Winter 2023: GWSS 429 A/ SCAND 427A/SCAND 590 A (5 credits A & H, DIV):
Scandinavian Women Writers in English Translation
Tu/Thu 2:30 – 4:20 pm (HRC 135)
Marianne Stecher-Hansen, Professor: marianne@uw.edu [Mailbox: Raitt 318].
Office hours: by appointment [Raitt 305Z or Zoom]
Scandinavian Women Writers: This is a course in cultural and literary studies focused on Scandinavian women writers. We will read and discuss texts and ask questions such as the following: How are love, marriage, parenthood and reproductive rights depicted in Nordic literature? Are love relationships or marriages depicted as legitimate and institutionalized, as rites of passage (from youth to adulthood), or as “lawless” and transgressive? How do selected works of Scandinavian literature depict love, intimate partner relationships, and fertility and do they engage ethical and moral questions which are relevant still today? What are the legal and social codes around marriage, parenthood, and reproduction and how are these codes and norms represented and challenged in Nordic literary works written by women in the 19th, 20th centuries and 21st centuries? How are these works of literature related to Nordic culture, history, and society?
This course will focus on these kinds of questions as we explore historical and contemporary literature produced by celebrated writers of the Nordic region. The selected works represent literary works from most of the Nordic countries, including Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish texts in English translation. Students will investigate selected works by major Scandinavian writers (particularly women) from the nineteenth-century to the present day with focus on feminist issues, including intimate partner relations, parenthood, reproductive rights, fertility, marriage/divorce, gender and sexuality. In addition to canonical and contemporary memoirs, novels, and short stories, the course will include some reading in feminist criticism. In fulfilling the diversity requirement (DIV credits), we pay particular attention in our discussions to questions of class, sex and gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
Student Learning Objectives:
- Practice the skill of “deep reading” (i.e. 30 minutes of daily reading– ideally, without electronic devices present and highlighting with pen or pencil)
- Gain an understanding of literary studies in the context of feminist criticism and theory and gender studies, including knowledge of various Nordic (women) writers and socio-political developments.
- Encourage thinking critically about topics such as power, inequality, and marginality in order to support effective communication skills.
- Exercise the tools of text analysis and improve critical writing skills to address topics in culture, literature, and society.
Preparation: Class meetings will be a combination of lecture and discussion. Please come prepared with questions and observations relating to the assigned text for that meeting. Lecture outlines (pdf. of PowerPoint slides) are posted (usually right after class) on Canvas under Modules. Online discussions will be posted on Canvas, under “Discussions.”
Required editions and English translations (4 paperback books to purchase at U Bookstore): **These shorter selections will be posted on our Canvas in the “Modules.”
- Hans Christian Andersen. “The Little Mermaid” (1835) and “The Story of a Mother” (1848), translated by Tiina Nunnally. ** (Danish)
- Amalie Skram. Betrayed (1892), translated by Katherine Hanson. (Norwegian)
- Hjalmar Söderberg, excerpt from Doctor Glas (1905). (Swedish)
- Sigrid Undset. Marta Oulie – A Novel of Betrayal (1907), translated by Tiina Nunnally. (Norwegian).
- Aino Kallas. The Wolf’s Bride” (1928)** (Finnish)
- Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), “The Pearls” (1942); “The Blank Page,” (1957);“The Ring” (1958). (English and Danish)
- Tove Ditlevsen, selections from The Copenhagen Trilogy (1968 - 1971), translated by Nunnally & Goldman. (Danish)
- Sofi Oksanen, Dog Park, translated by Owen Witesman. (Finnish)
Evaluation criteria: Grades will be based on course participation, contributions to discussions (both in-person and online), two “critical response” papers and term paper on an approved topic. . The course grade will be based on the following assignments. Paper format: All papers must be double-spaced; 1 inch margins; 12 point font and submitted on Canvas in “Assignments” (use only Word or pdf formats); please include your name on the document itself.
40% Two critical response papers (2 - 3 pages; min. 500 – max. 750 words each)
10% Topic proposal for paper (1 page; 250 words) with short bibliography.
40% Term paper (6 – 8 pages; 1,500 – 2,000 words, total)
10% Regular class participation; contributions to (4) online discussions; “class conference” (March 9)
SCAND 590A (graduate students in Scandinavian Studies): Graduate students (enrolled in SCAND 590A) complete the same course requirements as undergraduate students. Further, graduate students are expected to fulfill the following additional criteria: reading (and citing) the texts in the original Scandinavian languages [Finnish texts in English translation]; the final assignment is a “seminar paper” of at least 10 pages (or min 2,500 words) in length, with citations in the original language/s and including references to relevant secondary/critical literature. Texts in the original languages are provided on Canvas in a separate Module for SCAND 590A.
Ad Hoc Writing (W) Credit available: One of the most valuable skills you will develop at UW is the ability to communicate effectively through writing. It is a skill that is universally valued by employers as well as graduate and professional programs. Writing cultivates self-expression and it fosters your ability to explain complex ideas. In university courses, your papers will not typically be summaries of what you have learned in class but in-depth exploration and investigation of aspects of topics discussed in lecture. In your papers, you will have the opportunity to develop your own ideas and interpretations concerning what you are learning in class. As you write for SCAND 427A/GWSS 429A/SCAND 590A, you will practice organizing your thoughts into logical, persuasive arguments. Allow time to rewrite and revise your writing. Review the comments that I write on your papers (via Canvas) and use what you've learned in your next paper. Note that UW Writing (W) courses require a total of 10 to 15 pages of graded, out-of-class writing, (in this class: two short 3-page papers, and one longer 6- to 7-page paper with feedback and revision, totals 12 - 13 pages, fulfilling the W requirement ). Students receive feedback on their writing from the professor and from peers; my comments on papers are not restricted to content, my comments will also be directed to the formal aspects of writing.
Student Academic Responsibility and Plagiarism: As with all university coursework, you are expected to submit writing that is your own work and to cite texts and sources properly. Please read the UW policy on Student Academic Responsibility, especially the section on "Plagiarism"; this document is posted on our Canvas under "Modules."
Religious Accommodations Policy: Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
Land acknowledgment: The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations” including the Duwamish, on whose traditional lands the University of Washington-Seattle stands.
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