German Department
Course Descriptions
Spring 2010
YIDD 1060 (3) Elementary Yiddish Language and Culture
1100-1215 TR Bryan 310 Mr. Grossman
To adapt a phrase from David G. Roskies, the preeminent scholar in this country of Yiddish literature, “Yiddish is dead. Long live Yiddish!” In his book The Jewish Search for a Usable Past (1999), Roskies writes: “The moment the past is finally laid to reset is the very moment that it reasserts its claim upon the living.” If Yiddish was the language of the Jews of Eastern and Central Europe before the khurban (“Holocaust” in Yiddish) and of Jewish immigrants from the “old country” to the “new world,” which they called the goldene medina (“the country made out of gold”), it is now being revived by thousands of enthusiasts who are interested in reclaiming this vibrant lost world of tradition and transformation, dreams and nightmares. Yiddish is the key to the portal of this world. Indeed, it is a vastly rich world unto itself.
This course is a continuation of YIDD 1050 and continues to introduce students to the fundamentals of the Yiddish language and to Yiddish culture. We will study Yiddish structure and syntax, acquire a basic vocabulary, and apply these skills to speaking, reading, and writing. In the course of our exploration of the Yiddish world, we will watch Yiddish films and listen to Yiddish music.
A student’s grade in this course will be determined on the basis of in-class quizzes, a cumulative final exam, and class participation.
Prerequisites: YIDD 1050 or Instructor Permission
GETR 3390 (3) Nazi Germany
930-1045 TR Maury Hall 104 Ms. Achilles
In this course we will study the origins and articulations of Nazi ideology, Hitler’s rise to power, art and science under the Third Reich, Jewish life and Nazi anti-Semitism, World War II and the Holocaust, as well as Germany’s approach to its Nazi past after 1945. All readings and discussions are in English. Requirements include a series of short reading responses, midterm and final.
No prerequisites.
GETR 3590/ (3) TRAGEDY AND MODERNITY?
CPLT 3590 330-600 M Bryan 310 Ms. Voris
(section 1)
This seminar explores the attempts made by contemporary scholars to rethink the notion of tragedy within modernity. "Passion in the age of the container is ludicrous," comments the British playwright Sarah Kane on her retelling Racine's tragedy PHEDRE. Is that so? We will begin by distinguishing between a philosophy of the tragic (Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche)and the poetics of tragedy espoused by Aristotle. The various definitions of tragedy are read not so much in terms of their specific philosophies, but rather in the way their views assist in analyzing tragedies. The aim is to establish, or fail to establish, a link between modernity, tradition, and classicism, which in turn may help us to understand new languages of the stage. Texts will include Sophocles' ANTIGONE, Euripides' MEDEA, Shakespeare's OTHELLO, and Racine's PHEDRE, etc., as well as O'Neill's MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA, Sarah Kane's PHEDRE'S LOVE, Brecht's ANTIGONE, and Heiner Mueller's MEDEA MATERIAL.
Requirements include formal in-class presentations and two papers (10 pages each). CLASS MEETS "SECOND WRITING REQUIREMENT."
GETR 3590/ (3) The Problematics of Revolution
CPLT 3590 1200-1250 MWF Cabell 138 Mr. Bennett
(section 2)
The course will begin with the French Revolution (including discussion of fundamental differences in the very idea of revolution as applied to the American instance), which will be looked at by way of histories, documents and especially German responses, Schiller, Goethe, Büchner, Schnitzler. The Russian Revolution (and the whole idea of a socialist revolution) will be discussed mainly as seen through Trotsky's eyes and in the writings of non-Russian radical socialists, especially Brecht, his critics on the left, and some French writers. The abstract idea of revolution will be discussed in relation to Nietzsche especially, and the course will conclude with a discussion of the applicability of revolutionary thinking to modern feminism. Texts of a number of feminist writers, including especially Wittig and Irigaray, will be discussed.
GETR 3590/ (3) The Idea of the University
CPLT 3590 1230-145 TR Wilson 301 Mr. Wellmon
(section 3)
This course will consider how some of our contemporary questions regarding higher education were first formulated in Germany with the founding of the University of Berlin in 1810. We will also consider how similar questions were taken up by Thomas Jefferson and the founding of the University of Virginia. What is the relation between the university and the state or society more broadly speaking? What is the relationship between teaching and research? Is there a difference between vocational training and
preparation and academic study? How does the university organize and produce
knowledge? How did disciplines and specific fields of study come about in the first place? In general, we'll be concerned with what it is exactly we are all doing in this place we call a university. We will conclude the course with a discussion of the contemporary university, its futures and its role in a digital age.
No prerequisites. All readings and discussions in English. Satisfies College Humanities (Literature) requirement. Course requirements include: on-line discussion and three written exams.
GETR 3559/ (3) Dostoevsky and German Modernism
RUTR 3559 2:00-3:15 MW Wilson 215 Ms. Kuznetsova
(section 1)
“Four facets may be distinguished in the rich personality of Dostoevsky: the creative artist, the neurotic, the moralist and the sinner. How is one to find one’s way in this bewildering complexity?” asks Freud. The goal of this course is to explore the complexity of Feodor Dostoevsky the thinker, and to investigate responses to Dostoevsky’s philosophy and poetics in the works of German modernists who were mostly affected by his writing: Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan Zweig, Nietzsche and Freud. What accounts for Dostoevsky’s popularity in turn-of-the century Germany and Austria? What was the nature of his powerful influence in this particular historical, social and artistic period? Did the German modernists admire or fear him, follow or criticize? How did they respond to Dostoevsky’s reflections on the nature of good and evil, on freedom and religious truth, on the role of the unconscious and the function of art? Among Dostoevsky’s works we will read Notes from Underground (1864), Crime and Punishment (1866) and The Devils (1871). German works include, among others, Mann’s Death in Venice (1912), Hesse’s Steppenwolf (1927), Kafka’s The Trial (1925) and The Metamorphosis (1915), as well as excerpts from the works of Nietzsche, Freud and Stefan Zweig.
Active participation in class discussions, brief oral presentations, and a final paper are required. All readings are in English. No prerequisites.
GETR 3560 (3) Dreams and Fairy Tales
11:00-11:50 MWF Cabell 118 Mr. Ilsemann
In fairy tales, everything is possible: throw a frog against the wall, it may well turn out to be a prince in disguise; go visit your grandmother and you may realize that she has been eaten and replaced by a wolf; and if you have plans for the next hundred years, you better beware of being pricked by a spindle. Entering the world of fairy tales often feels like passing into an elaborate dream: it is a world teeming with sorcerers, dwarves, wondrous
objects, and animals that speak. In this seminar, we focus on fairy tales and dream narratives from the Romantic period. Why did the Grimm brothers bother to collect fairy tales? Why did Hoffmann, Tieck, and others choose to transform the fairy tale into a genuine literary art form? What does all this have to do with Germany’s emergence as a
nation? – These are some of the questions that our seminar addresses. To understand the semiotics of this charming literary genre, we will also acquaint ourselves with various
theoretical approaches to literature, such as structuralism and psychoanalysis. Authors to be discussed include: Goethe, the brothers Grimm, von Arnim, Brentano, Tieck, Hoffmann, Schnitzler, Freud, and others.
GERM 1025 (3) Reading Course in German
1:00-1:50 MWF Cabell 430 Ms. Schenberg
This is the second half of a course designed for students who wish to learn German for research purposes and/or to prepare for a German reading exam. Students in 1025 are expected to have already mastered basic grammatical concepts. While we will do some review of grammar each week, the focus of the course will be on reading and translating texts from the students’ fields of study. This is a non-credit course for graduate students; while undergraduates may take the course for credit, the course does not count toward satisfying the language requirement.
Requirements: active class participation, daily homework assignments, translation quizzes and tests. Prerequisite: German 1015 or the equivalent.
GERM 1120 (3) Intensive Elementary German
1200-1250 MTWRF Cabell B029 Ms. Schenberg
This is a continuation of Intensive Elementary German (GERM 111). Designed for a small group of highly motivated students, the course will cover intermediate-level grammar concepts at an accelerated pace. Students will also read intermediate-level texts in German on topics of their choosing and write short essays in German. At the end of the semester, students will have the option to take a placement exam, which will then determine the level of German they need to take in the following year. Requirements: active class participation, daily homework assignments, tests and quizzes, essays, final exam.
Prerequisite: German 111 or the equivalent.
GERM 3000 (3) Grammar Review
12:00-12:50 MWF Cabell 330 Ms. Bjorklund
German 3000 is a required course for all students who wish to pursue the study of German language, literature and culture, at higher levels. As a comprehensive review of grammar, the course will help students fine-tune their speaking and writing skills in German. The feature film, “Berlin, Berlin “about young people today in the swinging city, will be viewed in weekly segments, along with accompanying grammatical exercises.
