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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Jutta Ernst
Event type:
Seminar
Displayed in timetable as:
06.008.510
Hours per week:
2
Credits:
6,0
Language of instruction:
Englisch
Min. | Max. participants:
- | 30
Priority scheme: Senatsrichtlinie zzgl. Bevorzugung höherer Fachsemester
Requirements / organisational issues:
The syllabus for this class will be available on ILIAS.
Contents:
In a class on this level and of this kind, one should actually read more than just one novel. My first intention of reading Little Dorrit (1855-57), too, a stunning book… (cf. the comment on my lecture), has nevertheless been rejected, in order to give us more time for this excellent text. We'll investigate its contents and find out how it is presented to us, i.e. how the book is written. This is Dickens' novel best liked by British people and British authors. Why? We'll find out. John Foster, Dickens' friend and first biographer, gives two strong reasons: "Dick-ens's humour, not less than his creative power was at its best in this book".
We will also look at the films that have been made of this novel, especially David Lean's 1946 version and the 2011 BBC film. As this will take some time, we'll not read a second novel but have an additional focus on the two media and their characteristics. Translations of the novel will be the third focus in this class.
Basically there is a cultural studies focus in this class, but students can also write term papers on the language used in the novel as well as on problems of translation or on the differences / characteristics of the media employed. Students can thus get either a kulturwiss. or sprach- / translationswiss. Schein.
Recommended reading list:
Text: Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations. Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, Contexts, Criticism, New York: Norton Critical Edition 31999. This edition is extremely useful as it provides readers with great background information and material (e.g. Dickens' letters on the novel, information about the reality of Pip's world, and essays on the novel). It is also availa-ble at a very reasonable price, namely from € 7.83 + 3 for postage at Amazon, maybe even cheaper elsewhere. Check it out, but buy this issue, not another one! And you need a printed copy of the text for this class. Students without a print version are not accepted.
Registering for this class: As Jogustine will start accepting registrations very late this winter term, it is highly recommended that you sign in for this class in the secretaries' office (room 247) at the usual office hours (8-11, until 12 on Tuesdays, not open on Fridays). In this way you'll receive the topics for short presentations early enough for you to prepare the term in the most efficient way. It is totally useless to try to join the class after 18 October 2012 without any preparation, i.e. without you having read your short presentation and the novel at least twice. It is, therefore, highly recommended that you decide as soon as possible whether you want to join this class. Then you'll have time enough for everything.
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