Introduction to Topics in History (292-0-22)
Topic
Tricksters and Charlatans
Instructors
Jonathan Brack
Meeting Info
Harris Hall L28: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
Tricksters, outlaws, imposters, shams, and mischief makers populate our historical records, literary classics, folktales, movies, politics, and imagination. These enigmatic figures can be terrifying, criminal, and vicious but also charming, heroic, imaginative, and inspirational.
This course invites you to explore the phenomenon of the trickster and the charlatan within the realms of literature, history, and the archive. Our focus will be the historian's perspective, and the medieval and early modern Mediterranean. We will pay particular attention to figures who defy conventions and transgress geographical, religious (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim), social, and cultural boundaries.
From the shadows of the criminal underworld of medieval Cairo and the Jewish mystic circles of seventeenth-century Istanbul and the renowned folk hero Nasreddin Hodja, we will examine the accounts of intermediaries, mischievous heroes, and messianic claimants. Together we will investigate the attraction that such characters hold for us, seeking to unravel the secrets behind their enduring allure.
Learning Objectives
In addition to familiarizing students with some fascinating chapters in the history of the Mediterranean worlds, we will sharpen our transferable skill set. This includes critical thinking and reading, argumentation and debate, and structured, persuasive, and evidence supported writing. By reading and analyzing both primary sources and secondary studies dealing with a wide variety of tricksters, outlaws, and liminal figures, we will learn how to employ historical context when addressing unfamiliar texts or ideas that may seem foreign or distant from our present.
Evaluation Method
Attendance and participation (includes short responses based on the readings, 20% of grade), 2 papers (1k, 40%), and a final paper (3k-4k, 40%).
Class Notes
Concentration: European, Asia/Middle East, Africa/Middle East
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area