Time Schedule:
Jean M Dornbush
C LIT 375
Seattle Campus
Comparative study of the ways women's image, social role, and psychology have been portrayed by writers of various nationalities and literary periods. Selection of theme varies from quarter to quarter. Works are read in English translation.
Class description
In this seminar we will explore a range of women writers of comic fiction. First, we'll survey major Western ideas about comedy and laughter from the Greeks to the modern era, emphasizing the role of culture and gender. Then we'll turn to ways women writers confirm or subvert these notions of comedy. Women writers include Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alice Walker.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
seminar, with small and large group discussions
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
