Mapping the Self in the 17^th Century

In this course, we explore how individuals in seventeenth-century France developed written and dramatic portrayals of identity through the idea of the map. Along with providing an overview of map-making from the Renaissance through the Classical era, the course will include readings of literary texts that give detailed accounts of the geography of personal experience. Authors we will read and discuss include La Bruyère, Mme de Lafayette, Molière, Mlle de Scudéry, Mme de Sévigné, and Racine. In these authors' works, two interconnected modes of representation can be observed: 1. Authors construct fictional identities, characters whose personal perceptions and experiences take shape in a narrative; 2. Authors construct fictional worlds, imaginary topographies that the characters inhabit. As we read these works (including novels, letters, plays, and aphoristic observations), we will be discussing how fictional constructions of self intersect with narrative geography (in addition, we'll ask the question: when is the self described as a geographical entity?). What are the key terms of this geography? By means of what images, ideas, and techniques of writing do our authors portray the individual's relationship to his/her physical surroundings? A number of cultural historians have argued that the early modern period witnessed the development of a new kind of private life. What are the dimensions of this individual experience that can be observed in the writings of this period? In order to situate our discussions of literature and cartography in historical context, we will also go over some of the major social and political trends and events that marked daily life in early modern France. Required work includes short essays during the course of the semester, a midterm, and a final (graduate students will do a final research paper). The overall goal of the class is to gain familiarity with literature and cartography of early modern Europe.

Course Objectives:

• To provide an overview of the history of cartography from the Middle Ages to the 17^th Century
• To provide an overview of major sociopolitical trends and events in 16^th-17^th-century France
• To carry out a detailed study of texts, in prose and verse, by 17^th-century French authors, with a focus on how these texts can be understood as spatial projections of identity
• To cultivate a French-speaking environment for analysis of required readings and exchange of ideas
• To develop a writing workshop during the course of which students receive regular feedback from the instructor on writing skills in French

Required Work:

 Attendance, preparation for and active participation in class discussions/activities:                       25%

Weekly 1-page Essays (in French unless otherwise specified), due every Friday:                        30%

Midterm Examination:                                                                                                               20%

Final Examination (undergrads)/Final MLA-Style Research Paper (grads):                                 25%

Texts (available at Iowa Book, 8 S. Clinton):

 La Bruyère, Les Caractères

Mme de Lafayette, La Princesse de Clèves

Molière, Le Misanthrope

Racine, Andromaque

Racine, Phèdre

Mlle de Scudéry, Clélie (Gallimard anthology)

Mme de Sévigné, Lettres choisies (Garnier-Flammarion anthology)

• Texts available at Main Library course reserve are listed in the course bibliography; while most of these are optional readings, a few of these reserve books are assigned readings, as indicated in the schedule below.

 Schedule:

I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require seating modifications or testing accommodations or accomodations of other class requirements, so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please contact me during my office hours.

Additional Information on University Policies from the Student Academic Handbook:

Student Rights and Responsibilities

As a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences you have both rights and responsibilities. The College's mission is to prepare you to be a knowledgeable citizen of the 21st century and empower you to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. This can only occur in an environment that contributes to your potential for scholarship and creative work.

You have the right to respect from all faculty members and staff in the College. University policy also discusses in detail faculty members' responsibilities to students. If you have a complaint about an instructor, use the procedures for student complaints about faculty actions that are described below in "Student Complaints Concerning Faculty Actions."

You also have the right to a classroom environment that encourages learning. As a part of a community of learners, students and faculty should work toward classrooms and courses in which everyone feels able to explore new ideas and acquire new skills. Everyone's ability to learn is lessened when instructors or students engage in behaviors inappropriate to a positive learning environment. The College's Educational Policy Committee has noted that the following behaviors are particularly injurious to the classroom environment.

    * Students who sleep in a class or read non-class materials in class disrupt the course. There is a great difference between "active listening" and ignoring the activities of a class session

    * Students who engage in non-class activities, for instance using a cell-phone, working on another class's assignment, and so on, disrupt the learning environment of others, as well as reducing the possibility of learning for themselves.

    * Students or instructors who use abusive or disrespectful language also damage the classroom environment. Respect for others is the best way to nurture the community of learning.

Your instructors may include a discussion of classroom behavior in the syllabus or during a class period. If there are aspects of the classroom or course activities (including on-line or out-of-class activities) that trouble you, please talk with your instructor about the situation, or with the course supervisor, or with the chair of the offering department. The staff of the CLAS Academic Programs & Services office are also happy to talk with any student about classroom activities and behavior.

Inappropriate classroom behavior by students is a violation of the Code of Student Life. Instructors may take immediate disciplinary action against students who are physically or verbally disruptive in a class or may refer the matter to the dean of students. An instructor who takes immediate action reports in writing to the dean of students what disciplinary action was taken.

Academic Fraud, Dishonesty, and Cheating

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences considers academic fraud, dishonesty, and cheating serious academic misconduct. All students suffer when academic misconduct takes place. Academic fraud, dishonesty, and cheating disturb the mutual respect that should exist between instructors and students and among students, and can poison the atmosphere of a classroom. Perhaps most seriously, those who commit academic fraud, dishonesty, or cheating are robbed of the educational experiences that are the primary purpose of course work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. We expect instructors to help students understand and avoid all academic fraud.

