Contemporary Literature in German
Code: 106332Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| English Studies | OP | 3 |
| English Studies | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Jordi Jane Llige
- Email :
- jordi.jane@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
This subject does not require prior knowledge of German language. The works will be read in Catalan or Spanish translation, and will be discussed in these languages. Eventually the originals will be compared with the translations in order to comment on specific aspects.
Objectives
Learning objectives: the course aims to offer, through six authors, an approach to one of the most brilliant periods of the German expression literature, starting from the repercussions of the First World War and continuing its evolution during the interwar period.
We will comment authors from different German-speaking territories and focus on the diversity of aesthetic and ideological approaches that we find in their literary proposals: F. Kafka, Imgard Keun, B. Brecht, A. Seghers, Rose Ausländer and Thomas Mann.
The analysis will include the comparison with the other Western literatures of the same period.
Learning outcomes
- Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
- Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
- Apply the knowledge and skills acquired to professional and academic activities related to German Literature, History and Culture.
- Demonstrate a sound knowledge about advanced topics related to the study of literature and culture.
- Make relevant critical assessments based on an understanding of relevant information on topics related to German literature and culture of social, scientific or ethical interest.
- Demonstrate a mastery of the methods of individual academic work that enable these to pursue specialised postgraduate education in their own or similar areas of study.
- Mastering the advanced knowledge and scientific methodologies related to linguistics, literature, history and culture that prepare the student for a postgraduate specialised education in the same or a different field of study.
- Analyse a text or a film under various aspects and synthesise the results of the analysis in an overall interpretation.
- Identify and interpret the symbolic language of a text and a feature film.
- Distinguish principal ideas from secondary ideas and synthesise their contents in German-language literary texts and films.
- Recognise the most important aspects of the history of German-speaking countries and other Western literatures and cultures.
- Identify the main genres and the main literary, cultural and historical trends in the German language.
- Recognise the contents and importance of some universal works in the German language.
- Recognising theories of other human, artistic, and social areas and applying them to German literature and cinema.
- Assess from literary texts the various cultural contexts from a critical perspective.
- Practise the critical discourse and implement the argumentative processes.
- Apply the knowledge acquired to the generation of innovative and competitive research at a basic level.
- Generate new professional initiatives based on the knowledge acquired.
- Apply the acquired knowledge in order to improve the general knowledge of linguistic and cultural diversity.
- Generate strategies to facilitate the increase and improvement of mutual respect in multicultural environments.
- Use the specific expressive resources of the essay genre.
- Have criteria in order to assess the aesthetics of a literary work or film.
Contents
The course is a review of the main trends, authors and works of German literature of the interwar period. The works will be read in Catalan or Spanish translation.
The seminar will be based on the commentary and analysis of the following books (eventually a dossier with copies of short texts will be used)
1- Franz Kafka: Narracions
2- Irmgard Keun: La chica de seda artifical
3- Bertolt Brecht: La mare coratge i els seus fills
4- Rose Ausländer: Poemes
5- Thomas Mann: Mario i el màgic
6- Anna Seghers: La excursión de las muchachas muertas
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support tutorials | 15 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Group or individual presentations | 13 | 0.52 | 1 |
| Use of the Camp Virtual and the Internet | 10 | 0.4 | |
| Elaboration of comments and critical essays. | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 12, 15, 21 |
| Lectures with the active participation of the student and collective discussion | 30 | 1.2 | 4, 21 |
| Classes of analysis and interpreation of texts in the group | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 3, 12, 14 |
| Reading of books and secondary biography | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 14 |
The subject will be based on reading, searching for information, commenting and exchanging opinions.
The students will assume different roles in the seminar, which we will distribute throughout the course: present biographical information about an author and the context of creation of a work, the analysis of a text, a secondary source; the comment of a passage, etc.
