Listed in: Asian Languages and Civilizations, as ASLC-273 | History, as HIST-273
Mekhola S. Gomes (Section 01)
(Offered as HIST 273 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/P/C] and ASLC 273 [SA]) Are myth and history related? Do scholars interpret literature to write history? What happens when stories travel through time and across oceans? Do epics migrate with people? We answer these questions through the Ramayana, one of the most famous epics in the world. It is a fascinating story of violence, exile, love, loss, and redemption known by people in South and Southeast Asia and those in the diaspora. This course begins with the oldest Ramayana story written two thousand years ago by Valmiki in Sanskrit. It then explores Ramayanas across time in Old Javanese, Hindi, and Tamil as well as in comic books, films, and on TV. This course ultimately draws attention to the global power of stories that animated the distant historical past and continue to enchant the present. Two meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
How to handle overenrollment: null
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close analysis of historical evidence, including written documents, images, films, images, and performances from the historical period under study. Exploration of scholarly, methodological, and theoretical debates about questions of translation, circulation, and reception of cultures and languages. Extensive reading, varying forms of written work, and intensive in-class discussions.
Section 01
Tu 2:30 PM - 3:50 PM CHAP 119
Th 2:30 PM - 3:50 PM CHAP 119
This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.
| ISBN | Title | Publisher | Author(s) | Comment | Book Store | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa | Rowman & Littlefield, 2018 | Arshia Sattar | Amherst Books | TBD |
These books are available locally at Amherst Books.