| Semester | spring semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| 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." |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This research seminar is open only to MA students. |
| Course application | Please register on MOnA. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Literatur im Zusammenspiel der Künste und Medien (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |