Adventures in Literary Romance
Adventures in Literary Romance (Pre-1800) In this course we will explore the literary genre of romance. Today, “romance” often refers to courtship—only one aspect of this ancient genre. Other aspects include adventure, magic, wonder, multiple plots, multiple authors, an affinity for sequels. Romance’s associations with every genre—tragedy, comedy, epic, novel, lyric poetry—and its reputation for escapism have made it an epitome of the very idea of literature, as conceived by attackers and defenders. Its welcoming of female readers and protagonists and its marketing of the exotic have raised issues of gender and ethnicity. We will discuss all such aspects and implications of romance, and we may also explore how romance has shaped modern television and film. No papers or exams; there will be quizzes daily on the reading, and students will be expected to participate thoughtfully in class discussions. Readings from texts such as: Daphnis and Chloe, Ethiopian Romance, The Gospel of Luke, The Golden Ass, Arthurian romances by various authors, Orlando Inamorato, Orlando Furioso, The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter’s Tale, Don Quixote,/ Waverly/, Madame Bovary, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Time Quintet.
Adventures in Literary Romance (Pre-1800) In this course we will explore the literary genre of romance. Today, “romance” often refers to courtship—only one aspect of this ancient genre. Other aspects include adventure, magic, wonder, multiple plots, multiple authors, an affinity for sequels. Romance’s associations with every genre—tragedy, comedy, epic, novel, lyric poetry—and its reputation for escapism have made it an epitome of the very idea of literature, as conceived by attackers and defenders. Its welcoming of female readers and protagonists and its marketing of the exotic have raise …Read more
I really enjoyed this class. Our only homework was to do the assigned reading, then we would do a short quiz on the material and discuss in class. The discussions were really fun and interesting, and I loved how simple the class was (no exams, papers, projects, etc). I did feel that it was not very organized - participation was 50% of our grade but we weren't given a rubric or anything, and it was really easy to lose points on the quizzes. But overall a really fun class if you're okay with a lot of reading.
I really enjoyed this class. Our only homework was to do the assigned reading, then we would do a short quiz on the material and discuss in class. The discussions were really fun and interesting, and I loved how simple the class was (no exams, papers, projects, etc). I did feel that it was not very organized - participation was 50% o …Read more
berg is not a very accommodating or enlightening instructor which is a shame for the course material. expect a lot of reading, quizzes at the start of each class that do not test on analysis capability but rather memorization. books are well-chosen but the courseload is intense and requires lots of additional reading time