The Looking Glass, the Lamp, and the Yellow Brick Road: Stories from Literature that Teach Us about Law
Literary texts can help satisfy our lust for adventure, our search for the exotic, our fascination with criminal behavior, or our desire for vengeance against those who’ve done wrong. This is because fiction allows us to plunge into alternative worlds where everything is possible, any theme can be explored, and all kinds of characters can be created. Literature can therefore help us think about deviant behavior, unlikely quests, instruments of rehabilitation, and the possible consequences of breaking the law. In this course we’ll think about the overlap between literature and law with reference to well-loved literary texts (and films) including Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, Robin Hood and Peter Pan.