Sex and Love in the Middle Ages LTWL 87 Freshman Seminar Spring 2010

April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 14 and 21 2010 in LIT 355

Professor Lisa Lampert-Weissig Office: LIT 347; (858) 822-0204  

llampert@ucsd.edu  www.medievallit.org

Most readings available on e-reserve through Geisel Library.  http://libraries.ucsd.edu/

You need a UCSD connection to access these materials. 

 

Apr 2: Introduction

 

Apr. 9: Selections from Ibn Hazm, The Neck Ring of the Dove and Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love

 

Thinksheet question:

Option 1: What do you think is the purpose of these two works?  Are they meant to be taken seriously?  Why or why not?  Use specific examples to make your point.   Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Option 2:  Compare either of the texts we have read to a modern Òself-helpÓ love guide, such as HeÕs Just Not that Into You.  If you try this option, please use specific examples from both texts.  Max:  1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Apr. 16:  Fabliaux: Eustache dÕAmiens, ÒThe Butcher of AbbevilleÓ 

                                                     ÒThe Fisherman from Pont-sur-SeineÓ 

                                                     Guerin, ÒBerangier of the Long AssÓ     

                                                    Berger,  ÒSex in the Literature of the Middle AgesÓ (in Brundage)

 

Thinksheet question:  How do the fabliaux parody ideals of courtly love? Pick one fabliau to focus your response.  Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Apr. 23: Chaucer, The Wife of BathÕs Prologue and Tale 

Available on-line at:

http://courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/wbt-par.htm

 

Thinksheet question:  What is the relationship between the Wife of Bath and her tale?  What does her tale tell us about her character? Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Apr. 30: Chaucer, The Wife of BathÕs Prologue and Tale

 

Thinksheet:  Is the WifeÕs fantasy a male fantasy?  A female fantasy?  Pick a perspective and argue it out using specific examples.   Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

May 7: Selections from De Secretis Mulierum (On WomenÕs Secrets)

 

Option 1: What sort of picture of ÒwomanÓ and womenÕs bodies does this text create? Max:  1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Option 2: How much have attitudes about menstruation really changed.  Discuss this NY Times Op-ed in light of our reading for today:  Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/opinion/17houppert.html?exÕ1342324800&enÕ3c7c79f8ffab9b31&eiÕ5088&partnerÕrssnyt&emcÕrss  (link at syllabus on line at www.medievallit.org)

 

 

May 14:  The Trial of John Rykener, aka Eleanor and ÒSin against NatureÓ (Brundage)

 

Thinksheet:  Option 1: The term ÒhomosexualityÓ is a modern coinage.  The figures involved in this trial would not have recognized it.  What do you see as the potential effects of using this term ana-chronistically?  What are the possible impacts on our understandings of the history of sexuality?  Max:  1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

Option 2:  It could be argued that the trial transcript we are reading tells us more about politics than it does about sexuality.  How can understanding this piece of the past help us understand current scandal.  Read this recent editorial from the NY Times and write about it in light of our reading;  Max: 1 page, typed, double spaced.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/opinion/31fri3.html?exÕ1189569600&enÕ4a68beba1d0ad0e4&eiÕ5070 (link at syllabus on line at www.medievallit.org)

 

May 21: Conclusion.  No thinksheet. 

 

List of  Materials requested for e-reserve: 

 

Ibn Hazm, The Neck Ring of the Dove, trans. A.J. Arberry, London: Luzac and Co, 1953, pp. 33-54  

 

Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love, trans. John Jay Perry.  NY:  Columbia UP, 1990.  28-36;68-83;148-150

 

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, trans. A. Kent Hieatt and Constance Hieatt, NY: Bantam Book, 1985. 

 

Helen Rodnite Lemay, ed./trans., WomenÕs Secrets:  A Translation of the Pseudo-Albertus MagnusÕ De Secretis Mulierum with Commentaries. Albany:  State Univ. of New York Press, 1992. pp. 59-79.

 

David Lorenzo Boyd and Ruth Mazzo Karras. ÒThe Interrogation of a Male Transvestite Prostitute in Fourteenth-Century London.ÓGLQ vol. 1 pp. 459-465.

 

Duval, John, trans. Fabliaux Fair and Foul.  Binghamton, NY: Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 1992.  pp. 1-14;99-106;54-59.

 

Vern Bullough and James Brundage, eds.  Sexual Practices and the Medieval Church. Prometheus Books, 1982.   ÒSex in the Literature of the Middle AgesÓ, pp. 162-175.  ÒThe Sin against NatureÓ pp. 55-71. Notes, pp. 251-266; 272-275.

 

Course requirements:

Thinksheets: This class is graded pass/fail.  In order to Pass the class you need to respond to five thinksheet questions (that means you may skip one question).  The thinksheet questions are listed in the syllabus. Think sheets are response papers designed to stimulate discussion and help students engage with the works we are reading. During class I will ask a question or assign a topic for the thinksheet.  If you miss the thinksheet topic, it is your responsibility check our course website. Please do not expect me to be able to fill you in on the topic via email. Thinksheet responses need only be a paragraph long.  They should be no longer than one page.  Please type!!!

 

I will comment on your thinksheets and try to give you feedback to what you have written, but I wonÕt grade the thinksheets. If your thinksheets show effort and engagement with the assignment, you will pass the course. If I determine that your thinksheets do not show the kind of effort that I expect or if there seem to be other problems, I will inform you in my comments on the thinksheet and ask you to meet with me to discuss improvement.  It is your responsibility to come to office hours or otherwise arrange to meet with me and discuss this in order to maintain full credit.  

 

Beyond that, only documented medical excuses or documented personal emergencies will excuse a late thinksheet.  No exceptions. It is your responsibility to inform me about such emergencies as soon as it is possible for you to do so.   If you do not contact me in a timely fashion, it may not be possible to make up the work.  Thinksheets are due at the beginning of class. Without a documented excuse, late thinksheets will not be accepted. I will keep track of your thinksheets in my grade roster, but mistakes can happen so you should hold onto to all of the graded  thinksheets until you receive your final grade.

 

Vacation plans and extracurricular activities are never an excuse for missed or late work. ÒWhat is late work?Ó: Sometimes thereÕs just something that keeps a person from getting to class on time.  What I want to avoid is disruptions to the class by habitual late entrances and the abuse of the system of thinksheets.  If I think you are having a problem with getting the thinksheets in on time, I will inform you promptly and we will discuss how you can avoid losing full credit for your work and attendance. It will be your responsibility to follow up on meeting with me about this.

Attendance is required.  Only documented medical or personal emergencies are valid excuses for missing class.

 

Academic Integrity: The UniversityÕs policy on Academic Integrity can be found here: http://senate.ucsd.edu/manual/appendices/app2.htm.  Reading through this policy will supplement our discussion of academic integrity in class.  If you ever have any questions regarding this policies please contact me and we can go through them together.