From medieval adventures and the Brothers Grimm to the Novelle and the modern Kurzgeschichte, there is a rich storytelling heritage in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. What these stories tell us and the manner in which they are told astound in their variety as well as in their similarities. Mann, Kafka, Eichinger, Kaschnitz, and Seghers. Not meant as an exhaustive overview of the rich and conflicted 20th-century, the course is organized in comparative and thematic ways. We will investigate in depth several literary voices that represent some of the most significant thematic and formal counterpoints in the modern debate about the human condition.
Topics vary as needed.
An investigation of a specific topic conceived and planned by the student in consultation with a faculty advisor. This is intended for advanced students. Topics vary in this course designed to serve the broadest possible mix of interests of junior and senior majors.