GERMAN 298 A: Topics in Literature and Culture

Autumn 2024
Meeting:
TTh 2:30pm - 3:50pm / GUG 218
SLN:
16202
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
GLITS 313 A , ITAL 354 A
Instructor:
MEDIEVAL OTHER
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

GERMAN 298 A / GITS 313 A/ ITAL 354 A, Au2024

TuTh 2:30-3:50 pm, GUG 218       

Taught by Annegret Oehme and Beatrice Arduini, this class explores inflections of cross-cultural interactions in the Middle Ages as well as representations of "Otherness" in various cultural settings and discourses. Students will engage with a wide range of literary texts; explore how diversity and interconnectivity materialize in the contexts of politics, commerce, migration, religion, and similar philosophical and cultural frameworks; and examine how such ‘modern’ global phenomena, find root in the medieval period, defined here as the pre-1500 centuries. While focusing on German and Italian-speaking areas, we will take a critical view of Eurocentric approaches.

Note:

The syllabus is going to be available on Canvas and may be changed at any time if necessary.
We will communicate changes to the schedule via Canvas.

 

 WEEKLY SCHEDULE

When and What are the Middle Ages?

 

Thursday, 09/26

Introduction

Survey

Tuesday, 10/01

Introduction (continued): Christians, Jews, and Muslims

Ryan Szpiech: "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Medieval Europe," 2021.

Medieval Saints

 

Thursday,

10/03

Saints 

Legenda Aurea: Alexius, Agataha, Lucy

Tuesday,

10/08

Saints and Satire

Decameron Day 1, Story 1, and Day 2, Story 1

Tolerance and Turmoil

 

Thursday,

10/10

Religious Tolerance

 Decameron Day 1, Story 3 and Day 10, Story 9

Tuesday,

10/15

The German Boccaccio Reception Guest Lecture

TBD

Thursday,

10/17

Heretics, Schismatics and Sowers of Discord: Dante, The Divine Comedy

Inferno Canto 4 and Canto 10

Tuesday,

10/22

Library Workshop

 

Encounters of Religious and Racial Otherness

 

Thursday,

10/24

Geraldine Heng, “Race in the Middle Ages”

 

Tuesday,

10/29

Slavery in the Mediterranean

 

Decameron, Day 5, Story 7, and Hannah Barker, The Most Precious Merchandise, Penn 2019

Thursday,

10/31

Maurice

 

Mapping the Medieval World and Its Wonders

 

Tuesday,

11/05

Maps and Fantastic Races

 

Thursday, 11/07

Special Collections Visit

Special Collections Assignment

Tuesday,

11/12

Duke Ernst

 

Traveling the Medieval World

 

Thursday, 11/14

Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Sources and Reworkings of the Decameron

 

Tuesday, 11/19

"Resourceful Women" Guest Lecture Decameron Day 2, Story 9, and Li Yu 

Thursday, 11/21

Project Workshop 
 

Tuesday, 11/26

The Travels of Marco Polo (excerpts), and Decameron Day 10, Story 3

Thursday, 11/28

No Class - Thanksgiving

 

Tuesday, 12/03

Ibn Batuta and Benjamin of Tudela

 

Thursday, 12/05

Final Review and Discussion

Course-Level Objectives

▪ Describe depictions of cross-cultural encounters in diverse cultures and languages.

▪ Explain the origins of these depictions.

▪ Compare and contrast medieval, modern, and contemporary depictions.

▪ Critically examine representations of "Otherness" in pre-modern sources.

▪ Contextualize diverse historic voices in dialogue.

 

Assignments

▪ a short response paper

▪ an annotation/collaborative reading exercises

▪ posting an image and description

▪ participating in graded discussions

▪ a final project 

Catalog Description:
Introduces literary works and cultural artifacts from a variety of different traditions, cultures, and periods. Helps students to acquire basic tools for analyzing literature and culture.
GE Requirements Met:
Arts and Humanities (A&H)
Credits:
5.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
September 15, 2024 - 8:33 am