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| Semester | fall semester 2022 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Tamara Dima Imboden (tamaradima.imboden@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | According to Aleida Assmann, we do not remember our own past in a series of unchanging images of what ‘actually’ occurred, but in a complex process of reconstruction that draws on past events as well as on present circumstances. This complicates our understanding of ‘remembering’ and ‘recollection’, as these facets are steered by our present ideologies and the power structures to which we are subjected. What does this mean for literary texts? Literary works are often acts of remembering, yet they are also shaped by contemporary contexts and inform dominant discourses. This proseminar will explore how texts deal with memory, focusing particularly on migration, trauma, and cultural memory, among other aspects. Students will gain a theoretical foundation with which to interpret a range of short stories (“The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling” by Ted Chiang, “How to Tell a True War Story” by Tim O’Brien and others) and Toni Morrison’s "Beloved". By the end of the course, students will have an overview of how various texts might approach memory, and of the role that memory plays in literary texts. |
| Learning objectives | - Students will gain an overview of a range of approaches to memory, especially with regard to cultural memory, migration and trauma. - Students will attain a nuanced understanding of how literary texts conceptualise memory and how memory in turn shapes these texts. |
| Bibliography | Students should purchase and read Toni Morrison’s "Beloved". All required theoretical texts and short stories will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | It is strongly recommended that this course is taken only after the successful completion of the "Introduction I + II: Literary Studies" proseminars. |
| Course application | This course is FULL. Please send an e-mail to tamaradima.imboden(at)unibas.ch if you want to be placed on the waiting list. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 22.09.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 29.09.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 06.10.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 13.10.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 20.10.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 27.10.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 03.11.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 10.11.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 17.11.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 24.11.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 01.12.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 08.12.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 15.12.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Thursday 22.12.2022 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Grosser Hörsaal |
| Modules |
Modul: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation (including two class inputs that require additional reading) and one written assignment. |
| 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 |