Writing Rights in U.S. Literature

DozentIn: Prof. Dr. phil. Peter Schneck

Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar

Ort: 41/B12

Zeiten: Di. 16:00 - 18:00 (wöchentlich)

Beschreibung: This course will trace the argument made most insistingly by James Dawes, namely, that U.S.-American literature and culture was and still is essentially shaped by the concern with rights. Using Dawes's extensive argument as a guiding line, we will discuss in more detail his thesis "that the human rights novel, just like the mystery novel or the novel of manners, exists as a form that affects both reader and writer expectations." We will do so by looking closely at some literary examples, including the following texts:

Michael Ondaatje _ Anil's Ghost
Chris Abani _The Secret History of Las Vegas
Edwidge Dantikat _Krik?Krak!_
(please make sure that you have obtained a copy of all three texts before the course starts!)

Students will be asked to read and prepare all assigned material for class discussions, sometimes in online group sessions.
A full list of readings (primary and secondary) will be presented with the final schedule in the opening session of the course.

zur Veranstaltung in Stud.IP