Wuthering Heights and East of Eden (Filming the Fantastic) | Livestream Zoom

Course Description:

Both Emily Brontë's 1847 gothic novel and John Steinbeck’s 1952 experimental one have engendered rich discussions about violence, baffling narrative techniques, mythic resonances, and excessive human behavior. Both books move from the representational to the fantastic, nudging readers into consideration of transgressive acts and excesses that can't quite be explained. Both authors ask that we revise notions of female identity. And both insist that we consider the power of language to contain unseemly, extravagant actions by Catherine and Heathcliff, and by Cathy Ames. In 2026, these two books are being adapted into films, and we'll discuss the works and the adaptations, which show the texts in new contexts and raise additional questions about the meaning of each work.