If you are unclear about the proper use and citation of sources, or the details and guidelines for any assignment, you should discuss the assignment and your questions with the instructor. All forms of plagiarism and any other activities that result in a student presenting work that is not really his or her own are considered academic fraud. Academic fraud includes these and other misrepresentations:

    * presentation of ideas from any sources you do not credit;

    * the use of direct quotations without quotation marks and without credit to the source;

    * paraphrasing information and ideas from sources without credit to the source;

    * failure to provide adequate citations for material obtained through electronic research

    * downloading and submitting work from electronic databases without citation;

    * participation in a group project which presents plagiarized materials;

    * taking credit as part of a group without participating as required in the work of the group;

    * submitting material created/written by someone else as one's own, including purchased term/research papers;

Cheating on examinations and other work also interferes with your own education as well as the education of others in your classes. If you are unclear about the guidelines for any testing situation or assignment, you should discuss your questions with the instructor. Academic cheating includes all of the following, and any other activities that give a student an unfair advantage in course work.

    * copying from someone else's exam, homework, or laboratory work;

    * allowing someone to copy or submit your work as his/her own;

    * accepting credit for a group project without doing your share;

    * submitting the same paper in more than one course without the knowledge and approval of the instructors involved;

    * using notes, text messaging, cell phone calls, pre-programmed formulae in calculators, or other materials during a test or exam without authorization;

    * not following the guidelines specified by the instructor for a "take home" test or exam.

When an instructor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences suspects a student of academic fraud or cheating these procedures will be followed:

    * The instructor (or supervisor, if the instructor is a teaching assistant) must inform the student--in a printed letter on departmental letterhead signed by the instructor--as soon as possible after the incident has been observed or discovered.

    * If the instructor comes to the conclusion that the student academic fraud or cheating has occurred, he or she (in consultation with the supervisor if the instructor is a teaching assistant) will determine what action to take. The instructor may decide to reduce the student's grade on the assignment or activity, or in the course, or even to assign an F for the assignment or activity or for the course

    * The instructor will send a signed written report on departmental letterhead of the case to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and send copies of the report to the DEO and to the student(s) involved.

    * The associate dean for academic programs will impose the following or other penalties: disciplinary warning until graduation (usually for a first offense); suspension from the college for a calendar year or longer (usually for a second offense); or recommendation of expulsion from the University by the president (usually for a third offense).

If a student believes that the finding of academic fraud or cheating is in error or the penalty unjust, he or she should follow the procedures for Student Complaints Concerning Faculty Actions (below).

Forgery

The Code of Student Life prohibits forgery of University records, documents, or student identification cards. Professional staff members at CLAS Academic Programs & Services interview students suspected of forgery and take disciplinary action based on the interview and verification provided by the adviser, instructor, or dean whose signature is in doubt.

Records

Records of all disciplinary actions taken against students reside in the CLAS Academic Programs & Services office and are destroyed when the students graduate, or after five years if the students have left the University or have not graduated. A notation of disciplinary action appears on a student's permanent record, if the student has been suspended or expelled.

Student Complaints Concerning Faculty Actions

A student who has a complaint is responsible for following the procedures described below. Complaints may concern inappropriate faculty conduct (including inappropriate course materials), incompetence in oral communication, inequities in assignments, scheduling of examinations at other than authorized and published times; failure to provide disability accommodations, or grading grievances. Complaints should be brought to the attention of the instructor, department, and, if necessary, the associate dean, as soon as possible. Only in extraordinary cases may a complaint procedure begin six months after the time of the incident. This change will help ensure that adequate records are available to make a fair decision concerning the complaint.

Procedures for Complaints

   1. Ordinarily, the student should attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor first. Students may talk first to someone other than the instructor (for instance, to the department's director of undergraduate studies, the departmental executive officer, or the University Ombudsperson) if they do not feel, for whatever reason, that they can directly approach the instructor.

   2. If the complaint is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the student should go to the course supervisor (if the instructor is a teaching assistant), to the departmental executive officer, or, in some departments, to the person designated to hear complaints.

   3. If the matter remains unresolved, the student may submit a written complaint (email is not sufficient--a printed, signed letter is required) to the associate dean for academic programs. The associate dean will attempt to resolve the complaint and, if necessary, may convene a special committee to recommend appropriate action. In any event, the associate dean will respond to the student in writing regarding the disposition of the complaint.

If a complaint concerning academic accommodations for disability cannot be resolved through the mechanisms described above, the student may file a complaint with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 202 Jessup Hall, telephone 335-0705.

For any complaint that cannot be resolved through the mechanisms described above, a student may file a formal complaint, which will be handled under the procedures established for dealing with alleged violations of the statement on professional ethics and academic responsibility in the University Operations Manual. A description of these formal procedures may be obtained at CLAS Academic Programs & Services.

If the complaint involves sexual harassment, the procedures above need not be followed. The University policy on sexual harassment and consensual relationships in the instructional context can be found in "Policies and Regulations Affecting Students."

The Office of the University Ombudsperson (C108 Seashore Hall, telephone 335-3608) responds to problems and disputes brought forward by all members of the University community students, staff, and faculty that appear unresolvable through existing channels. Before consulting the ombudsperson, ordinarily an attempt should be made to resolve problems by following the procedures described above.

Questions about any of the procedures described above can be answered by the professional staff in CLAS Academic Programs & Services.