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Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
Poignant, hilarious, ironic, sad, beautiful, Oscar Wilde’s literary fairy tales evoke vivid and intense imagery and discuss topics such as social status, wealth, and Christianity. In these modules, we will read and discuss Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales. We will talk about the plot, characters, specific nuances of the language, use of irony, and symbolism. We will also discuss stories that influenced some of the tales, especially Andersen’s tales such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Shadow,” “The Darning Needle,” and others.

This module is part of a two-module series, but each one stands alone and is independent from the other. In the first module, we will talk about the fairy tales from The Happy Prince and Other Tales, and in the second module we will discuss A House of Pomegranates.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline 8-Session Structure
Week 1 Lecture 1: Introduction to Oscar Wilde's fairy tales and "The Happy Prince"
Discussion 1: Discussion about Wilde's life and "The Happy Prince"
Week 2 Lecture 2: "The Nightingale and the Rose"
Discussion 2: Discussion about "The Nightingale and the Rose"
Week 3 Lecture 3: "The Devoted Friend"
Discussion 3: Discussion about "The Devoted Friend"
Week 4 Lecture 4: "The Sefish Giant" and "The Remarkable Rocket"
Discussion 4: Discussion about "The Selfish Giant" and "The Remarkable Rocket"

Required Texts

Any edition of The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde
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