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| Semester | spring semester 2013 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In a famous description of Chicago, the great realist American novelist Theodore Dreiser registers the sheer noisiness of the modern world: "Its population was not so much thriving upon established commerce as upon the industries which prepared for the arrival of others. The sound of the hammer engaged upon the erection of new structures was everywhere heard." This course explores the acoustic imagination of modern American literature, taking a trip of three steps in time, from the realism of Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" (1900)--from which the quote above is taken--to the modernism of Jean Toomer's "Cane" (1923), to the postmodernism of Don DeLillo's "White Noise" (1985). To help us make sense of how these literary texts negotiate the changing acoustic worlds of modernity and postmodernity in different ways, we will draw on the findings of literary historians, soundscape studies, Pierre Bourdieu's sociology, and various conceptualizations of the social functions of literature. |
| Learning objectives | This seminar invites students to think about literary texts with the help of a sense that is often neglected in literary studies: hearing. |
| Bibliography | Copies of Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie," Jean Toomer's "Cane," and Don DeLillo's "White Noise" are available at the Labyrinth bookstore. They need to be read in preparation of the semester. We will proceed chronologically and begin with "Sister Carrie." Additional texts are made available on ISIS. |
| Weblink | ISIS |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is open only to MA students. |
| Course application | Please register on ISIS. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Interphilologische Lehrveranstaltungen für die Slavistik (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Modul Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft (Master's degree subject: Modern German Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul English & American Literature (Master's degree subject: English) Modul Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literaturwissenschaft/Literary Studies/Etudes Littéraires) Modul Literaturtheorie (Master's degree program: Literaturwissenschaft/Literary Studies/Etudes Littéraires) Modul Neuere Literaturwissenschaft (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | t.b.a. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |