Fall 2019 - WL 401 D100

Early Modernities Beyond the Medieval (4)

Class Number: 9035

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2019: Tue, Thu, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    60 units including two 300-level courses in World Literature, English, and/or Humanities.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

In regions the world over, classical civilizations covering large territories separated over time into more locally defined cultures. This course examines the transitions from cosmopolitan literatures characterized by lingua francas (e.g. Latin, Sanskrit) to popular, vernacular literatures and cultures from the 8th century CE to 1500.

COURSE DETAILS:

 

If it’s true that civilizations develop like organisms, then two arguably universal trends can be observed over time: 1) Classical civilizations covering large territories and employing lingua francas (e.g. Latin, Sanskrit, Ancient Chinese) separate over time into more locally defined cultures and popular, vernacular literatures (e.g. English, German, Italian); and, 2) Belief systems become transformed in the direction of secularization.  

In this course, we’ll concentrate on the vernacularization and secularization of European civilization by reading some of its most moving and exuberant literature. One of the many discoveries we’ll make is that “European” civilization has been hybridized with other civilizations throughout history. Hence, we’ll read Dante’s Inferno as a text deeply imbued with classical civilization and in dialogue with the Islamic civilization. Then we’ll read one of the most influential texts in Arabic literature, The Arabian Nights, noting well its contribution to a secular vision of the world. Finally, we’ll study this secular impulse as it plays out in Boccaccio’s Decameron and in the magnificent Don Quixote by Cervantes.
 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

·      Discuss orally and in writing the significance of vernacularism and secularization
·      Acquire a grasp of seminal medieval and early modern European literature
·      Exercise skills in library research and term-paper techniques
·      Demonstrate proficiency in writing an advanced undergraduate essay

Grading

  • 2 short papers (2 pages or 500 words each) 20%
  • Midterm Exam 20%
  • Research Paper Proposal 15%
  • Oral Report 10%
  • Final Essay (2500 words) 25%
  • Participation / Group Work 10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. Allen Mandelbaum (Translator). New York: Bantam Classics, 1982.
ISBN: 978-0553213393

The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights. Richard Burton (Translator). New York: Modern Library, 2004.
ISBN: 978-0812972146

Boccaccio, Giovanni. The Decameron. G. H. McWilliam (Editor, Introduction, Translator). New York: Penguin Classics, 2003. 
ISBN: 978-0142437230

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. Don Quixote. John Rutherford (Editor, Translator). New York: Penguin Classics, 2003
ISBN: 978-0142437230

Five short essays provided by the instructor

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS