Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3197: The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The module aims not only to give you a familiarity with one of the most famous works of Arabic literature in the “West,” but also an awareness of issues that are essential to an understanding of all world literature. This includes translation theory and practices, the construction of the author’s identity, the manner in which texts signal their truth value (i.e. do they present themselves as fact or fiction), and the effects of cross-genre and cross-cultural influences on literary traditions broadly speaking.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate in-depth comprehension of and familiarity with the themes and contents of the famous 1001 Nights 2. Demonstrate critical understanding of the intersection between folk literature, material culture, and spiritual and sexual practices 3. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the impact of the 1001 Nights on Western culture, and the many ways that it has been changed and adapted in popular culture, both in writing and in film.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Critically analyse literary texts; 5. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and the ability to apply central ideas in literary theory; 6. Demonstrate specialist knowledge of critical debates surrounding world literature in general and as applied specifically to the Arabic literary tradition;
Personal and Key Skills	7. Apply theory to texts and contexts by reading critically and recognizing historical trends in scholarship 8. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills by deconstructing arguments and performing close readings 9. Rank sources and structure arguments in a clearly formulated and rigorous fashion

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Weeks 1-3 will introduce the Arabian Nights as well as some of the most important themes in the field of folk literature, with particular focus on questions of gender and magical thinking.

Weeks 4-6 will discuss the material cultural background of some of the stories in the 1001 Nights, as well as many of the magical practices that it describes, especially with regards to genies.

Weeks 7-10 will describe the adaptation and translation of the Arabian Nights in the “West,” both in films and books, with special focus on the obscene sexual content of some of its stories and the effect of that perceived obscenity on its reception.

Week 11 Presentations and Review

In addition to reading various translations from the 1001 Nights, the course will include a film screening of Pier Pasolini’s Il Fiore delle Mille e Una Note (1974) as well as The Thief of Baghdad (1978).

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	22	11 x 2 hour classes. You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. On some occasions you may be asked to participate.
Guided independent study	68	Reading and research
Guided independent study	30	Completing assignments
Guided Independent Study	30	Preparing for assessments

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

vle.exeter.ac.uk