Anti-Muslim sentiment already existed prior to the 9/11 attacks,
specifically in American literature and popular culture. Whether it is
the trope of the hooked-nose Arab terrorist or the hypersexualized hijab
wearing female – there seems to be a formulaic quality attached to
these tropes. What is the difference between using harmful tropes and
transformative storylines incorporating Muslims? What are the ways in
which American Muslim identity is challenged due to Muslim
misrepresentation? What does it mean to be a Muslim 20 years after 9/11?
This seminar seeks to critically investigate misrepresentations of
American Muslims in TV series and various literary works, whilst
positioning them against the backdrop of American foreign policy and
American nationalism. Students will be expected to purchase Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan (2020) by G. Willow Wilson and Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007).
- Lehrende(r): Zohra Hassan-Pieper