126-477 A Tale of Three Generations

This subject is taught in German.

Formerly available as 126-084. Students who have completed 126-084 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

37.5 points of second/third-year subjects in German language. European studies students wishing to enrol in this subject would normally have completed 37.5 points of European studies at second/third year, see Prerequisites.

This subject will examine how the legacy of two German dictatorships and a failed revolution in 1968 is figured in the stories of the children. It will cover the narratives of the children of Nazi perpetrators and East German functionaries, as well as the stories of their grandchildren, and those of the children of leftist activists of the generation of '68. Students will encounter the ways generations of contemporary writers deal with the historical experiences and political ideals of their parents; how the legacy of the past is passed on in the form of a transgenerational debt or trauma. On completion of the subject students should have acquired an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the representation of gender, history and identity in contemporary German prose and a detailed textual knowledge of the novels under consideration.

A 1000-word classpaper and an essay of 3000 words for 3rd year, 4000 words for 4th year.