RLFR 228(S) The Invention of the Self
Today we take our Self for granted. That is, we consider each person to be a unique individual with a distinct view of the world, set of experiences, and private, inner thoughts that may or may not match the image s/he projects at any given moment. So "Selfish" are we, so to speak, that it may be hard to imagine a time when the Self, for all intents and purposes, did not exist. Yet it was not until the major sociocultural transformations of the Renaissance of the Twelfth Century that our modern vision of the Self was invented, for invention it was. By exploring a diverse range of literary works spanning the French High Middle Ages in their historical contexts, this class will trace the process of Self-invention. Our exploration will begin with two of the very earliest surviving literary works in French, La Vie de Saint Alexis and La Chanson de Roland. In these poems we will see what has long been held to be the "degree zero" of individuality. We will move on to consider texts by some of the most enduringly influential theologians: Guibert de Nogent, whose autobiographical writings may have been inspired by Augustine, but whose tone is much more personal; Pierre Abelard, who gave us the idea of intention and of the intrinsic worth of individuality; Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who redefined the concept of monasticism as a both collective and highly personal route to redemption; the Abbé Suger, who designed the first Gothic Cathedral, setting developing notions of perspective, relativism and nationalism quite literally in stone. We will then turn back to contemporary fiction to see how these major cultural changes played out on parchment, most notably in the flourishing of the poetic voice and first-person narration. We will see, at last, how the rise of the city contributed to the invention of the Self in satirical works and a mystery play of the late High Middle Ages. Conducted in French.
Format: lecture/seminar. Requirements: active participation, two short papers, one final paper, a presentation.
Prerequisites: French 109, 110, 111 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 20 (expected: 15). Preference given to French and Comparative Literature majors and those with compelling justification for admission.
Hour: HATTON