Healing the Feminine and Meeting with the Goddess: Beyond the Archetype of a Man-Made Woman

Dozent/in:

Igor Almeida Ferreira Baldoino

Angaben:

Seminar/Proseminar, 2 SWS, ECTS: 6, Studium Generale

Termine:

Mo, 12:00 - 14:00, U2/00.25

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

1. Module Allocation:
1.1 Seminar
BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik: Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft / freie Erweiterung: Seminar 6 ECTS
NOT OPEN for Ergänzungsmodul Ltieraturwissenschaft!

BA Berufliche Bildung: Basis/Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS

LA GS/HS/MS/RS: Basis/Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft (b): Seminar 6 ECTS

LA GY: Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS

LA GY (Kombination mit Russisch): Wahlpflichtmodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS

MA WiPäd: Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS

2. (De)Registration:
in FlexNow! (except for guest auditors): 08.03.2018 (10:00) - 08.06.2018 (23:59)
guest auditors: please contact lecturer

Inhalt:

In a conversation with Murdock, Campbell affirms that the heroine has no active role in the hero’s journey: “In the whole mythological tradition the woman is there. All she has to do is realise that she’s the place that people are trying to get to. When a woman realises what her wonderful character is, she’s not going to get messed up with the notion of being pseudo-male”.

Although rather misogynistic, this might have been true regarding ancient myths, but modern and contemporary literature show female characters actively pursuing their heroic paths. For instance, Alcott’s Jo March in Little Women, a 15-year-old girl who struggles with and defies society's expectations of how women in the 19th century should behave; or Hardy’s Bathsheba Everdene in Far from the Madding Crowd who is considered as one of the foremothers of great women in literature.

The perspective and plot has also switched angles, portraying fully realised female characters and their complex path of healing and achieving their goals. Take as an example the drastic plot change in Walt Disney’s princess movies. The protagonists are no longer damsels in distress in desperate need of rescue such as Cinderella, Aurora, or Snow White. Instead, it focuses on their growth and maturing, their intimate relationship with the feminine and a mother figure, and the healing (or support) provided by other women. Elsa and Anna, Moana and Merida are just a few examples of Disney’s new angle on their princesses.

This class will focus on Campbell and Murdock’s models and attempt to find common ground, reshape or merge the positive aspects within both. It will also pay special attention to two stages of the heroine’s journey: Meeting with the Goddess and Healing the Mother-Daughter Split.

Empfohlene Literatur:

To read prior to the beginning of the semester:
Thomas Hardy. Far from the Madding Crowd
Louisa May Alcott. Little Women

To watch during the semester:
Walt Disney. Brave
Walt Disney. Frozen
Walt Disney. Moana

More material to be added in class.