The course will focus on the major authors, periods and genres in German literary culture in their historical contexts (ca. 1770-1848). Relevant analytical and interpretative strategies are introduced to enable students to develop a clear critical thinking and an understanding of a wide range of literary writing in Germany , in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Georg Büchner, "Opere", a cura di Marina Bistolfi, con un saggio introduttivo di Arnold Zweig, Mondadori, Milano 1999.
- Georg Büchner, "Woyzeck", a cura di Hermann Dorowin, traduzione di Claudio Magris, Marsilio, Venezia 1995.
- Georg Büchner, "Lenz", a cura di Giulio Schiavoni, Marsilio, Venezia 2008.
For a historical-literary framework:
C.M. Buglioni, M. Castellari, A. Goggio, M. Paleari, "Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni, Dal Medioevo al primo Novecento", Mondadori Education, Milano 2019, pp. 136-354, in particular pp. 136-168, 295-299 e 309-354
A general bibliography concerning critical essays on the history of German literature and the treated works will be available at the beginning of the course.
Learning Objectives
Aims of the course “Georg Büchner: Life and Works”:
a. to introduce students to different literary genres;
b. to familiarize students with the critical instruments required for the analysis of literary texts;
c. to enable students to develop a critical consciousness and an awareness of critical theory and culture theory through detailed analyses of some the most representative texts of literatures in Germany in that period.
1. Knowledge and understanding: Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding in historical and cultural contexts of the 18th and 19th centuries in Germany and will acquire the critical tools to cope with the formal and substantive components of the literary texts analyzed during the lessons.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will learn how to apply processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity in the comprehension of literary texts included in the program, which will be appreciated in both their formal and their contextual features.
3. Making judgements: Students will develop the ability to discuss the literary questions considered during the course, proposing critical perspectives and well-grounded judgements on the texts included in the program.
4. Communication skills: Students will develop the ability to can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions, with particular reference to themes and questions considered during the lessons.
5. Learning skills: Students will acquire the methodological tools needed to read, analyze and understand literary texts in their generic structures.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites are those outlined the course of study.
Teaching Methods
Frontal/online lectures will require active participation from students. Any materials will be made available through the moodle platform.
Further information
The course takes place in the second semester. Further information will be given at the beginning of the course.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam. The exam will test students’ knowledge of:
1. The history of German literature and culture (18th and 19th centuries)
2. Specific issues and themes in German literature;
3. The key texts and critical literature included in the reading list.
Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and critically evaluate the key texts included in the reading list, and to place them within their historical and cultural contexts.
Successful candidates will be required to demonstrate adequate knowledge in all of the above points (1,2,3).
The exam aims to assess:
- The knowledge of key concepts in the history of German literature from the beginning to the end of the 18th and 19th centuries.
- The ability to describe and place literary phenomena within their contexts of production and reception;
- The ability of close reading and appreciation of all the texts included in the reading list as well as a thorough command of methodological and theoretical tools;
- The ability to use formal and critical terminology;
Students will demonstrate that they can discuss the subjects treated during the course, make appropriate connections between different authors and works, and express themselves clearly.
Grades are given on the basis of 30 points. Points are awarded if students are able to
1) describe form and contents of the texts studied,
2) understand, summarize and propose critical readings of those texts,
3) elaborate personal judgements that are solidly grounded on the text and/or secondary literature,
4) use appropriate terms.
Nos. 1 and 4 are essential in order to obtain the minimum passing grade (18/30); higher evaluations depend on to what extent students have developed their skills in all four points listed above.
Course program
The course aims to analyze the work of Georg Büchner (1813-1837): political texts ("The Hessian Messenger"), narrative texts ("Lenz") and finally dramaturgical texts ("The Death of Danton", ["Leonce and Lena"], "Woyzeck"). They show, despite the variety of themes, a significant underlying homogeneity: the new perspective of 'committed' literature, programmatically aimed at addressing social and political issues. In this sense, Büchner's texts demonstrate a disturbing actuality, both as regards reflections on the destiny of the individual and on history, and for the principles of a new aesthetic, which anticipates the new 'realist' literature and, with it, the contradictions of modernity. The course opens with an introduction to the political and social situation of Germany in the aftermath of the French Revolution and in the period of revolutions (1770-1848).