Requirements include active participation and regular attendance, written exercises at home, quizzes, hour-long exams and essays. Prerequisite: German 2020 or equivalent.
GERM 3010 (3) Introduction to Literature
11:00-11:50 MWF Cabell 247 Ms. Hudson
The course is intended to introduce students to German literature and to literary interpretation through the close study of selected literary works in several genres. A major emphasis will be placed on the development of interpretative skills. At the same time, an objective of the course is to improve language proficiency, i.e., to enable students to speak and write about literary topics in German. To this end the class will be conducted entirely in German. Students will be expected to participate actively in discussion. To improve their German essay writing skills, students will write a series of brief interpretative papers on the assigned texts. A final examination will be given.
Readings will include works by Dürrenmatt, Kleist, Kafka, Christa Wolf and Keller.
Prerequisite: German 3000
GERM 3120 (3) Survey of Literature I
10:00-10:50 MWF Cabell 331 Ms. Bjorklund
The goal of the course is to gain an overview of literature from the Enlightenment to Modernism (roughly 1780-1890). The centerpiece is a classic of German literature, Goethe’s Faust. Parallel to reading the drama we shall view the video of a theater performance with the famous Gustaf Gründgens as Mephisto, the devil par excellence. The next project is Lessing’s play Nathan der Weise which deals with the religious and cultural conflict among Muslims, Jews, and Christians at the time of the Crusades in Palestine. In viewing the video of a theater performance, we shall see that the drama is as current today as it was two—or ten—centuries ago. A shift in gears leads to an investigation of German Romanticism in stories of mad artists by E.T.A. Hoffmann and fantastic motifs by Tieck, as well as poems such as Heine’s “Lorelei.” That is followed by Realism and eventually Naturalism, evident in stories by Keller and Hauptmann.
Lectures on historical background will complement the reading and discussion of literary texts, which is the primary focus. Grading will be based on class participation, two short
essays, two hourly quizzes, and a final exam. All work will be in German.
Prequisite: GERM 3010 or consent of the instructor.
GERM 3220 (3) German Play
6:00-8:00 MW Cabell 338 Mr. Sheehan
In this course students will read, interpret, and stage a work from the dramatic tradition of German, Austria, or Switzerland. Our primary course goals are to improve all areas of our German language skills while sharpening our interpretive abilities through close readings of our dramatic text. Through hands-on experience, we will creatively develop all areas of our theatrical production which our discussions of the socio-historical context
of our work will supplement. In this course we will not simply “put on a play,” but
deepen our connection to the German language and literary history. Students are expected to contribute to a successful staging of our play. Each student will play a role in our production, be it a dramatic, creative, or technical capacity. Students will be expected to participate in the creative aspects of the production including costumes, props, lighting, and sound. Regular attendance is required and students should expect to attend extra rehearsals, especially during the week before the performances. While this course has no final exam, a short paper about the production experience is required.
Prerequisites: German 202 or comparable language proficiency; enthusiasm
GERM 3230 (3) Composition and Conversation
11:00-12:15 TR Wilson 141A Mr. McDonald
Students use German Internet-sites as the basis for weekly written exercises. Class conversation also draws on Internet texts. No final examination.
Prerequisite: German 3000
GERM 3260 (3) Commercial German II
12:00-12:50 MWF Cabell 338 Mr. Sheehan
In a globalizing world a positive attitude toward working in another country and communicating under different cultural conditions are important pre-requisites for professional success. In this course, we will continue to focus on the structures, practices, and current topics of the German-speaking business world. Along with textbook reading and exercises, this course will use internet resources (e.g., German-language news sites, YouTube videos, etc) to inform class discussions. Topics will include many different professionally oriented subjects, ranging from Germany and the EU’s reaction to the current Finanzkrise as well as the cultural differences inherent in German advertisements.
Requirements include brief oral presentations, two exams, and a final group project. The completion of GERM 3250 is recommended but not required.ERM 3290 (1) German House Conversation
4:00-5:00 M Ms. Kaemmerling
GETR 3559-2 (3) Man versus Machine: the Industrial Revolution in Literature
1:00-1:50 MWF Cabell 245 Mr. Roessler
The goal of the class is to develop a critical understanding of the role science and technology played in defining the self-image of the human being during the industrial revolution in Germany, the US and England. The class will examine literary works from the turn of the century through the lens of a variety of critical approaches. Selected examples from other media like painting, photography and film as well as music will also be considered.
