This week, thousands of Star Wars geeks across the Cowboy State will flock to local theaters to see "The Force Awakens". Meanwhile, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, some students will be relying on the force to pass Professor Ryan Croft's "Star Wars and Medieval Literature" class.

In his English 4640 course, Cross encourages students to compare classic literature to the themes presented in Star Wars, including gender roles, religion and warfare.

Among the projects submitted this semester were student Brianna O'Shea's essay "Orientalism and Ottoman Empire in Star Wars", which analyzes the depiction of Jabba The Hutt and his palace in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi".

Another project submitted by students Leah Byrnes and Alex Rickert , "The Darker Side: Torture and Gender in Star Wars", compares the torture of Princess Leia to historic literary themes. Joshua D. Mann's essay "The Clothing Makes the (Wo)Man" examines the ways that gender roles are represented in classic literature and Star Wars films.

Not only does the University of Wyoming offer a Star Wars course, they also carry an official Star Wars Collection in the official campus store. The collection offers four items which feature iconic Star Wars characters outfitted in brown and gold, including the Cowboys Storm Trooper Tee, the Darth Vader Wyoming Tee, the Millenium Falcon Wyoming Tee and the Yoda Wyoming Tee.

 

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