Spring 2008 Advance Course Information

This information effective for spring 2008. Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

World Literature

[ LTWL-190 ]

190. Senior Seminar: Medieval Mediterranean Literature.

Instructor: Sharon Kinoshita
Phone: 9-2395 (office)
E-mail:sakinosh@ucsc.edu

Course Description

This course takes as its point of departure the critical wager that some works of medieval literature are better understood in the context of the medieval Mediterranean than in terms of national traditions (French, Italian, Spanish, and so forth) in which they are typically studied. Inspired by the recent resurgence in “Mediterranean Studies,” we will consider how adopting “the Mediteranean” as a category of analysis helps generate new questions and perspectives. Through a broad, interdisciplinary investigation of the art, commerce, politics, and culture of the high and late middle ages, we will seek to complicate sound-bite notions of this period as an age of crusades. Primary readings include The Song of Roland (trans. Burgess), The Decameron (trans. Musa and Bondanella), Digenis Akritas (trans. Hull), and the Travels of Ibn Battuta. No previous knowledge of the middle ages is assumed, but an openness to historical and art historical perspectives is essential. Successful completion of LIT 101 is highly recommended.

The central requirement of this course is a 20-page senior essay combining literary interpretation, familiarity with a range of secondary criticism, and historical research. A number of short assignments throughout the quarter will target the different skills necessary for a successful paper. We will pay much attention to the mechanics of writing, composition, and style, engaging in hands-on discussion of your own and your classmates’ writing; a willingness to engage with constructive criticism on successive drafts of written exercises is essential.

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