English 708:
ISSUES OF GENDER IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
Denise BakerOffice hrs: by appointment
105
334-5547
Student Learning Goals:
1. To gain familiarity with important texts of medieval literature
2. To identify some of the critical issues involved in the study of medieval literature
3. To analyze the concepts of gender expressed in medieval literature
4. To recognize some of the different genres of medieval literature
5. To gain experience in leading class discussion
6. To practice research methods and critical writing
Assignments:
1. Leading class discussion (10% of grade): Each student will introduce a text by identifying important issues for consideration, preparing questions, and engaging the class in discussion for 15 to 20 minutes. A brief statement of the issues to be considered and questions for discussion (no more than 1 typed page) should be posted on Canvas by 5pm on the Monday before the class meeting.
2. Explorations(20% of grade, 10% each): Each student will submit two short papers (3 to 5 pages) identifying questions or topics for further exploration, possiblyin a research essay. Although you are not expected to do any research or reach a conclusion, try to focus on a particular aspect of the readings that you might be interested in investigating and, if possible, articulate some of the directions your research might take.
3. Draft of research essay (20% of grade): Before you beginning research, write a draft (5-8 pages)based on your own analysis of the text(s) or topic. The draft will explain the problem you want to address, articulate your preliminary thesis about the issue, outline the argument as you have developed it so far, and identify the questions you need to explore in your research. Your draft may be a revision of one of the exploration papers. The members of the class will discuss each draft to help the writer identify aspects of the topic or questions for further consideration. The purpose of the class discussion is to help the writer better develop the interpretation in the final research essay.
4. Annotated bibliography (10% of grade): After finishing the draft, find articles, book chapters, or books appropriate to your topic, read them carefully, and summarize their arguments in 3 to 5 sentences. If the source is not helpful to you, simply indicate why. Use the correct MLA style in citing your bibliographical items. The minimum bibliography is the equivalent of 8 to 10 articles or book chapters. In some cases you will not be able to find many sources in English, so let me know if you are having difficulty.
Final research essay (40% of grade): Your final essay (12 to 18 pagesincluding bibliography) should be an original critical essay of the quality of a conference paper or published article.
The quality and quantity of your contributions to class discussion will also be taken into account in determining your final grade.
Books to Purchase:
The Letters of Abelard and Heloise.Rev. ed. Trans.Betty Radice and rev. M.T. Clanchy. London: Penguin, 2003.
The Women Troubadours.Ed. and Trans. Meg Bogin. 1976. New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.
The Lais of Marie de France. Ed. and trans. Robert Hanning and Joan Ferrante. 1978. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995.
Dante.La Vita Nuova. Trans. Mark Musa.1992.Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
The Showings of Julian of Norwich.Ed. Denise N. Baker.A Norton Critical Edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.
The Book of Margery Kempe.. Trans B. A. Windeatt. London: Penguin, 1985.
Christine de Pizan. The Book of the City of Ladies.Trans. Rosalind Brown-Grant. (London: Penguin, 2000.
Christine de Pizan. The Treasure of the City of Ladies. Trans Sarah Lawson. London: Penguin, 2003.
You may use different editions of these texts if you have them. All other reading assignments are available on Canvas.
Readings:
Aug.18Genesis 1-3; Augustine, On the Trinity, Book 12, omitting chap. 5 & 6; Thomas
Aquinas, Summa Theologica, questions 92, 165 (all on Canvas)
25The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, Letters 1-7 and pages 211-28
Sept. 1Lyrics of the Troubadours and Trouveres, ed. Goldin, Part 1, lyrics 2, 6, 7, 8, 9,
14, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 (on Canvas): The Women Troubadours
8The Lais of Marie de France
15Dante, La Vita Nuova; exploration 1
22AncreneWisse, Parts 7, 8 from Medieval English Prose for Women, ed. Millet and Wogan-Browne; “Holy Maidenhood”and “The Wooing of Our Lord” from Anchoritic Spirituality, ed. Savage and Watson (both on Canvas); Julian of Norwich, Showings, Revelations I-XII
29Julian of Norwich, Showings, Revelations XIII-XIV
Oct. 6Margery Kempe, Book; exploration 2
13Fall break
20Chaucer, Legend of Good Women and selections from Boccaccio, Famous Women(both on Canvas)
27Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies
Nov.3Christine de Pizan, The Treasure of the City of Ladies
10Draft of research essay (discussed in class)
17Draft of research essay (discussed in class)
24Annotated bibliography (e-mailed to me in Canvas, no class)
Dec. 3 Research essay due (e-mail to me in Canvas)
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