At the end of a reading a comment exercise will be proposed
The structure of the course will be more of a seminar than a master class.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questionnaries completed in class | 20% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22 |
| Presentation in class | 20% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 |
| Attendace | 10% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2 |
| Essays written at home or in the classroom | 50% | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 |
CONTINOUS ASSESSMENT
The evaluation of the course will result from the mark obtained in each of the reading comments made in class/done at home (50%); responses to content questionnaires (20%); in class presentations (20%) and class attendance (10%)
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
In the event that evaluative activities cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Students will receive a grade of "Non-assessable" if they have not submitted more than one-third of the assessment activities.
Reassessment:
It will be possible to retake 50% of the assessment activities: the in-class quizzes and commentaries. The retake will take place on the date scheduled for this activity.
To be eligible for the retake, students must have been assessed in two-thirds of the continuous assessment activities.
Artificial Intelligence
This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken
Important note for exchange students (Erasmus, etc.) on exams and other tests Erasmus students who request to bring forward an exam or any other type of assessment activity mustpresent the teacher with an official document from their home university justifying their request.
SINGLE ASSESSMENT
The single assessment will consist of a written test where there will be questions about the six units of the course (50%).
20% ofthe grade will be dedicated to the oral presentation of one of the course topics, chosen by lottery.
30% will be an oral interview about the rest of the readings.
Reassessment:
Students who choose this option will be eligible for the reassessment provided they have completed all the activities scheduled for this track.
The same make-up system used for continuous assessment will apply.
Grade review process
On carrying out each assessment activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
PLAGIARISM
VERY IMPORTANT: The total and partial plagiarism ofany exercisewill automatically be considered a SUSPENSE (0) of the plagiarized exercise. If the situation is repeated, the entire seminary will be suspended. PLAGIAR is to copy from unidentified sources of a text, be it a single phrase or more, that is posing as its own production (THIS INCLUDES COPYING INTERNET PHRASES OR FRAGMENTS AND ADDING THEM WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO THE TEXT PRESENTED AS OWN) and is a serious offense. It is necessary to learn to respect the intellectual property of others and to always identify the sources that can be made to serve, and it is essential to take responsibility for the originality and authenticity of the text itself.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject withoout options for reassessement.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will becarried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Bibliography
Primary Bibliography
a) Franz Kafka: Paràboles i paradoxes (2022) Barcelona: Flaneur. Traductor: Joan Ferrarons
b) Irmgard Keun: . La chica de seda artificial (2019) Barcelona. Traductora: Rosa Pilar Blanco
c) Bertolt Brecht: La mare coratge i els seus fill (2008). Dins: Teatre complet III Barcelona:Diputació de BCN.
Traductor: Feliu Formosa
d) Rose Ausländer: Poemes (Dossier)
e) Anna Seghers: La excursión de las muchachas muertas (2007). Barcelona: Bruguera. Traductora: María Alonso
f) Thomas Mann: Mario i el Màgic (2025). Barcelona: Males Herbes. Traductor: Joan Fontcuberta.
Secondary Bibliography
Acosta, Luis A. (1997). La literatura alemana a través de sus textos Madrid: Cátedra.
Beutin, Wolfgang (i altres) (1989) Historia de la literatura alemana. Madrid: Cátedra.
Blom, Philipp (2016). La fractura: vida y cultura en occidente, 1918 – 1938. Barcelona: Anagrama
Gallego, Ferran (2001). De Múnich a Auschwitz. Una historia del nazismo, 1919-1945. Barcelona: Plaza Janés.
Gay, Peter (2011) La cultura de Weimar. Barcelona: Paidós
Grunfeld, Frederic V. (1979) Prophets without honour. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Hernández, Mª Isabel; Maldonado, Manuel (2003). Literatura alemana: época y movimientos desde los orígenes hasta nuestros días. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Hobsbawm, Eric (2013) Fractured times. Culture and society in the twentieth century.London: Little, Brown
Kolinsky, Eva; van der Will, Willy (1998) Modern German Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Maldonado, Manuel (2006). El expresionismo y las vanguardias en la literatura alemana. Madrid: Síntesis..
Siguán, Marisa ; Rötzer Hans Gerd (2018). Historia de la literatura alemana. Barcelona: Ariel.
Weitz, Eric D. (2007) La Alemania de Weimar. Presagio y tragedia. Madrid: Taurus
Software
Without
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE