Writing the Self in Early Modern Europe
T/Th, 9:05–11:00 a.m
Mueller 108
| Instructor | Mr. Lundin | |
| Matthew.Lundin@valpo.edu | ||
| Phone | x6494 | |
| Office Hours | M/W, 1:00–3:00 p.m. | |
| Office | Linwood House 113 |
Course Description
Between 1400 and 1800, writing about the self proliferated in Europe. Diaries, autobiographies, spiritual journals, essays, family chronicles, letters—growing numbers of Europeans used pen and paper to document their thoughts and memories and to test the boundaries of their individual identities. According to some historians, the spread of print and literacy created a new "private sphere" for the early modern individual—an intimate space free from the demands of Church, caste, and clan. Indeed, many of our basic assumptions about selfhood and individuality were fleshed out in the autobiographical writings of the early modern period.
This course will explore the development of written self-representation in early modern Europe. Why did the years between 1400 and 1800 see a dramatic expansion of writing about the self? How did individuals accustom themselves to the unfamiliar practice of documenting their own lives? What effects did expanding literacy have on ideas of what it means to be an individual? After reading some introductory historical accounts of private writing, we will examine two celebrated examples of early modern "self-writing": the Essays of Michel de Montaigne and the autobiography of Teresa of Avila. What conventions governed these authors' accounts of their own lives? How did gender and religion shape their self-representations?
At the end of the course, each student will submit a research paper on some aspect of early modern private writing and will share the results of their research in an in-class presentation.
Required Texts
- Montaigne, Michel de. The Essays: A Selection. Trans. M. A. Screech. Penguin, 1994. 978-0140446029
- Teresa of Avila. The Book of My Life. Trans. Mirabai Starr. New Seeds, 2008. 978-1590305737
- Wayne Booth, et. al. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Course Evaluation
| Participation | 10% | |
| Presentation | 10% | |
| Annotated Bibliography | 10% | |
| Outline | 10% | |
| Final Paper | 60% |
Writing Assignments
This course is an introduction to academic research and writing. It will culminate in a research paper of at least 20 pages. You will not, however, begin this research paper the night before it is due. Rather, several smaller writing tasks will prepare you to write your final paper, assisting you as you choose a topic and research question, locate and assess relevant scholarly work, develop an argument, and outline your paper. (See the schedule below for descriptions and deadlines.)
Presentations
During the second half of the seminar, each of you will give a carefully prepared presentation on the results of your research. If you choose to present early in the semester, your research will be at a preliminary stage, but you will benefit from early feedback. If you choose to present later in the semester, you will be able to draw on a more polished paper, but you will not have as much time to incorporate feedback into your research.
Policies
This course is a collaborative enterprise; you will often be asked to provide feedback for your peers. Therefore, it is imperative that you attend all class sessions. If you have a legitimate reason for missing a class session, you must let the instructor know ahead of time.
In all your work for the course, you are expected to abide by the Valparaiso University Honor Code. If you have any questions about what constitutes "unauthorized aid" or how to cite sources, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor.
Schedule
This is a preliminary schedule, subject to change.1
Week Eight
Tuesday, March 17: Introduction
- Philippe Braunstein, "Towards Intimacy: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries," in A History of Private Life, vol. 2, Revelations of the Medieval World, ed. Georges Duby, trans. Arthur Goldhammer (Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1988), 535–567, 615–630.
Thursday, March 19: Public Intimacy
- Jean Marie Goulemot, "Literary Practices: Publicizing the Private," in A History of Private Life, vol. 3, Passions of the Renaissance, ed. Roger Chartier, trans. Arthur Goldhammer (Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1989), 363–395.
Week Nine
Tuesday, March 24: Montaigne's Project
-
Montaigne's Essays
- Introduction and Chronology, ix–xxx
- "To the Reader," 3
- "On solitude," 96–108
- "On the affection of fathers for their children," 148–168
- "On repenting," 232–246
Thursday, March 26: The Unstable Self
-
Montaigne's Essays
- "To philosophize is to learn how to die," 17–36
- "On the inconstancy of our actions," 124–142
- "On conscience," 143–147
- "On three kinds of social intercourse," 247–259
- "On the lame," 351–363
Friday, March 27
| By 5 p.m. today, you must email Mr. Lundin a | ||
| preliminary topic proposal, formulated as a research | ||
| question (see The Craft of Research, pp. 40–72). | ||
Week Ten
Tuesday, March 31: "I myself"
-
Montaigne's Essays
- "On experience," 364–426
Thursday, April 2: "Confessions"
- Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life, 1–68
Week Eleven
Tuesday, April 7: "Voices"
- Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life, 169–218
Thursday, April 9: Gender and Religion
- First hour: Advising Meeting
- Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life, 218–288
ILL Materials
| Request ILL Materials no later than this week. | ||
Week Twelve
Tuesday, April 14: Gender and Writing
- Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life, 288–346
Thursday, April 16
- Student presentations (3)
| Annotated bibliography due (2–3 pages). Your bibliography | ||
| should include at least five items, along with a short | ||
| description of each source and its relevance for your research. | ||
Week Thirteen
Tuesday, April 21
- Student presentations (3)
Thursday, April 23
- Student presentations (3)
| Outline due (3–4 pages). You are to submit an outline detailing | ||
| your central thesis along with supporting points and evidence. | ||
Week Fourteen
Tuesday, April 28
- Student presentations (3)
Thursday, April 30
| Rough draft due (15 pages). We will divide into small | ||
| groups to read drafts and provide written and oral feedback. | ||
Week Fifteen
Tuesday, May 5
- Student presentations (2)
Friday, May 8
| Final paper due by 5 p.m. | ||
Footnotes:
1 In addition to the dates listed in the schedule, we will also meet one hour per week to discuss academic research and writing. For these sessions, you will be asked to read excerpts from The Craft of Research. Please see the course webpage for a list of places and times.
Date: March 16, 2009
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