134006 VO VO: Culture, Society, and History of the Low Countries Reflected in Literature (2023S)

In this course, literary texts from the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) will serve as a key to discover contemporary culture and society of the Low Countries. Of course, to appreciate a fictional text, one may require insight in the proper realities from which it originated. The reader may for instance encounter existing personalities like Theo van Gogh or Dyaab Abou Jahjah. Yet, literary texts can also exemplify and support narratives about the past in the reading present. One need only think of the adventures of Tintin in Belgian Congo or of the Dutch Soldier of Orange in the Second World War. With reference to the notion of 'cultural memory', we will explore the Low Countries in various aspects, such as the Second World War, the colonial past, and discourses about national identity, through a selection of literary texts.
Aims:
Students gain insight into the relevant context of selected Dutch literary texts.
Students understand the notion of cultural memory.
Students familiarize themselves with culture, society and history of The Low Countries.