Hauptinhalt

Topinformationen

History and Fiction: Narrating the Nation

Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar

Ort: 41/215

Zeiten: Di. 08:30 - 10:00 (wöchentlich)

Beschreibung: The Anglo-American historical novel must be considered one of the most effective and powerful means to present and establish what Benedict Anderson famously described as the 'imagined community' of the modern nation state. Looking at four prominent examples from the Nineteenth Century, this seminar will look at and discuss the central features, strategies and concerns of the literary representation of history as a narrative which shapes both the consciousness of a 'usable' past and the vision of a national future.

The seminar will compare and contrast two English novels - Maria Edgworth _Castle Rackrent_ (1800) and Walter Scott _Waverley_ (1814) - with two American novels - James Fenimore Cooper _The Last of the Mohicans_ (1826) and Catherine M. Sedgwick _Hope Leslie_ (1827) - discussing, among others, aspects of influence, revision, models of history and cultural progress, issues of gender and race.

All books will be made available for purchase through "Buchhandlung zur Heide" before the semester starts.

Requirements:
All students are expected to read the novels in preparation for the seminar; there will also be close readings and discussions of detail during the sessions which will require a solid knowledge of all novels and their particularities.
A small amount of additional reading material will be assigned for specific sessions; students may prepare these texts with the help of guiding questions in groups and lead class discussions. This additional material will be made available through StudIP.

Depending on the program requirements ('Modulbeschreibung') you will need to prepare and hand in written work (term paper = *Hausarbeit*) at the end of the seminar.
Requirements for paper work will be discussed in the first session, as will the requirements for active participation and preparation.

This seminar is recommended for 4th semester students of English and American Studies; solid basic knowledge about literary genres, as well as critical and narrative approaches to fiction are necessary requirements for succeeding with the oral and written requirements in this class. Regular and active attendance are likewise strongly advised.

Students interested in attending the class are asked to contact the instructor in advance, stating the reasons for participation and prior experience in literary and / or cultural studies in a few sentences - or come to my office hours before the semester starts.
Please note that you need to indicate your interest in the seminar early on in order to manage book orders and to be able to prepare for the course.