Comparative Literature 230 - UNNATURAL WOM:MOTHERS WHO KILL

Some cultures give the murdering mother a central place in myth and literature while others treat the subject as taboo. How is such a woman depicted-as monster, lunatic, victim, savior? What do the motives attributed to her reveal about a society's assumptions and values? What difference does it make if the author is a woman? We focus on literary texts but also consider representations in other media, especially cinema. Authors to be studied include Euripides, Seneca, Ovid, Anouilh, Christa Wolff, Walker, Morrison and others.