What is allegory? Most of us know it as an age-old device used in religious texts, literary works, and childhood stories: in the Old Testament’s Song of Songs, the love between Solomon and his bride is an allegory for God’s love; in Orwell’s Animal Farm the different animals are allegories for competing human political forms; in Aesop’s fable, the Tortoise and the Hare are allegories for Patience and Haste, respectively. But allegories can be found elsewhere in human life: other people can “represent” things to us, psychologically; an event can “represent” a turning point in the history of a country. And places themselves can be allegories: in this course we will consider Rome, the “Eternal City,” as an allegory over the centuries. We will look at what Rome has represented to different people, how its allegorical significance has been conveyed over time. We will consider a variety of texts and films, from Virgil’s Aeneid to Morante’s History to the twentieth-century representations of Rome by Italian directors like Rossellini, Pasolini, and Sorrentino. Along the way we will explore how Rome-as-allegory might be a template for other cities as allegories, and consider broader theoretical questions about how allegory is employed. At every turn, the course will stress the techniques of academic writing: how to structure an essay, revise a draft, and edit paragraphs and sentences.

Due to the high demand for R&C courses we monitor attendance very carefully. Attendance is mandatory the first two weeks of classes, this includes all enrolled and wait listed students. If you do not attend all classes the first two weeks you may be dropped. If you are attempting to add into this class during weeks 1 and 2 and did not attend the first day, you will be expected to attend all class meetings thereafter and, if space permits, you may be enrolled from the wait list.