| Life Writings and American Literature |
| DozentIn:Jatin Wagle |
| Veranstaltungstyp:Seminar (Offizielle Lehrveranstaltungen) |
| Ort:41/E08 |
| Semester:SoSe 2024 |
Zeiten:Mo. 14:00 - 16:00 (wöchentlich)
Erster Termin:Montag, 08.04.2024 14:00 - 16:00, Ort: 41/E08 |
Beschreibung:How can an individual life be rendered in the form of a written text? The anthropologist, Edward Bruner suggests a series of distinctions that could be viewed as though they were the waystations on the journey of life narratives: “the distinction is between life as lived (reality), life as experienced (experience), and life as told (expression)". In this course in American Studies, we will address the question of narrativization of life experience in literature, by exploring modern and contemporary literature in the United States through the prism of life writings.
In order to take and enjoy this class, you should be willing to read, analyze, and discuss historical and analytical texts, as well as texts of narrative fiction.
We will be discussing the following primary texts intensively in our course:
Frederick Douglass, _Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass_ (1845)
Lucille Clifton, _Generations: A Memoir_ (1976)
Please procure these books and start reading them. Recommended editions: Frederick Douglass, _Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass_ [Norton Critical edition, 2016, ISBN: 9780393265446], Lucille Clifton, _Generations: A Memoir_ [New York Review Classics, 2021, ISBN: 9781681375878].
This course takes up literary/cultural texts that might be viewed as offensive and/or disturbing, especially because of their racially explicit vocabulary and imagery. This should not be seen as an attempt at normalizing racist epithets or attitudes, but on the contrary as an opportunity to appreciate and examine literary and cultural expression that tackles and critiques the murky realities of racism.
As part of your assigned work in this seminar, all the course participants would need to carefully prepare the reading(s) allotted for each of the sessions, develop points of discussion, and occasionally respond to the reading(s) via annotations on Google Docs. Our weekly, in-person meetings will be assisted by expert groups/session presenters.
Requirements for a grade (ANG-V-LK, or ANG-SI-Komp. 1 and 2; ANG-V1): All of the above and a research-based seminar paper.
Prerequisites for participation: ANG-B1/ANG-B-LK module
Please check the course webpages on Stud.IP regularly for updates, announcements, and changes. |
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