E Lit 369 - Reading Sex in Premodern England

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

This course introduces students to the literary representation of gender and sexuality in England from the medieval period to the 18th century. To understand a tradition that addressed the intractable problem of human sexuality in terms very different from ours, we ask: how does premodern culture imagine gendered identities, sexual difference, and erotic desire? How do various contexts-medical, religious, social, private, public-inform the literary representation of gender and sexuality? What are the anatomies and economies of the body, the circuits of physical pleasure, and the disciplines of the self that characterize human sexuality? Students have the opportunity to study romances, saints' lives, mystical writings, diaries, plays, sex guides, novels, and scientific treatises. By learning how to "read sex" in premodern literature, students acquire a broad cultural and historical understanding of English sexualities before the descent of modern sensibilities.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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