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SoSe 23: Contemporary German Literature in Translation: Jenny Erpenbeck's Go, Went, Gone

Gregor Wolfgang Hens

Kommentar

Topic: Jenny Erpenbeck’s Go, Went, Gone, published in German in 2015, is a politically charged, hyperrealist novel about the situation of African refugees in Berlin. Richard, an older German with a GDR background, gets involved with, and befriends, a number of African Refugees at a protest camp on Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. A former Classics professor who was recently forced into retirement, he empathizes with the refugees, who are not allowed to work under German asylum laws. Richard researches their plight and helps them with administrative and everyday tasks, even giving piano lessons to one of them. After a break-in at Richard’s house, he and his friends question their own prejudices and attempt to learn from the experience. Program: The novel, which was a candidate for the International Man-Booker-Prize, will serve as a starting point for our exploration of the political and human rights issues surrounding the situation of African refugees in Berlin. We will read the book at the good pace of about thirty pages a week and consider the surrounding issues in a critical and participatory fashion. Some additional materials will be provided to round out the discussion. You may read Erpenbeck‘s novel in any of the available editions: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian. The language of instruction/discussion will be English. Can I take this course? Yes – ¬if you are interested in social and political issues of contemporary Germany, and willing to engage in a seminar-style discussion about a literary text. The course has no further prerequisites. Requirements and Grading: You will need to purchase a copy of Erpenbeck’s novel. In order to earn five ECTS points, you will have to attend at least ten of the twelve scheduled meetings. You will carefully read approximately thirty pages a week; serve as a (co-)moderator of one session; and pass a final exam. Schließen

12 Termine

Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung

Mo, 12:00 - 14:00 12 Termine

Mo, 17.04.2023 12:00 - 14:00

Dozenten:
Gregor Hens