In this novel approach to law and literature, Robert Barsky delves into the canon of so-called Great Books, and discovers that many beloved characters therein encounter obstacles similar to those faced by contemporary refugees and undocumented persons. The struggles of Odysseus, Moses, Aeneas, Dante, Satan, Dracula and Alice in Wonderland, among many others, provide surprising insights into current discussions about those who have left untenable situations in their home countries in search of legal protection. Law students, lawyers, social scientists, literary scholars and general readers who are interested in learning about international refugee law and immigration regulations in home and host countries will find herein a plethora of details about border crossings, including those undertaken to flee pandemics, civil unrest, racism, intolerance, war, forced marriage, or limited opportunities in their home countries.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Opening Up the Great Books I. Canons, Great Books and Classics II. 'Popular' Culture III. From Cultural Reflection to Legal Protection IV. Why Fiction? What About the Real World? V. From Escapism to Engagement VI. From Empathy to Revelation 1. Spreading Disease, or Inoculating Us from Intolerance? I. Pandemics in Literature and Culture A. The Arc of Disease, Suffering and Death II. The Foreignness of Diseases III. The Rhetoric of Blame A. From Vulnerable to Unwanted and Diseased IV. The Plague V. From Symptoms to Panic VI. Creating Empathy VII. Limbo and the Will to Move Around VIII. From Quarantines to Quarrels to Empathy? IX. Art in the Time of Cholera X. Crossing the Border into Obscenity XI. Predicting Post-Pandemic Politics 2. Following Pathways, Networks and Guides I. The Cessation Clause II. Following Intermediaries in Religious Texts III. Human Smugglers IV. Language Issues and Displacement V. Pursuing the Land of Milk and Honey VI. Divine Intermediaries and Shift s to Immigration Policy VII. Guides from Behind the Veil VIII. Intermediaries to Eden IX. From Freedom Fighter to Refugee X. From Civil War to Hell XI. A Reluctant Follower XII. Fleeing with Loved Ones XIII. The Purposeless Quest XIV. Constantly on the Road XV. The Search for Treasure XVI. The Promised Land 3. Opening Doors and Scaling Walls I. From Protection to Integration II. From Victim to Slave III. Supplicating Before the Gatekeeping King IV. Consulting Constituents on Border Policy V. Opening the Right Doors VI. Doors, Doorways and the People Hidden Behind Them VII. Before the Law VIII. Ill-Advised Strategies for Opening Doors IX. Real-World Gatekeeping X. Rights at the Border XI. Behind Closed Doors XII. Doors Towards Metaphysical Voyages 4. Confronting Inhospitable Spaces and Hostile Hosts I. Storms, Floods and the Purging of Unwanted Civilisations II. The Romantic Refugee III. Mary and Percy Shelley: Feminist and Atheist IV. Refugees in a Time of Climate Change A. Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein and His Monster: Climate Refugees B. Percy Shelley's Perspective on Climate and Geomorphology C. Lord Byron: Catastrophism, Climate Change and Ensuing Darkness V. From Creation of the Earth to Apocalypse VI. Being Misled into the Wrong Paradise VII. Finding Revelation Instead of Refuge VIII. From Persecution to Punishment IX. Chance Encounters X. Finding Hell XI. Transformation into Darkness 5. Encounters with Aliens, Monsters and Terrorists I. Monsters in the Great Tradition II. Insidious Monsters in the (Real) World III. First Encounters IV. The Monstrous Unfamiliar V. A Refugee Amongst Refugees VI. Confronting Your Neighbour: The Monster VII. Identifying the Monsters, then Living with Them Conclusion: From Persecution to Wonderland