140359 VO Nadine Gordimer Retrospective: Review of Life and Works (2015S)
Labels
Details
Language: English
Examination dates
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Thursday
05.03.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
19.03.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
26.03.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
16.04.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
23.04.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
30.04.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
07.05.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
21.05.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
28.05.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
11.06.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Thursday
25.06.
13:00 - 15:00
Inst. f. Afrikawissenschaften, Seminarraum 1 UniCampus Hof 5 2M-O1-03
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
The proposed course will trace an arc from the birth of apartheid through to the advent of democracy in South Africa via the life and works of the South African writer and 1991 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014). Students will undertake close readings of three of Gordimer’s novels, namely: The Lying Days (1953), July’s People (1981) and her last novel No Time Like the Present (2012); these three novels mark important milestones in an extraordinary writing career spanning more than 60 years. Nadine Gordimer was an implacable opponent of apartheid, which she opposed through her imaginative writing as well as through essays and polemics. The end of apartheid was heralded by the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, and officially ended with the first democratic elections that were held in April of 1994. Gordimer produced fifteen novels before passing away in 2014 aged 90 years. Ten novels fall clearly within the apartheid period, and five that can be classified as falling within the postapartheid period. There is evidence of several general and interrelated shifts in her novels since the demise of apartheid. The previous emphasis on the community and communal responsibility has to some extent been replaced by a relatively greater emphasis on the individual, that is, a move from a stress on public identity to private identity. Local, South African concerns are succeeded by more global concerns. Nevertheless, the final novel No Time Like the Present sees veteran Gordimer turn her keen eye on local trajectories and current South African concerns fully loaded, so to speak, with history.
Assessment and permitted materials
Written exam during the final lecture date.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
- To gain a broad overview of the oeuvre of Nadine Gordimer.
- To obtain a broad understanding of theoretical approaches to her work.
- To understand ideological shifts in her work in changing historical contexts.
- To obtain an in-depth understanding of three works by the author.
- To obtain a broad understanding of theoretical approaches to her work.
- To understand ideological shifts in her work in changing historical contexts.
- To obtain an in-depth understanding of three works by the author.
Examination topics
Primarily lectures, extracts from writings, interviews and essays with tutorial format for short discussions.
Reading list
Mandatory reading:
Books:
Gordimer, Nadine. The Lying Days. (1953)
Gordimer, Nadine. July’s People. (1981)
Gordimer, Nadine. No Time Like the Present. (2012)
Articles:
Selected peer-reviewed articles; interviews with, and essays by the author.
Books:
Gordimer, Nadine. The Lying Days. (1953)
Gordimer, Nadine. July’s People. (1981)
Gordimer, Nadine. No Time Like the Present. (2012)
Articles:
Selected peer-reviewed articles; interviews with, and essays by the author.
Association in the course directory
SAL, EC-148
SPL-13: BA M8
SPL-12: MA-07
SPL-13: BA M8
SPL-12: MA-07
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:35