Time Schedule:
Verena Veronica Kuzmany
C LIT 240
Seattle Campus
Comparative approach to literature and a workshop in writing comparative papers in English. Emphasis on cross-cultural comparison of literary works. Readings in English with an option to read selected texts in the original languages Offered: AWSp.
Class description
Text, Image, and the Quest for Memory This class will examine the intersection of written and visual materials in texts that thematize memory. Photographs reproduced in novels can affect their meaning in different ways, by illustrating, diverging from or undermining the narrative. They point towards a reality outside the boundaries of the book, and consequently seem more "authentic" than text. Especially in texts that address issues of remembering, images are readily perceived as documentary evidence and lend a nonfictional element to fictional narratives. In graphic novels, on the other hand, it is the text that seems to lend a documentary aspect to the art form. We will discuss questions such as how we "read" and decode a photograph and how we can write comparatively about intermedial or hybrid forms of art. In addition to the primary texts, students will be presented with a selection of theoretical essays. First and foremost, however, students will hone their written analytical skills. The texts (and images) will hence provide the framework and point of departure for an intensive, workshop-style writing laboratory.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
