Middlebury

ITAL 0295

Boccaccio Decameron

Boccaccio’s Decameron in the Age of Coronavirus
Composed at the end of the 1348 Black Plague, the Decameron engages the social crises emerging from pandemic. Popularly considered only a collection of bawdy stories, we will challenge this popular stereotype of the work, discussing also how its storytelling emerges as a responsible act critiquing the society passing away, and proposing alternatives foundational to modern Western society regarding class, gender, and religion. We will also consider how contemporary Western essays and media (some in translation) re-engage the Decameron. Class work includes short analytical essays with rewrites, blogging, scrapbooking, and a class project rewriting the Decameron for today. This course will be conducted exclusively in English, with English language sources. 3 hrs. lect.
Subject:
Italian
Department:
Italian
Division:
Languages
Requirements Fulfilled:
CW EUR HIS LIT

Sections in Spring 2021, MIIS courses in College Term

Spring 2021

ITAL0295A-S21 Lecture (Zupan)