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Nikos Kazantzakis with literary
scholar Kimor Friar |
An old book
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Subversive literature from Archilochos to Kazantzakis
Summary
One of the main functions of literature has often
been to shock, to challenge the ideals and standards of contemporary society,
to make people question their beliefs, and re-affirm or discard them. Cutting-edge
books have changed history, redefined identities, and reshaped moral and
religious systems. The forefront minds in human history sometimes needed
to ridicule established values, and demonstrate their inherent weaknesses
before they could propose something new. Thus they became the prophets
and creators of a new era. However, changes did not always happen painlessly,
as the established order of things was not going to dissipate without a
fight. Books were banned, burned, or publicly condemned for their content,
and their authors came to be considered as dangerous outcasts, rebels,
and traitors of their own society and its values. This is why considering
banned books in the long tradition of Greek literature, is not only a question
about literature. It is also a subject of cultural history, a search into
the beliefs and ideals of Greek society at the time when a certain author
or book was perceived as subversive and dangerous to the foundations of
society. By reading this literature, it is as if we are looking into a
mirror the reflection of the social values that it attacked, and we also
learn about the values that it was proposing to establish. In this course
we will read banned literature from antiquity to the present day, and we
may cross-reference it with banned literature from other cultures, trying
to understand why it was banned, and what kind of beliefs and social values
it was attacking.
Format:
There is NO LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT for
this course, as all the relevant literature will be read in translation
Assessment:
2 class tests (30x2=60%).
1 essay, c. 2,000 words (20%)
1 class presentation (10%)
Daily class participation and contribution (10%)
Please note that in accordance with the general policy of the Honors Program,
there is no curve.
Schedule of Lectures:
Introductory Lecture:
W2. Course administration and briefing.
Literature as a reflection of values, and a source
of social/cultural history (with selection of readings from world literature).
Greek perceptions on the power of literature.
Important books and their alleged or actual influence.
Ancient Greek literature
W3: Labor Day (no class)
W4. Archilochos of Paros
The poetry of a rebel who deliberately sought
to shock his contemporaries.
W5-6. Aristophanes Clouds.
A hilarious (and misunderstood) comedy poking
fun at philosophy, science and the advent of rational thinking.
Socrates: the trial and execution of a philosopher
W7: Xenophon, the Athenian, and his Lacedaemonian
Constitution
The exile of a historian. A lover of the enemy,
or just a cosmopolitan mind?
Byzantine Literature
W8. Procopios The Secret History
A criticque of imperial morals, and the scandalous
behaviour of Empress Theodora
W9. Class Test
The Modern Period
W10-11: Stratis Myrivilis Life in the Tomb
A straight-laced war veteran shocks the Greek
establishment with an anti-war/pro-life novel
W12-14: The Kazantzakis phenomenon
A spiritual man is excommunicated by the Church.
Exploration of religious feeling, or just shocking sensationalism?
W15: Yannis Ritsos: Chronicles from Exile
A great poet marginalised and sent into exile
for his political beliefs.
W16. Final Test
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Course Handouts
Introduction Powerpoint
Archilochos
Handouts for the Clouds
Aristophanes Clouds (Translated by Ian Johnston)
An introduction to Greek philosophy
Xenophon
Xenophon: The Lacedaemonian Constitution
(The first four pages)
Sparta
Procopius
Procopius Anecdota (or Secret
History)
These are the titles for the Handouts of Myrivilis:
Modern Greek History (Powerpoint)
Myrivilis and World War One (Powerpoint)
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/Myrivdocu/Myr1.html
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/Myrivdocu/zoientafo122-3.html
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/Myrivdocu/TheDeserters.htm
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/215.htm
The following are the titles for Kazantzakis:
Kazantzakis
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/ltint.htm
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/lt1.htm
Pages for Ritsos
http://www.classics.ufl.edu/CGS/links/index.html
A selection of
poems by Ritsos
Essay
Topics
Essay Instructions
WEEKLY PRESENTATION TOPICS
The content and form of the presentation are entirely up to the presenter,
and need not be too narrowly focused on the question, but rather treat the
question as a starting point.