module

Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3197: The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Overview

This class will introduce you to the famous Arabian Nights in translation, along with a number of topics important to the study of world literature in general, namely questions of translation and reception, especially of “folk” literature, as well as the representations of material culture in literature. The course will also focus on the themes of gender, sexuality, and magic in the Arabian Nights.  You will become familiar with the most important translations of this work, as well as some of its adaptations in film, while focusing on the themes of sexuality, magic spells, genies, and material culture (such as depictions of foods and trade goods) in these famous and ancient tales.