Women in Literature
Aimee Record
Office: S767 Main Building
office hours or Class Café
between 1-2 on Thursdays
arecord@bmcc.cuny.edu
myrtlejuly@msn.com
212-220-5133
English 353-981
Course Overview: This course focuses on the contributions of women literary artists from a
variety of cultures and ethnic groups. It examines how some writers have both reflected the
prevailing female stereotypes of their age and background, and also imagined the "New
Woman." Enrollment is open to both women and men.
Required Texts:
-Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar,
ISBN-10: 0393930157 ISBN-13: 978-0393930153
3rd edition--two book set--first and second volume.
-A MLA handbook, suggested.
-Handouts.
Learning Outcomes. Students will be able to:
-carefully and critically read and analyze literature
-identify technical and stylistic aspects that distinguish genre
-locate literary movements in women’s writing within an historical context
-summarize two scholarly articles
-respond with focused thesis centered academic writing
Course Methodology:
This is both a discussion-based (board) and lecture class that is writing intensive or considered a
WI course.
Methods of Assessment:
-see assignments under the Assignments tab and Discussion Board questions under the
Discussion Board tab along with the group projects under the Group tab.
Reading Requirements:
You are required to do the assigned reading for this class. Class runs on the basis of your
participation in discussion board and group work. Therefore, active contribution in class is a
requirement and will constitute a portion of your grade.
Grades:
7 Discussion Boards: 5% each (for a total of 35%)
1st Paper: 15%
2nd Paper 15%
3rd Paper 15%
Final Project 20%
Grading: All written assignments will be turned in to Blackboard. Discussion Board assignments
will be posted as a thread and two responses to classmates threads will be posted in reply to their threads.
All formal assignment will be posted to Safe Assign under the Assignment tab.
Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who require
reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of
Services for Students with Accessibilities. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all
programs and curricula to all students.
College Attendance Policy: At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more
hour than the number of hours a class meets in one week. For this class that means four hours Or
two class periods because summer is an accelerated 101series. In the case of excessive absences,
the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade. Unruly behavior,
cell phones, disrespect, or exclusionary talking may lead to your dismissal of my class. This
will be counted as an absence.
BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement:
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or
technical work as one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible
only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as
direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional
or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of
responsibility for plagiarism.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult
with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately
identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC’s web site, www.bmcc.cuny.edu.
For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult the college bulletin
(also available online).
Week One
Introduction and Syllabus. Oral tradition/ Cautionary tales. Fairy tales.
Links: “Dame Ragnell” (What Does Every Woman Most truly Desire?), “Persephone”,
“Little Red Riding Hood”
Supplemental:
Periods of Literature, The Elements of Fiction, Intro to symbol, psychological breakdown of reading.
Jungian archetypes, color chart.
Week Two
Sappho, Mirabai, Shikibu
Genesis
Notes on Works in Translation
Week Three
Medieval Sourcebook:
The Art of Courtly Love,
"The Twenty Statutes"
Notes on Medieval and Renaissance, Images of Women,
Readings: Biographies and Titles listed from the Norton
Introduction: Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance 1-17
Julian of Norwich, A Book of Showings 37-45
Margery Kempe, The Book of Margery Kempe 45-58
Juliana Berners, "Hunting Terminology", "The Hare" 60-62
Aemilia Lanyer, "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women"
Mary Wroth, "64", "74"
Kathleen Philips "A Married State"
21 No classes, READ!!
Persephone, How to read a poem. Historical context and biographies.
(Reading assignment for next time:
(Packet 2)
Mariolotry: God and Love. Sappho to Medieval times.
The written tradition/ problems with translations,
Sappho (Greek, some time between 630 and 612BC),
Izumi Shikibu (Japanese, 974-1034),
Mirabai (1498-1565)
and (Handout 2)
Julian of Norwich, (1342-1416) A Book of Showings (Handout 2)
Margery Kempe (1373-1438) The Book of Margery Kempe (Handout 2)
Juilaiana Barnes (1486) "Hunting Terminology", "The Hare" (Handout 2)
Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) "On Monsieur's Departure", "Speech to the Troops at Tilbury" (Handout 2)
Mary Wroth (1587–1651/3) "64", "74" (Handout 2)
Katherine Philips (1631-1664) "A Married State" (Handout 2)
(Handout 3)-Atwood, Riding, Winterson
Week Two
25 will go over Handout 2! Next class. Covered Packet 2!
Modern concepts of God and love: Comparisons
Gluck (1943) "Red Poppy" "Martins" (Packet 2)
Atwood (1939) "Happy Endings" (Handout 3)
Winterson (1959) "Poetics of Sex" (Handout 3)
Laura Riding (1901-1991) "Eve's Side of It" (Handout 3)
26 Handout 2 and will handout-- handout 3
27
28
Week Three
August
1 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries/ Virgin Whore Dichotomy
Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902)
Emily Bronte (1818-1848)
Harriet E. Adams Wilson (1828-1870)
George Eliot (1819-1880)
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
Frances E. W. Harper aka Frances Watkins (1825-1911)
Kate Chopin (1851-1904)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)
2
3 Turn of the Century
Mina Loy (1886-1966)
May Swenson (1913-1989)
Gertrude Stein (1874-1946)
4
Week Four
8 Modern Comparison:
Carson McCullers (1917-1967)
Lucille Clifton (1936-2010)
Sharon Olds (1942-)
Jamaica Kincaid (1949-) "Girl"
Kim Addonizio (1954-)
Rebecca Brown (1956-)
Stacyann Chin (1971-)
9
10 Projects 20/21st Century
11
Week Five
15
16
17
18