Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3197: The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception

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

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 ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity2211 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 study68Reading and research
Guided independent study30Completing assignments
Guided Independent Study30Preparing for assessments

Online Resources

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

vle.exeter.ac.uk