Universität Wien

123047 PS PS Literary Studies (2022W)

Jewish American Literature

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work

This course will be offered on Friday, 12 to 2 pm. Room and official course times will follow shortly.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 21 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Friday 07.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 14.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 21.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 28.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 04.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 11.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 18.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 25.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 02.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 09.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 16.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 13.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 20.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 27.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Inscribed onto the Statue of Liberty, "The New Colossus," a sonnet by Jewish-American poet Emma Lazarus, is just one example of the tremendous function Jewish- American literature has had in the formation of American identity. Yet what is Jewish American literature? Literature written by Jews in America? Literature written about Jews in America? What is "Jewish"? And what is "American"? In what way do they conflate, or oppose (if at all)? In this course we will attempt to provide (different) answers to these fascinating questions. Reading works of Jewish American literature (written in English) from the nineteenth century to the present, we will engage with different genres—short stories, poems, novellas, novels, autobiography and film. We will discuss topics such as immigration, (resistance to and the complexity of) assimilation, multilingualism, Whiteness (are Jews white?), Blackness (are Jews black?) and the Holocaust in order to examine the extent to which Jewish American literature has not only shaped American identity but has been shaped by it.

Aims:
Students will become familiar with some of the major works and topics of Jewish American literature from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will acknowledge its immense contribution to American literary, cultural and political identity. They will engage with a range of literary genres and critical theories (such as Whiteness, migrant and minor literature, sociolinguistics) which they will be able to apply in the analysis of literary texts not only in this course but also in their further studies. Additionally, students will acquire the skills for developing and composing an academic paper in literary studies: formulating a research question, properly using methodology and secondary sources and supporting the argument with evidence from the texts, among others.

Methods:

Classroom discussion, presentations, reading assignments

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance (max. two absences); active participation in class; reading assignments; oral presentation (ca. 10 minutes); final paper (ca. 3000 w; word limit: 3150-3850 w).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Attendance:

No more than two lessons may be missed without certified medical reason. If a doctor's note is produced, a third lesson may be missed, but is to be compensated for at the teacher's discretion. If more than three lessons are missed, this results in failing the course.

Assessment criteria:

active participation in class & reading assignments : 30 %
oral presentation: 20 %
proseminar paper: 50 %

Points must be collected in all of these categories. Students must attain at least 60% to pass this course.

Marks in %:
1 (sehr gut): 90-100
2 (gut): 80-89
3 (befriedigend): 70-79
4 (genügend): 60-69
5 (nicht genügend): 0-59

The final paper will be marked according to the following categories: clarity of research question; methodology; argumentation (supporting the argument with evidence from the text); use of secondary sources; language and style. Bonus points: originality of thesis and\or its contribution to its field(s).

Please note: before presenting your paper you will have to hand in a short research proposal (max. 500 words+ sample bibliography) which I will have to approve (advance notice will be given). The proposal will not be graded and you may (and are encouraged to) discuss it with me before hand, and if necessary, resubmit it according to my suggestions. The aim of the research proposal is to help you develop and construct the final paper and the oral presentation and make sure that you are on the right track. Therefore, although the research proposal is not part of the final grade, its approval is a prerequisite for presenting and submitting your paper.

The research proposal and the final paper must adhere to the department’s style sheet for papers in literary and cultural studies.

The final paper has to be accompanied by a signed and dated anti-plagiarism statement and is to be uploaded to Moodle to be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.

You are more than welcome to schedule personal meetings and discuss ideas you would wish to explore further on your paper, throughout the semester.

Important dates:

Research proposal: due 2 weeks before the oral presentation

Oral presentation: due date will be announced towards the end of October (most likely, the presentations will take place between 2.12.22-20.1.23)

Final paper: due on 1.3.23 (should you need an extension, please be aware that the latest possible deadline for submitting your final paper is 31.3.23)

Grading: up to 4 weeks after the deadline of the final paper (i.e., if the deadline is 1.3.23, grades will be entered into u:space on 29.3.23 at the latest)

If you need your grade earlier please inform me as soon as possible and we will negotiate a new deadline\quick grading.

Examination topics

There will be no written exam. Students are expected to actively participate in class, prepare their reading assignments, give a short oral presentation and hand in their research proposal and final paper on time.

Reading list

Mary Antin, The Promised Land (extracts)
Henry Roth, Call It Sleep
Aryeh Lev-Stollman, The Far Euphrates
Philip Roth, Operation Shylock (extracts)
Saul Bellow, Mr. Sammler's Planet
as well as a selection of poems, short stories, theoretical texts and two films.
All poems, short stories and theoretical texts will be made available on moodle. Films will be screened in class. Antin's, Henry Roth's and Bellow's books are open access; Philip Roth's book is temporarily open access (for 14 days). No precise edition is required for the books. A full list of primary texts and secondary sources as well as a detailed syllabus will be distributed in the first session.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612; BEd 046 / 407
Code/Modul: BA10.1; BEd 08a.1, BEd 08b.2
Lehrinhalt: 12-3041

Last modified: Sa 22.10.2022 10:49