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Good Trouble: Dissent and Modern American Fiction
DozentIn: Jatin Wagle
Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar
Ort: 41/B11
Zeiten: Mo. 10:00 - 12:00 (wöchentlich)
Beschreibung: “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America,” urged the late civil rights leader John Lewis in his memorable speech from 2020. This course in American Studies explores the literature of “troublemaking,” i.e., works of social critique and protest that challenge injustice and inequality in the modern United States. We will examine how such literature emerges from and engages with social movements, such as, movements for women’s emancipation, the rights of the working people and the civil rights of the marginalized. Through close and contextual readings of selected poetic and fictional texts, the course will investigate the complex interplay between aesthetics and politics, and consider how literature can embody and augment voices of resistance.
In order to take and enjoy this class, you should be willing to read, analyze, and discuss historical and analytical texts, as well literary narratives.
We will be discussing the following primary texts intensively in our course:
Ralph Ellison, _Invisible Man_ (1952)
Louise Erdrich, _The Night Watchman_ (2020)
Please procure these books and start reading them. Recommended editions: Ellison, _Invisible Man_ (1952) [Penguin, 2014, ISBN: 9780241970560]; Erdrich, _The Night Watchman_ [Corsair, 2021, ISBN: 9781472155368].
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 sessions will be assisted by session support groups.
Requirements for a grade (ANG-V-LK, or ANG-SI-Komp. 1 and 2): All of the above and a research-based seminar paper.
Prerequisites for participation: ANG-B-LK module
