Course Description
World literature represented by women writers from antiquity to the present, focusing on the relationship between the East and the West, and with special emphasis on the relevance of these authors' work to contemporary society around the world.
Athena Title
Women Writers East and West
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- to introduce students to major works of world literature written by women from antiquity to the present, with special emphasis on the relevance of these authors' work, whether old or new, to contemporary society around the world; - to instruct them in the specific problems and issues related to women's writing in various cultural contexts; - to interpret women's literary texts as both autonomous aesthetic creations and statements within broad social and cultural milieus; - to hone students' interpretive skills through the analysis of individual works of literature; - to improve students' communication skills through classroom discussions and presentations and out-of-class writing assignments. Student performance is assessed through presentations, tests, in-class writing exercises, papers, and a final examination.
Topical Outline
The course is structured through a chronological series of readings of works by women writers from around the world. The topics considered are specific to the works studied, with issues commonly treated in the course, including gender and the institution of writing, women's writing and education, style and gender, sexual identity and interpretation, etc. The works treated vary with the instructor. The following is a sample syllabus of readings for a single semester: Sappho. Selected Poems Sei Shonagon. The Pillow Book Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji (selections) Hrosvit of Gandersheim. Dramas Marie de France. Lais Hildegard of Bingen. Selected writings Christine de Pizan. The Book of the City of Ladies Marguerite de Navarre. Heptameron Gaspara Stampa. Selected Poems Madame de Lafayette. The Princess of Cleves
Syllabus