Literature of the Big
Questions 2006 (PJClements)
While
students who have taken “The Big Questions” will feel particularly comfortable
in this course, all interested juniors and seniors will easily engage in its
challenges. Designed as a compliment to
“The Big Questions,” this course will examine literature and film
that explore religious and ethical issues.
For example, Simon Wiesenthal’s The Sunflower asks distinguished individuals such as the Dali Lama
to respond to the question: what would you do if a dying Nazi soldier asked
you, a survivor of a concentration camp, for forgiveness? Siddhartha
is a fictitious account of the life of the Buddha. Lagerkvist’s Barabbas looks at the
death of Christ from the view of a criminal. Movies that may be included are Sophie’s Choice and Dead Man Walking. As in “The Big Questions,”
students will have ample opportunity to explore current religious and ethical
issues.
Wiesenthal,
Simon. The Sunflower. Schocken Books. ISBN 0-8052-1060-1
Hesse,
Hermann. Siddhartha. Bantam
Books. ISBN 0-553-20884-5
Lagerkvist,
Par. Barabbas. Vintage International. ISBN
0-679-72544-X
Weisel, Elie. Dawn. Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-22536-7
document last update: March 20, 2006by Patrick J. Clements pclement@peddie.org
Copyright (c) 2006 The Peddie School
URL:
http://falconnet.peddie.org/faculty/pclements/index.htm