COMPARATIVE GERMAN LITERATURE

This course aims at presenting new crossover methodologies of research about German Literature and Culture and at deepening students’ critical approach towards literary works. The student is asked to use up to date methodologies to elaborate individual or group projects about literary topics or texts. The challenge is to apply and develop new strategies of hermeneutics and narratology on the literary texts during the course.

The course sketches epistemic innovations in different fields of humanistic knowledge and points out some turning points of literary research. It focuses on methodological topics and on their application, especially about the new theories regarding cognitive narratology and cognitive poetics.

Narratology and Cognitive Poetics

A) Introduction (choose one of the following texts)

- Monika Fludernik, An Introduction to Narratology, Routledge, New York, 2011.

- Mieke Bal, Narratology. Introduction to the Theory of Narrative, Univ. Toronto press., 1985.

- Schmidt, Wolf, Narratology. An Introduction, De Gruyter, Berlin-New. York, 2003.

B) Cognitive Narratlogy (choose one of the following texts)

- Olson, Greta (ed.), Current Trends in Narratology, Gruyter, Berli/New York, 2011.

- Adalbert David Hermann, Storytelling and the Sciences of mind, MIT press. Boston, 2013.

- Cometa, Michele, Perché le storie ci aiutano a vivere. La letteratura necessaria, Cortina, Milano,2017.

B) Applying methodologies: (Choose one of the following texts)

- Chamisso, Adelbert von, Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte, (trad. it.) Storia straordinaria di Peter Schlemhil, Garzanti, Milano 2007.

- E.T.A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann, (trad. it.) L’uomo della sabbia e altri racconti, BUR, Milano 1998.

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Mondadori, Milano, 2005.

- Schnitzler, Fräulein Else, (trad.it.) Signorina Else, Adelphi, Milano 1988

- Kafka, Franz, Die Verwandlung, (trad. it.) Le Metamorfosi, Einaudi, Torino, 2014.

- Ende, Michael, Momo, Longanesi, Milano, 1993.

- Kehlmann, Daniel, Die Vermessung der Welt, (trad. it.) La misura del mondo, Feltrinelli, Milano 2014.

D) Helpful materials:

- David Herman (ed.), The Living Handbook of narratology, http://wikis.sub.uni-hamburg.de/lhn/index.php/Cognitive_Narratology

The students will have to elaborate a research on one of the texts or topics proposed in the program looking for specific and up to date critical works on the web.

NB. Students of the Master course LM14 who do not have a B1 level in German will work on the texts translated into Italian.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.