| Course Title: Topics in German and European Studies in a Global Context: 'Into the Woods: The Brothers Grimm and the European Folklore Tradition' |
| Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2026 |
| Description: This course examines the classical origins, artistic form, and modern legacy of the folktales famously collected by the Brothers Grimm, situating them in both their German and their wider European context. Students investigate the cultural, political, and psychological influences of the folktale genre on individuals, social groups, and nation-states from antiquity to the present. We consider renditions of the tales in various media and contemporary topics such as childhood pedagogy, gender, social (in)justice, psychology, and political ideology. Various interpretations of fairy tales will be explored, including their potential for social subversion through reinterpretation and rewriting. |
| Distribution(s): I - Humanities , WI - Writing-Intensive , TP - Topics Course |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Catherine McNally | cemcnally@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Seminar | Tuesday and Thursday | 10:30AM - 11:45AM | CIRU - Ciruti | 009 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| None |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Taught in English. |
| Course Tags |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 24 | Enrollment: 23 | Available: 1 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |