The course explores the evolving portrayal of women in literature and film from the Victorian era to the present, with a focus on how these representations reflect broader societal and ideological shifts. Key archetypes such as the “angel of the house,” the “fallen woman,” and the “femme fatale” are traced through different time periods, showing their lasting influence on cultural perceptions of women. Students will examine rebellious narratives that challenge traditional depictions, analyzing how these portrayals contribute to social and cultural changes. The course also investigates the intersections of gender, sexuality, imperialism, and postmodernism, providing opportunities to compare literary works with their cinematic adaptations. The works we will most probably cover, but which can change based on the introductory lesson’s discussion include literary works such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Rider Haggard’s She: A History of Adventure, Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing, Sandra Newman’s Julia, Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, and Michael Cunningham’s The Hours. Besides literary works, we will discuss films such as Stephen Daldry’s The Hours, Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, James Cameron’s Aliens and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things.
The students can choose among various project options to get a grade, out of which here are a few:
1. Students can create a multimedia project where they reinterpret a key female archetype in a modern context or through a transnational lens.
2.Students can choose two or more texts/films from different cultural backgrounds (for example, Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea and Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing) and compare how each culture approaches women’s roles and gender expectations.
3. Based on texts like Jane Eyre or Wide Sargasso Sea, students could rewrite a scene or create a short story from the perspective of a historically marginalized female character.