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HIST292

A Century of Women in History and Memoir, 1870-1970
HIST292 SP

Crosslistings: WMST292
SectionClass Size*AvailableTimesPOIPrereq
1 18 6 Times: ..W.... 1:10PM-4:00PM;NoNo

*The number of spaces listed as available is based on class seats open for the Blue Add phase of registration. Some seats may be taken in previous phases while others may be held out for subsequent phases of registration. (Last Updated on Tue Aug 10 05:00:21 EDT 1999 )

What kind of historical document is an autobiography? How do women tell the stories of their lives? Does the genre of autobiography provide access to women's authentic experience? How do women construct their subjectivity within the constraints of the gendered identities offered by their culture in different historical moments? How do they understand their sexuality? their public roles? In what ways do working-class and middle-class women differ in their conception of their life stories and in their ways of representing them? And what is the relationship between remembering and creating in autobiographical writing? By examining a wide range of writing--from that of a Victorian maid-servant to the work of important 20th-century literary figures--we will seek to map out changing parameters of European women's lives, looking at the relationship between individual and social/collective experiences. At the same time, we will explore the different ways of representing these worlds, paying attention to various models of storytelling and their effects.

MAJOR READINGS

The readings will include an historical
textbook (Bonnie Smith, CHANGING LIVES: WOMEN IN EUROPEAN
HISTORY SINCE 1700) and critical essays paired with the
following autobiographies.
THE DIARIES OF HANNAH CULLWICK, VICTORIAN MAIDSERVANT
Margaret Davies, ed., LIFE AS WE HAVE KNOWN IT
Vera Brittain, TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
Carolyn Kay Steedman, LANDSCAPE FOR A GOOD WOMAN
Simone de Beauvoir, MEMOIRS OF A DUTIFUL DAUGHTER
Marguerite Duras, THE WAR
Charlotte Delbo, DAYS AND MEMORY
Christa Wolf, PATTERNS OF CHILDHOOD
Emilie Carles, A LIFE OF HER OWN
Jeanette Winterson, ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Students will be required to keep a journal of weekly responses to the readings, to serve as a discussion facilitator, and to produce a final paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Preference will be given to European History and Women's Studies majors. Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: SBS HIST

Prerequisites: None

Section 01
Shapiro, A
Times: ..W.... 1:10PM- 4:00PM;
Grading Mode: Mixed
Registration Preference (1 high to 6 low, 0=Excluded) Sr: 1, Jr: 1, So: 2, Fr: 0
Major Preference Given

Last Updated on MAR-22-1999




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