German Literature 1 Lm 2023/2024

W. v. Goethe: Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil

The course will explore some of the most relevant formal and content-related aspects of the first part of the Faust. The author took the material for the work from popular legends that had spread throughout Europe since the 16th century. The module will at first illustrate some of the versions of the myth that predate Goethe's Faust, in particular Spiess's Faustbuch and Christopher Marlowe's The Tragicall History of Doctor Faustus, and then proceed to explore Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil with particular reference to the songs and poems included in the text as well as to the theme of intertextuality. Furthermore, the module will hioghlight some similarities between the Faustian theme and the digital world. The lessons will be held in German. 

Texts:

W. v. Goethe, Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil. Textausgabe mit Kommentar und Materialien, hg. von Wolf dieter Hellberg, Stuttgart, Reclam (Reclam XL - Text und Kontext, Reclam Nr 19152).

Critical essays:

Riccardo Federici, Il mito di Faust nell'era digitale, Roma. Lithos 2023.

Ian Watt, Miti dell'individualismo moderno. Faust, don Chisciotte, don Giovanni, Robinson Crusoe, trad. it. di M. Baiocchi e M. Gnoli, Milano, FeltrinelliW. v. Goethe: Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil

Robert Walser

Robert Walser is among the best-known Swiss-German authors of the 20th century. The course will investigate Der Gehülfe, Der Spaziergang and Fritz Kochers Aufsätze with particular reference to their modernity, which was misunderstood by reviewers of these texts. The lectures will focus primarily on the formal aspects of the texts: the narrative structure and techniques of representation of the inner world in Der Gehülfe; the photograms that characterise Der Spaziergang; the (simulated) amateurism in the school themes of Fritz Kochers Aufsätze, which offers interesting starting points for reflections on literary genres; the transvaluation of the fairy tale scheme in Schneewittchen and Die Jungfrau. Der Befreier. It will also examine selected poems by the author. Lectures will be held in German and texts must be read in German. 

Texts:

The volumes of the‘Gesamtwerk’ edited by Jochen Greven (Suhrkamp 1978), or: R. Walser, Der Gehülfe, mit einem Kommentar v. Karl Wagner, Frankfurt a. Main, Suhrkamp 2010 (Suhrkamp BasisBibliothek, 102)

R. Walser, Fritz Kochers Aufsätze, mit Illustrationen von Karl Walser, München, Insel 2001 (it 2417)

R. Walser, Der Spaziergang. Ausgewählte Geschichten, hg. v. D. Keel, mit einem Nachwort v. Urs Widmer, Zürich, Diogenes 2006 R Walser, Komödie, Frankfurt a. Main, Suhrkamp 1986

Handbook:

Selected chapters of Robert Walser-Handbuch. Leben – Werk – Wirkung, a cura di Lucas Marco Gisi, Stuttgart, J. B. Metzler 2015.