GERMAN LITERATURE 2 MOD. 1

Module 1 of German Literature 2 aims to introduce knowledge and understanding of the main literary, cultural and historical phenomena at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The objectives of the course are 1) a solid knowledge of some of the main texts of German-language literature of the period between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (for a more detailed description of the programme, see the "contents" section); 2) the ability to understand the specific historical and cultural context to which the works analysed refer 3) the ability to acquire and apply adequate critical tools in the analysis of the narrative texts indicated, on a thematic and stylistic-formal level; 4) the ability to develop the critical tools acquired in the autonomous study of German-language narrative texts of the analysed period; 5) the ability to read, understand and translate a short passage in the original language (for a more detailed description see "reference texts").

There are no prerequisites; knowledge of the contents of the German literature courses foreseen for the previous years in the respective curricula and subject areas is useful for successful learning.

At the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, works by great authors narrate the adventures and misfortunes of masnadiers, murderers, suicides, real or presumed criminals, bring intrigues, abuses, imprisonments and trials onto the scene, and more generally question psychology and its abysses, the possibilities of art to represent them and the ability of society and public discourse to cope with them. Focusing on the intertwining of literature and psychology, the course aims to provide an overview of the period from the 1770s to the 1830s. The various literary currents of this period (Spätaufklärung and Sturm und Drang, Klassik, Romantik, Vormärz) will be addressed through the analysis of canonical and still topical texts by G. Büchner, J. W. Goethe, J. M. R. Lenz, E. T. A. Hoffmann, H. v. Kleist, K. PH. Moritz, F. Schiller, in particular: Die Leiden des jungen Werther (Goethe), Der Hofmeister (Lenz), Die Räuber (Schiller), Anton Reiser (Moritz), Michael Kohlhaas (Kleist), Der Sandmann (Hoffmann), Woyzeck (Büchner).

a.
Georg Büchner: Woyzeck;
Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Die Leiden des jungen Werther;
E.T.A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann;
Heinrich von Kleist: Michael Kohlhaas;
J.M.R. Lenz: Der Hofmeister oder die Vorteile der Privaterziehung;
Karl Ph. Moritz: Anton Reiser. Ein psychologischer Roman;
Friedrich Schiller: Die Räuber.
(for all works: Reclam edition)

b.
La letteratura tedesca. epoche, generi, intersezioni. Dal Medioevo al primo Novecento, a cura di Chiara Buglioni, Marco Castellari, Alessandra Goggio e Moira Paleari, Mondadori, Milano 2019, vol. 1, p. 65-292 and 312-326.

The examination, lasting two hours, will be written and will consist of the following parts in detail:

- three questions on history of literature (b);
- one part of translation from the texts to be read in German;
- three questions on the primary works of literature on the syllabus;
The use of the monolingual paper dictionary is permitted for the translation part.

In order to pass the examination it is necessary to obtain a sufficient mark in each of the three parts indicated, which will be graded with points from 0 to 10 each. Sufficiency, i.e. 6 points, will be obtained with elementary competence and the absence of serious errors and gaps, and points 7 to 10 will be obtained according to the breadth of knowledge and the quality of argumentation and exposition.

Lectures in Italian and invitation to discussion.
There will also be a dedicated moodle platform, which will be used to upload insights and materials and to communicate with the students.
Support lectures by a specialist tutor will be dedicated to the preparation of the readings in German (to be confirmed).

Italian

This course is the first module of the German Literature 2 course and is connected to the second module taught by Prof. Sbarra in the second semester.
Part of the programme is an in-depth lecture by a professor from the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin as part of the Erasmus exchange with the same university (21st October 2024, Prof. Dr. Mark-Georg Dehrmann on "The Sorrows of Young Werther").

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development