Instructor’s email: mollyjacobs@berkeley.edu

All Reading & Composition courses must be taken for a letter grade in order to fulfill this requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree. This course satisfies the second half or the “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Tales of outlaws are some of the most well-known and best loved stories from medieval literature. Stories of Robin Hood’s generosity, or Gísli Sursson’s daring, have captivated generations of audiences. In this course, we will examine the concepts of society and social boundaries, as well as the reasons that compel people to remove themselves or others from it. We will discuss individual principles versus social convention, as well as the riveting stories of Gisli, Grettir, Robin Hood and others as a framework for learning the basics of writing college-level research papers.

This class is designed to fulfill the university’s Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement. Emphasis will be placed on argumentation, source evaluation, and research strategies. Students will sharpen their critical reading and writing skills through a series of short writing assignments, secondary source analysis, and a final research project.

Texts:

The Saga of Grettir the Strong – trans. Scudder, ISBN 0140447733

Medieval Outlaws: Twelve Tales in Modern English Translation – ed. Ohlgren, ISBN 1932559620 (Revised and expanded edition)

Course Reader

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the first half or the “A” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement. Students may not enroll nor attend R1B/R5B courses without completing this prerequisite.