Prof.
N. Black
Spring 2004
or
by appointment
951-5197 (voice mail:
e-mail: nblack@brooklyn.cuny.edu
951-4275)
Web
site: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/black
COMPARATIVE
LITERATURE 706.1X: WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
Scholarship of the last twenty years has led to a new understanding of the role of women in medieval society as well as a renewed interest in women writers of the Middle Ages, such as Marie de France and Christine de Pizan. In this course we will study works written by women, depictions of women in works written by men, and readings of these works by literary critics and historians. A number of broad questions underlie the reading selections listed below: what was the status of women in the Middle Ages? do the women writers of the Middle Ages offer a different view of medieval society than those of men? why was there so much interest in "good women" and "calumniated women" toward the end of the Middle Ages? can feminist and new historicist studies help us in answering these questions?
Required
Texts
(available in the BC Bookstore and Shakespeare and
Company):
1.
Chaucer. The Canterbury
Tales, trans. Nevill Coghill (Penguin)
2.
Marie de France. The Lais
(Penguin)
3.
Christine de Pizan. Book of the
City of Ladies (Persea)
4. The Letters of Abelard and
Heloise. Trans. Betty Radice
(Penguin)
5.
Xeroxed packet available from Far Better Copy
Center
Recommended
Books
1. M. H. Abrams. A Glossary of Literary Terms
(Harcourt
Brace)
2. MLA Handbook, 6th ed. (MLA)
Schedule
of Readings, Topics, and Due Dates:
Feb.
3 Mary and Eve: contradictory views
of women; historical background and introduction to feminist literary criticism;
course requirements
Feb.
10 Marie de France, #1-5
Feb.
17 Marie de France,
#6-12
Mar.
2 First paper due: summary and
critique of one article.
Reading:
The male troubadours: Cercamon and Bernart de Ventadorn; the pastourelle and
"the game of rape"; women troubadours (Xeroxed packet, section
1)
Mar.
9 The Letters of Abelard and
Heloise
Mar.
16 Chaucer: The Legend of Good Women (Xeroxed packet, section
2)
Mar.
23 Chaucer: "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale"
Mar.
30 Chaucer: "The Man of Law's Prologue and Tale"
Apr.
6 and 13: Spring Vacation
Apr.
20 Medieval Women's Visionary
Literature, pp. 3-59 (Xeroxed packet, section 3); martyrs, saints, and
mystics: St. Perpetua, St. Macrina, Hildegard of Bingen, Marguerite Porete, and
Margery Kempe
Apr.
27 First draft of ten-page paper due. Reading: Ancrene Wisse (Xeroxed
packet, section 5)
May
4 Christine de Pizan, The Book
of the City of Ladies
May
11 Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of
Ladies
May
18 Final draft of ten-page paper due. Topic: The Feminist Debate about The
Romance of the Rose (Xeroxed packet, section 4)
May
25 Final examination
Requirements:
In
order to pass the course, students are required to complete the
following:
careful preparation of the reading assignments in advance of
class;
regular attendance;
participation in class discussion;
one short essay--critique and analysis of a secondary
source;
one ten-page essay;
final examination.
The
final grade in the course will be based upon class participation (including
optional oral report and attendance) (20%); the short paper (20%); the ten-page
paper (40%); final examination (20%).