BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course, divided into three modules, aims to present two “canonical” narrative texts of German-language literature of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries: Die Leiden des jungen Werther (1774) by Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Der Sandmann (1816) by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
In addition to introducing the literary periods to which the two texts belong (Sturm und Drang and Romanticism), as well as their thematic and narratological features, the course also aims to analyze some contemporary adaptations of these two works.
Course Prerequisites
The course is intended for students in the third year of the Bachelor’s Degree Program in “Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures”.
- Before taking the exam in “German-Language Literature III”, students must have fully passed the second-year German language exam (both written and oral).
- The course may be included in the study plan as an elective.
Teaching Methods
Teaching will take place through lectures and seminar-style classes that require the active participation of students. During the classes, students may also propose topics for further discussion or debate.
The course is taught in German; part of the supplementary bibliography will be in Italian.
Assessment Methods
The final exam consists of an oral examination in German aimed at verifying the achievement of the learning objectives. The exam will be structured as a dialogue between the instructor and the student, focusing on the following aspects.
For students taking the 9-ECTS exam:
- knowledge of the historical, literary, and cultural context of the works analyzed during the course;
- ability to understand and critically comment on selected passages from the texts;
- ability to analyze and interpret the choices underlying specific adaptations.
For students taking the 6-ECTS exam:
- knowledge of the historical, literary, and cultural context of the works analyzed during the course;
- ability to understand and critically comment on selected passages from the texts.
Evaluation criteria for the attribution of grades:
- Outstanding (30 e lode): excellent knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Excellent ability to analyze the texts and to contextualize them in an appropriate way. The student uses the academic writing register/style with appropriate linguistic terminologies.
- Very good (30 to 27): very good knowledge of all of the contents of the course. Very good ability to analyse the texts and to contextualize them n an appropriate way.
- Good (26-24): Good knowledge of the contents of the course. Adequate ability to describe the texts. The language used is simple but correct.
- Fair/sufficient (23-18): The work has sufficient knowledge, coherence, use of appropriate resources and quality of presentation to warrant a basic pass. The ability to analyse the texts is not wholly satisfactory. The work is very descriptive and with minor mistakes.
- Fail (below 18): The student demonstrates a poor awareness of the contents of the course. The work is frequently confused, inconsistent and with major mistakes.
For attending students, a mid-term assessment is planned at the end of the course; details will be provided during classes.
Contents
MODULE A: DIE LEIDEN DES JUNGEN WERTHER (1774)
This module is devoted to the analysis of the novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe. After an introduction to the author and his work, information will be provided on the literary, cultural, and biographical context in which the novel was written. Subsequently, through the reading of selected passages, the novel, its structure, and its themes will be analyzed.
MODULE B: DER SANDMANN (1816)
This module focuses on the famous short story by E. T. A. Hoffmann. After illustrating the author’s “intermedial” writing practice, the collection Nachtstücke, from which the story is taken, will be introduced. The text will then be analyzed through the reading of selected passages, with particular attention to its structure and to the author’s poetics.
MODULE C: WERTHER AND THE SANDMAN TODAY
This module aims to provide, in addition to an overview of various adaptations of these texts in the contemporary period (and beyond), some basic notions of adaptation theory, as well as to develop students’ skills in analyzing two specific types of adaptation:
- film adaptation, through the screening of the feature film Goethe! (2010) by Philipp Stölzl;
- graphic adaptation, based on selected examples from various graphic novels centered on Der Sandmann.
Students whose curriculum includes a 9-ECTS exam will attend all three modules.
Students whose curriculum includes a 6-ECTS exam will attend only Modules A and B.
Online Resources
More information
The purchase of the texts in the edition indicated on Leganto (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek) is strongly recommended. If students already own a different edition, it may still be used.
Erasmus students are kindly requested to contact the instructor before beginning exam preparation.