Things to Consider

Below are some questions and observations to consider before class. 

Postcolonial Theory and the Middle Ages

Can/does the scholarship we read for class suggest that the Middle Ages can contribute to postcolonial theory? Do we have to use the theory as a tool? In other words, can we use the Middle Ages to critique the tool (modern postcolonial theory)?

Colonialism, as referenced by the theorists we’ve read over the last couple of weeks, is usually considered an 18^th c. and onward phenomenon. What is considered "colonialism" in the Middle Ages, if such a word can be retroactively applied? And do we even need to do this to “postocolonialize” the MA?

What is the job of postcolonial theory? What does it attempt to do or draw attention to? What in these medieval primary texts can be considered postcolonial? Do these two texts fit the description of postcolonial literature at all, and if they do, how?

Maps

What do you notice about the maps we’ve selected? How are they different from the map projections we’re used to seeing? 

How do the medieval artists represent difference? How do the medieval artists represent Otherness?

What do these maps tell us about medieval people’s conception of the world? What they valued?

"The Man of Law's Tale"

There are two mirrored conversion narratives in this text. How do they work differently, and what overall point does the Tale make about conversion and converted peoples?

How does race figure into these conversion narratives?

Often, we think of colonial efforts spreading from the West to the East or to the South. How does the Man of Law's Tale differ from this tradition, and what can we do with that difference? 

Travels of John Mandeville and The Letter of Prester John

The myth of Prester John captivated medieval minds for centuries, from the end of the Crusades to the Renaissance. Why? 

What do the descriptions of the various peoples and beasts that populate Prester John's kingdom and the lands around it tell us about the medieval conception of the East? 

How do Mandeville's Travels and the Letter of Prester John connect or relate to the maps we looked at? 

How are women portrayed in both "The Man of Law's Tale" and Mandeville's Travels? There seems to be a lot of focus on maternity in these texts, but in various ways. What does this tell us about the nature of maternity, womanhood, or familial relationships in the cultures that produced these texts? 

Check back for other questions as we add them, and please bring your own to class!