We will look at how historical developments like the industrial revolution and inventions like photography, the telephone, the conveyor belt and the steam-engine influenced cultural production and the way in which humans defined their own place in the world. We will discuss different views of technology and machinery be they optimistic, critical or even fearful. The role of the worker and the human body will be investigated in relation to the machine as well as the role of the natural landscape and language. The changing image of the city and the country will be another object of discussion. Furthermore, we will look at the status of the work of art itself in an industrial and increasingly mechanized world.
Students will post short responses on collab regularly and give short in-class presentations. Class discussions will help the students to broaden their critical vocabulary. The class will end with a written exam based on the content of the primary readings and a critical written paper.
Prerequisites: GERM 3010
GERM 4600 (3) (Senior Seminar) FILM, LITERATURE & THE UNCANNY
TR 1230-1345 TR Bryan 310 Ms. Voris
The goal of this seminar is to introduce students to the varying forms of the uncanny such as doubles, ghosts, demons, and automatons and to examine their impact on social and narrative (including cinematic) structures. We will choose tales of the uncanny in films (including the Horror Film) and literature ranging from the 19th to the 21th century.
Interdisciplinary in nature, the course will combine literary, cinematic, and psychoanalytic approaches to the uncanny, concentrating on questions of community and on themes such as history, legacy, and the link between the uncanny and memory, as well
as the relationship to nature, the fantastic and the supernatural. Part of the reading will be determined by the students in the class. All readings and discussions are in German.
GERM 5140 (3) The Stories of King Arthur in Medieval Germany (1180-1220)
2:00-3:15 TR Wilson 141A Mr. McDonald
Students read the German Arthurian romances /Erec, Iwein, Parzival /and /Tristan/, comparing each with French versions of the stories. The language of instruction is English, and all texts will be in English. (Those desiring modern German versions of the stories will be accommodated.) Employing the technique of “close reading,” we rely on student discussion, not lectures. During each class period students lead the discussion on the basis of short papers they compose. A term paper replaces a final examination.
This course is open to graduates and advanced undergraduates from all disciplines.
GERM 5300 (3) Romanticism and its (Critical) Afterlives
3:30-6:00 T Cabell B030 Mr. Wellmon
This course will consider a notion of critique that emerges out of early German Romanticism, lives on throughout the 19th Century and finds significant resonance in 20th century notions of critical theory. We will begin the course with Benjamin's dissertation on the notion of Kunstkritik in German Romanticism. Then, we will turn to an introduction to Kant's notion of a critical philosophy and its reception and reformulation in German Romanticism (Hölderlin, Novalis, Schlegel) and German Idealism (Fichte and Hegel). In the final section of the course, we will trace these Kantian and post-Kantian notions of critique through Marx, Schmitt and Adorno.
GERM 5500 (3) Utopias and Millennialisms
2:00-3:15 MW Cabell 247 Mr. Bennett
GERM 7700 (3) Narrative Theory
12:30-1:45 TR Cabell 236 Ms. Martens
The purpose of the course is to introduce the most important works of narrative theory that shape current theoretical debate and critical practice. We will focus on "classical" narrative theory, to include Wayne Booth, The Rhetoric of Fiction; Franz Stanzel, Typische Formen des Romans; Roland Barthes, S/Z; Gérard Genette, Narrative Discourse; Dorrit Cohn, Transparent Minds. But we will also look at some earlier narrative theory, such as Benjamin, "The Storyteller," M.H. Bakhtin, The Dialogic Imagination, and Frank Kermode, The Sense of an Ending, as well as some later applications of psychoanalytic theory, deconstruction, and feminist theory to narrative by Lacan, Derrida, Johnson, Felman, and Lanser. Some time will be reserved for very recent theory, e.g., theory inspired by virtual reality and/or cognitive approaches. In addition, students will be expected to be acquainted with certain works of fiction that play a central role in the theories: James, The Turn of the Screw; Poe, "The Purloined Letter"; Melville, Billy Budd.
Requirements: an oral presentation on one of the readings and a final examination. For graduate students from outside the German Department, no knowledge of German is necessary.GERM 8610 (3) Praktikum
3:30-6:00 R TA Room Ms. Hudson