Veranstaltungen im Wintersemester 2010/11

B.A. Studiengang | Modul 3/6: Aufbau/Vertiefung Literaturstudien
American Literary Realism and Naturalism: Selected Readings
Do 15:00 - 17:00, G40B-339

In American literary history, "realism" and "naturalism" are terms that refer to a body of writing produced in the period from 1865 to 1918. This was a time in which American culture was going through a phase in which rapid industrialization and urbanization changed many aspects of life in the United States. According to William Dean Howells, one of the major literary voices of the time, the new fiction emerging in these years was supposed to reflect and to play a major role in encouraging the social and political progress that characterized nineteenth-century life. In this progressive climate, literature was to move away from the outmoded values of the past and adopt a new perspective which attempted to depict the subject matter of contemporary life in a most objective way.

This course will introduce students to the major authors of the period, to selections of their representative writings, and to the concepts of literary artistry which attempt to describe this phenomenon in American literary and cultural history.

To reduce the intensity of the reading requirements throughout the semester students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves in advance with the subject matter.

Required Reading: James Nagel and Tom Quirk, eds. The Portable American Realism Reader. New York: Penguin Books, 1997.

Prospective participants are expected to have purchased a copy of the book by the beginning of term. They are also strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves in advance with the general aspects of this subject. They must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments.

To register for this class, please go to http://www.ovgu.de/hkersten and use the link to the Moodle online forum.

This class will introduce students to the main representatives of investigative journalism in the USA. In this context, it will familiarize them with influential moments in American history and the way in which they were reflected in the writings of critical journalists from the beginnings to the present.

Prospective participants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves in advance with the general aspects of this subject. They must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments. Reading material will be made available by the beginning of term.

To register for this class, please go to http://www.ovgu.de/hkersten and use the link to the Moodle online platform.

Animals have been included in human storytelling presumably since human stories began. Folk tales, fairy tales, and children's stories are replete with animal protagonists and dramatize intensive encounters between humans and their fellow creatures. Among the animals represented in these stories, wolves have had a particular fascination for their human antagonists. This course invites students to read, study, and discuss modern texts written for adults that deal specifically with descriptions of close encounters between humans and wolves. The intensive engagement with these writings will provide ample opportunity to address a range of questions dealing with how literature can raise issues such as anthropocentric, hierarchical thinking and its destructive impact on the natural world. It will become clear that studying literary depictions of animal encounters leads to reflections on the dynamics of power, the nature of otherness, and, obviously, questions about environmental protection and the ethics of hunting.

Required Reading:
Farley Mowat. Never Cry Wolf. Boston: Little Brown, 1963.
Mark Rowlands. The Philosopher and the Wolf. London: Granta, 2008.
Additional reading material will be made available by the beginning of term.

Prospective participants are expected to have purchased and read the books by the beginning of term. They are also strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves in advance with the general aspects of this subject. They must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments.

To register for this class, please go to http://www.ovgu.de/hkersten and use the link to the Moodle online platform.

Hardly any visitor to the United States can remain untouched by the country's immense natural treasures – from the early explorers to the settlers to modern day tourists, nature has always exerted a powerful influence on people. With the growth of the population, the country's westward expansion, and the effects of a rapid industrialization, Americans began to worry that the natural landscapes and their abundant wildlife that once seemed indomitable were in danger of disappearing. As a reaction, influential citizens and politicians began to argue that some of the most beautiful areas in the United States needed to be protected from harmful intervention by private and commercial interests. Based on the idea that the most special places in the nation should be preserved for everyone, the nation began to establish a national park system to safeguard the most spectacular examples of America's natural beauty. Simultaneously, population growth in the cities also led to the realization that people needed open spaces as an antidote to the noisy and chaotic pace of everyday life. Urban parks were deemed an appropriate measure to supply the general public with opportunities for relaxation and leisure activities.

This course will take an intensive look at the phenomenon of parks and national parks in the United States to achieve an understanding of their larger cultural functions. It will provide a forum for the discussion of historical matters, environmental problems, social issues, and other relevant topics.

Prospective participants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves in advance with the general aspects of this subject. They must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments.

Specific reading material will be made available by the beginning of term.

To register for this class, please go to http://www.ovgu.de/hkersten and use the link to the Moodle online forum.