GRN3285

Women and German writing

S Hesse

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton
* Corequisites: a third-year language subject

Objectives Students doing this unit are expected to develop an understanding of the complex and changing nature of the discrimination women encountered during the past two centuries in Germany and the phases of their struggle for emancipation; an ability to approach theory about women written by both men and women critically with a view to its innovative and constructive ideas, its biases, its place in the context of German society and the history of ideas, and its possible relevance for the interpretation of literary texts; an interdisciplinary approach to questions concerning women, including philosophical, legal, anthropological, politological, psychological, historical and aesthetic perspectives; an awareness of the hurdles faced by women writers throughout the last two centuries, their responses to these; a familiarity with the German terminology used by a variety of disciplines, and practice in the reading and speaking of German; the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely in both oral and written form and to design an essay topic combining several of the texts studied.

Synopsis A study of theory on women and of texts by women from the eighteenth century to the present.

Assessment Written (4000 words): 70%
* Examinations (1 hour): 30%

Prescribed texts

Wolf C Voraussetzungen einer Erzählung: Kassandra Luchterhand
Other texts available from department