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees in Fiction, Poetry, Song and Film

Instructor: Dr. Amy Randolph, Associate Professor of English

Well in the words of Emily Dickinson, ‘The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.’ The class has been a breath of fresh air..."

Sincere Bolden

Course description: In this course, students are reading, discussing and writing about the refugee, immigrant, and migrant experiences as they are presented in literary works. While it's easy to generalize about and use stereotypes when speaking, writing, thinking about these groups, the harder work (that is, the work aligned with biblical teachings) is to acknowledge the humanity and inherent value in those who are seeking asylum, who are in desperate need of work so they can provide for their families and give their children a safe place to grow and learn.  In some ways, this is a course about recognizing cultural assumptions, but more importantly, it is about the importance of compassion in our dealings with one another.

Instructor commentary: "We see in the news images of people who are leaving their homelands to escape war, poverty, and other hardships. I wanted to encourage my students to see beyond the media images and political rhetoric. Powerful works of fiction, film and other mediums introduce them to characters we can’t help but feel empathy with. Compassion is connection and creativity, which is in keeping with Waynesburg’s Christian mission." - Dr. Amy Randolph 

Student commentary: “Well in the words of Emily Dickinson, ‘The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.’ The class has been a breath of fresh air - something that I didn't think I needed. When reading the books, I gain a whole new perspective, which I richly appreciate.” – Sincere Bolden, public and applied history major from Washington, D.C.