Comparative Literature 230 - UNNATURAL WOMEN

Spring
2019
01
4.00
Thalia Pandiri
TTh 03:00-04:50
Smith College
30103-S19
SEELYE 105
tpandiri@smith.edu
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, Christopher Durang, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison and others.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.