When you hear the word “antagonist,” whom or what comes to mind? Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men? The marlin in The Old Man and the Sea? The social and interpersonal forces of shame and alienation in Giovanni’s Room? Further, did you know that every nonfiction work needs a well-thought-out antagonist as well—a force within the book or essay with which the narrative perspective must grapple, and against which it must push? Antagonists are often easy to spot but difficult to define, and even trickier to craft authentically, since life, of course, rarely follows divisions between the purely good and purely evil. In this generative course, we’ll undertake an intensive study of this essential element of all prose works, regardless of genre. We’ll begin by reconceptualizing “antagonists” as “agonists,” people or entities who are bound to the protagonist or speaker in struggle. Through readings, lectures, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the craft minutiae behind agonists who put us and/or our characters through the transformative suffering that yields revelation, and who push the boundaries of our empathy and imagination as writers. We'll also necessarily engage with questions of how to ethically write about, or base characters on, the complicated people in our lives.
Scheduling note: This class will skip the week of Thanksgiving.
