The Second Self

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's "Dos Mujeres (Salvadora y Herminia)"

Aristotle says that a good friend is a second self and that to be happy, a person needs virtuous friends. But friends can also be rivals, competitors, and sources of envy. In this course, we’ll explore the complex, rewarding, occasionally bewildering nature of friendship, focusing especially on friendships between women. Readings include Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Toni Morrison’s Sula, and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, and possibly excerpts from Books 8 and 9 of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. The course will also have informal writing assignments, analytical essays, and a personal essay. I hope that students who take this course will not only strengthen their reading and writing skills, but also their ability to have and maintain close friendships.