Time Schedule:
Diana I Behler
GERMAN 312
Seattle Campus
German literature from the Middle Ages to the present: Medieval Courtly period, Baroque, Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Neoromanticism, Expressionism. Recommended: GERMAN 311. Offered: W.
Class description
We will analyze various texts of German literature that reflect and illustrate specific historical periods and literary styles, such as medieval, enlightenment, classicism, romanticism, impressionism, and modernism. Brief lectures and will introduce concepts relevant to each period and the problems such designations present as well as pertinent historical and philosophical background material. The main emphasis, however, will be on close readings, class discussions, and the development of critical thinking skills. Texts will include Hartmann von Aue’s Der arme Heinrich, Goethe’s Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Eichendorff’s Das Schloß Dürande, Büchner’s Woyzeck, Schnitzler’s Leutnant Gustl, Thomas Mann’s Der Tod in Venedig, Franz Kafka’s Ein Hungerkünstler, and Max Frisch’s Biedermann und die Brandstifter. Shorter texts (aphorisms, poetry, etc.) will be available either as handouts or email attachments.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Prerequisite: Second year German or permission of the instructor
Class assignments and grading
Requirements: Regular attendance; careful reading of the assigned text (German); Active participation in discussions (English or German); one Midterm and one Final Examination (English or German; Format: short-answer and essay questions).
