Lehrende: Prof. Dr. Astrid Böger
Veranstaltungsart: Seminar III
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Semesterwochenstunden: 2
Unterrichtssprache: Englisch
Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: - | 25
Weitere Informationen: AA-MA03 Zur Beachtung: für alle Lehrveranstaltungen (ausgenommen Vorlesungen) gilt seit 1.10.19, dass unentschuldigtes Fehlen in der ersten Sitzung umgehend zum Verlust des Kursplatzes führt, um bei Überbuchung Restplätze schneller zur Verfügung stellen zu können!
Kommentare/ Inhalte: A sub-formation of realism, American literary naturalism emerged in the late nineteenth century as a mode to represent various crises ranging from economic depressions to ecological disasters affecting thousands if not millions in the U.S. and elsewhere. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the calamitous developments of the twentieth century including wars, famines, mass migration, and climate change, naturalism has remained a strong force within U.S.-American literature until today. It even seems to be gaining momentum in the present haunted by intersecting health and economic crises due to the global pandemic. Arguably, it is through literature and other arts that we can begin to understand the painful experiences of people affected by disaster, which raises an ethical conundrum Susan Sontag aptly addressed in her essay Regarding the Pain of Others (2003). The overall aim of this seminar is to trace the development of American literary naturalism from its inception broadly to the present. A further aim is to form a critical awareness of the discourses and theories that have informed and continue to shape naturalism as a mode of writing about a society resp. a world in crisis. Finally, we will explore naturalism in media other than literature including photography and film, which will enhance our appreciation of this sadly enduring cultural response to crisis. A digital reader will be provided via AGORA. Additional books may have to be purchased. To prepare, students might refer to The Oxford Handbook of American Literary Naturalism, ed. Keith Newlin (Oxford Univ. Press, 2011) and/or Revisionist Approaches to American Realism and Naturalism, ed. Jutta Ernst, Sabina Matter-Seidel, and Klaus Schmidt (Winter Verlag, 2018). We will also draw on these publications, among others, in our seminar. Requirements for receiving full course credit: regular attendance and active participation, excellent knowledge of the texts (via careful reading/preparation), completion of short assignments and/or in-class presentations, and up to three assessed papers to be completed during the semester.
