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COURSE DESCRIPTION:With the work of Joyce and Proust, the twentieth century saw the European novel come into its own as the dominant narrative literary genre. Burdened in the previous century by the excesses of the romantic era, the European novel in the twentieth century finally assumed its role as the narrative voice of a turbulent era. In this course, we will explore the evolution of the novel looking at some of the major philosophical and literary developments of the twentieth century: from "impressionist" thought to existentialism and its aftermath to the open-ended approach as the reader becomes the subject of the author's work.
Proust, Marcel. Swann in Love (1913).Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis (1915).Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse (1927).Camus, Albert. The Fall (1956).Kundera, Milan. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979).Calvino, Italo. If on a winter's night a traveler (1979).
OBJECTIVESUnderstand the historical importance of the selected works within their literary contextBetter understand the evolution of the twentieth-century European novelRecognize the value of literary techniques in novelistic compositionUndertake extended literary analysis and fully develop written and oral arguments
REQUIREMENTS:The primary requirements are that you attend class, keep up with the reading, and participate in class discussion. The reading assignments are not terribly long, but they are challenging, so allow ample time to complete them. The above reading list may be supplemented with photocopied excerpts. This is not a lecture course, and its success very much depends on everyone coming to class prepared and ready to talk. In order to facilitate class discussion, I have provided questions to focus on in the Reading and Assignment Schedule. I will occasionally have you provide a central question to generate further discussion. Grades will be calculated according to the following distribution: 4 Short Papers: 40% Midterm Exam: 20% Presentation: 10% Final Exam OR Term Paper: 20% Participation: 10%
Papers: There will be four three-page (750 - 1000 words) papers to write. The first will be a trial writing assignment for which there will be no grade. I will give you the various topics for these four essays as the semester progresses. Should you choose to do the term paper instead of the final exam, I will guide you, but you must ultimately develop the topic on your own. Note in the Reading and Assignment Schedule the due dates for your term paper topics. You may either discuss your topic directly with me, or write a short paragraph that outlines your discussion. In any case, before starting work on your paper, be sure to go over it with me. As the due dates approach, I will give you more details about what is expected in your essays.
Exams: Your in-class midterm will, of course, be cumulative and will deal in a comparative manner with some of the major issues we will have dealt with up to that point. The midterm and the final will be (as in the French academic tradition) essay questions largely based on subjects that we will have developed together in our class discussions. The final will have cumulative questions for the entire semester as well as questions that deal exclusively with the latter half of the semester.
Presentations: Each student is responsible for preparing a ten-minute, oral presentation on some aspect of the texts we will be reading. It will be very important that in wrapping up your presentations that you present a question or questions to your classmates for discussion, as well as be willing to answer questions. Some possible presentation topics: analysis of a particular chapter or episode; an analysis of a particular character; background information that relates to the text; important historical events that inform the text, etc. Subjects in the midterm and final may very well draw from your presentations. I will soon be passing out sign-up sheets for presentations.
Library Reserve: I have left and will continue to leave throughout the semester photocopies, books, articles, films, etc. "on reserve" at the IAU library. This means that they will be on the shelves at the entrance to the library. Ask June, or Michelle or Hélène when you need to consult these items. One last note: A conscientious study abroad experience is invariably the source of new ideas. Do not hesitate to incorporate these new thoughts into your reading and to explore them in class as well. You may find some journal-writing helpful in coming to terms with the excitement, the challenges, the frustrations and the rewards of the study abroad experience. The class will concentrate on the analysis of the European novel. However, great works of art are conceived for the purpose of articulating human experience. Thus the intensity of your study abroad experience may figure into your reading. You should consider reflecting on your own experience in articulating your interpretation of the works we discuss in class.
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