31350 - German Literature 3

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired in-depth knowledge about various aspects and problems regarding literary history. The student will have a sound knowledge of the individual authors and works, and will be able to evaluate the literary quality of the works that have been studied, analyzing the texts according to specific critical methodologies.

Course contents

Form, formal Awareness and Avantgarde in German Literature since the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Drawing on crucial examples, the course aims to investigate how texts relate to literary traditions by analysing they way in which formal elements are employed to create continuity or to intentionally oppose tradition while still being bound to it. A specific focus will lie on literary works that either implicitly or explicitly reflect on form and tradition – which most frequently occurs in narrative but also in dramatic texts. The most important specimens of experimental and avantgardistic literature will be also discussed in detail. Amongst numerous examples from all genres of German literature, the course will as well analyse texts of critical theory and poetics, especially by writers and poets. The course will be introduced by a brief presentation of relevant literary theories, such as Gérard Genette’s Palimpsests.

Expressionism

1) Poetry: August Stramm, Johannes R. Becher, Gottfried Benn

2) Alfred Döblin and his theory of the novel

3) Drama: Georg Kaiser and Walter Hasenclever

Dadaism

1) Richard Huelsenbeck: The Dadaist Manifesto

2) Poems and texts by Hugo Ball, Kurt Schwitters, Walter Mehring

The Form of the Novel and the Refusal of Form – The Twenties, part I

1) Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

2) Alfred Döblin, Berlin Alexanderplatz

3) Erich Kästner, Fabian

Drama: Formalism and Avantgarde – The Weimar Period, part II

1) Bertolt Brecht

2) The Proletarian Drama

Poetry: Formalism, Experiment and Tradition – The Weimar Period, part III

2) Gottfried Benn

3) Stefan George

After 1945: Formalism, Traditionalism, Realism

1) A new Beginning? Kahlschlag-Literature, the first years of the divided Germany

2) Anti-Formalism in the DDR

3) Experimenting Avantgarde: Wolfgang Koeppen’s novels

4) Experimental poetry: Ingeborg Bachmann and Hans Magnus Enzensberger

5) Experimenting Avantgarde II: Uwe Johnson’s Speculations about Jacob

Towards 1968

1) Wiener Schule: Ernst Jandl’s experimental poetry

2) The radical avantgardist Arno Schmidt

3) Tradition and documental literature: The new drama nuovo teatro by Peter Weiss and Rolf Hochhuth

4) Form and political engagement

Literature after the death of literature

1) BRD: Keine Experimente also in literature

2) BRD II: Keine Experimente except for Uwe Johnson, Anniversaries

2) DDR: Social realism and Bitterfelder Weg against the new courage – Irmtraud Morgner, Christa Wolf, Sarah Kirsch (and other authors).

3) DDR II: Heiner Müller’s “Pan-German” drama

A continuation of the Modernity? Durs Grünbein, Ulrike Draesner, Herta Müller, Elfriede Jelinek...

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Readings/bibliography

1) Criticism:

-Michael Dallapiazza/ Claudio Santi: Storia della letteratura tedesca, vol. 3, Il Novecento. 3. Ed. 2005, Laterza

György Lukács, Teoria del romanzo, capitoli da stabilire

2)Readings :

 

-Alfred Döblin: An Romanautoren und ihre Kritiker. Berliner Programm, 1913 (oppure in traduzione italiano)

-Richard Huelsenbeck: Das Dadaistische Manifest, 1918

ambedue si trovano tra i materiali del corso

 

-Bertolt Brecht, Scritti teatrali, one chapter 

 

- 2 plays, 2 narrative nad one poetry

 

Plays

Gerhart Hauptmann, Die Weber

Walter Hasenklever, Antigone

Ernst Toller, Masse Mensch. Ein Stück aus der sozialen Revolution des 20. Jahrhunderts

Ernst Toller, Hinkemann

Ernst Toller, Hoppla, wir leben (Oplà, noi viviamo)

Bertolt Breecht, Baal

Bertolt Brecht, Dreigroschenoper, ted. o italiano

Bertolt Brecht: Il volo oceanico (Der Ozeanflug - Ein Radiolehrstück für Knaben und Mädchen)

Bert Brecht, Santa Giovanna dei Macelli

Heiner Müller, Germania Tod in Berlin (Germania morte a Berlino)

Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Der Besuch der alten Dame

Günter Eich, Träume (Hörspiel)

Peter Weiss, Die Ermittlung (L’istruttoria)

 

Narratives

Gerhart Hauptmann, Bahnwaerter Thiel

Thomas Mann: La Montagna incantata/ Der Zauberberg

Alfred Döblin: Berlin Alexanderplatz

Erich Kästner: Fabian. Gechichte eines Moralisten./Storia di un moralista

Thomas Mann, Doktor Faustus

Herrmann Broch: Der Tod des Vergil/La morte di Virgilio

Wolfgang Koeppen, La morte a Roma. Zandonai, Rovereto 2008

Wolfgang Koeppen, Tauben im Gras, 1951

Arno Schmidt: Aus dem Leben eines Fauns, 1953/Dalla vita di un fauno

Arno Schmidt: Seelandschaft mit Pocahontas, 1955/Paesaggio lacustre von Pocahontas

Uwe Johnson: Congetture su Jakob

Uwe Johnson, I giorni e gli anni, primo volume (agosto 1967-dicembre 1967). L’Orma editore,Roma

Günter Grass, Hundejahre (anni di cane)

Grete Weil: Meine Schwester Antigone/ Mia sorella Antigone

Herta Müller, Il paese delle prugne verdi

 

Poetry

Gottfried Benn: Morgue

Walter Mehring: Grosses Ketzerbrevier/ Die KUnst der lyrischen Fuge

Bertolt Brecht: Hauspostille/ Libro di devozione domestica (ital. o tedesco).

Brecht: Svendborger Gedichte/poesie di Svendborg (ital. o ted.).

Ingeborg Bachmann, Die gestundete Zeit

Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Verteidigung der Wölfe

Durs Grünbein: A metà partita, poesie

 

 

 

A list of further readings (Sekundärliteratur) will be given at the beginning of the lectures.

Programme for non-attending students:

Non-attending students must add the following texts to the programme: one more work of theatre, one more of narrative, one more of lyrics

 

Teaching methods

Seminar lessons

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral interview. During the interview the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated . The student will be invited to discuss the texts covered during the course and to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information that will enable to illustrate the similarities and cultural areas of the discipline. The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence. Mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and / or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments; training gaps and / or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

 

Office hours

See the website of Michael Gottlieb Dallapiazza