Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Villains:

Student Competition March 14^th-15^th 2018

This year’s special Student Symposium will examine the role of ‘heroes’ and villains today. The word ‘hero’ in its oldest sense refers to a ‘man of super powers.’ The emphasis here is both on ‘man’ and ‘super’ – beyond the boundaries of ordinary. We want to consider the usage of both literary and real heroes/heroines today. What does literature and popular culture have to say about these extraordinary journeys? What moral and/or physical characteristics are explored? We are looking for both literary commentaries and personal responses to the concept of heroes, anti-heroes, and villains.

Participation is open to all students from ANY English or humanities major across Kuwait.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• literary heroic characters in classics
• fairy-tales and their heroes, anti-heroes, and villains
• literary heroic characters in children’s or Young Adult literature
• the concept of heroism
• real life heroic characters
• East/West cultural perspectives on heroes and villains
• gender and heroism
• race and heroism
• Anti-heroes: the ‘bad guy’ in popular culture and literature.
• Villains in comic books, movies, and Television series
• Game of Thrones and heroism
• Harry Potter and heroism
• Digital Humanities and heroism
• The Humanities as a Hero who saves students: how and why? Personal responses are particularly welcome.
• Popularity of Anti-heroes and villains today.
• Universality of heroism
• The written or spoken word (text or spoken word poetry) as a hero.
• artists, Poets, Journalists as Heroes

Abstracts Due: January 17^th, 2018

Email: [email protected]

Students send a 150 word proposal detailing their presentation and/or paper. Please provide a brief biography including major and school you currently attend.