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Time: TuTh 2:00-3:15 |
Instructor: Catherine Grimm |
Classroom: DeBartolo 333 |
Instructors Office: Decio 160 |
Office Hrs: Tu 9:00-10:00 Th 3:30-4:30 (and by appointment) |
Office Phone:631-3841 Email: Catherine.C.Grimm.5@nd.edu |
Introduction: Welcome to "Soulmates and Confidantes"
In this class you will read a number of books and stories by German writers of the past and present. You will learn more about each of the authors and their work. You will also learn to examine in what way writers construct their own fictional worlds and how those worlds relate to the so-called 'external' or 'real' world of the past and present. The overall topic of the class: the portrayal of friendship in German Literature, is meant to help you start thinking about the texts in a deeper, more 'critical' manner. In some cases the thematics of friendship will be more in the foreground than in others, but in all the works we are going read, the topic of friendship is related to a number of other issues, that all deal with how people interact and communicate with themselves and each other.
Objectives
After this class you will:
*have read a selection of some of the most important works in all German Literature,
*have become better acquainted with a selection of very famous German writers,
*have had the opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas concerning these texts with your peers,
*have had ample opportunity to work on improving the expression of your ideas in writing, and, perhaps most importantly,
*you will have had the chance to see how constantly probing your own mind and questioning your own assumptions will ultimately help you make your thoughts more convincing and compelling both for yourself (when writing a paper, for example) and others. You should therefore look upon the texts we will be reading as a source from which you can draw an abundance of questions, thoughts and ideas, especially if when the text strikes you as inscrutable and difficult to understand.
Texts
-- The Sorrows of Young Werther. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
-- The New Sufferings of Young W. Ulrich Plenzdorf
-- Selections from the letters of Bettina von Arnim and Karoline von Günderrode
-- Brigitta. Adalbert Stifter
-- Tonio Kröger. Thomas Mann
-- The Judgement & The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka.
-- Narcissus and Goldmund. Hermann Hesse
-- Stones from the River. Ursula Hegi
Requirements
It is absolutely imperative that you complete all the assigned reading for the class. I have tried to schedule the longer reading assignments from Thursday to Tuesday and to keep the readings from Tuesdays to Thursdays manageable. Your grade will definetely be affected if you don't do the reading.
Your grade for this class will be made up of the followuing components:
* a short (2-3 page) paper on an assigned topic due 01/26 10%
* Three longer papers on topics more or less of your own choosing,but that have to be related to the readings. These will be due:
*attendance and class participation 20%
* short (5-10 minutes) informal classroom presentation on the assigned readings. 10%
Attendance Policy
I will interpret any unexcused absences on your part as an indication that you did not complete the assigned reading and therefore did not fulfill the first basic requirement of the course. So even one unexcused absence will affect your overall grade for attendance and class participation.
Class participation