The Cannibal is You!

In this course we will explore the cultural significance of cannibalism. Although the concept has existed since Antiquity, the term was invented during Colonial times precisely for purposes of otherization. We will read colonial sources, study images that circulated depicting Americans as cannibals, and consider anthropological and critical studies in order to understand the connections between cannibalism and concepts of race, gender, class, and disability. We will then be in a better position to delve into contemporary fiction (e.g., Bazterrica’s Cadáver exquisito), visual culture and cinema on cannibalism from Latin America and beyond. (e.g., Somos lo que hay, Ravenous, Estômago, American Carnage, Cerdita, Bones and All).