Kafka after one hundred years

The course intends to describe the itinerary of the Czech writer through four of his most exemplary works and also his 'Italian' experience through the letters to Milena composed in Merano.

The following works by F. Kafka will be analysed: Brief an den Vater; Der Proceß; Strafen (Das Urteil, Die Metamorphosen, In der Strafkolonie); Briefe an Milena

Knowledge of the minimum qualifying elements and the main periods of German literature.

- Ability to understand and critically analyze historical-cultural-literary aspects and events, placing them within an overall cultural framework of historical, sociological development and social reflections.

- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student has the inter-cultural skills for the description and analysis of German culture and literature.

- Autonomy of judgment: the student possesses, through a wide spectrum of readings and references, critical skills that enable him to analyze and evaluate texts on cultural topics and can express autonomous opinions on socio-cultural issues concerning various historical periods, making a transference between different eras.

- Communication skills: ability to understand different realities and eras and use a sectoral language.

- Ability to acquire the methodological tools and bibliographic-critical skills necessary for one's field of study, even in intercultural and group environments.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Online handouts and databases prepared by the teacher.

Teaching

Lectures and seminars

Innovative teaching methods

In addition for attending students:

group work and drafting of written papers
oral presentations
participatory lessons in which the works presented will be discussed

Attendance

There are no obligations, if not the observance of the vademecum program

Course books

For primary literature, the following works in original (in all editions):

F. Kafka, Brief an den Vater

F. Kafka, Amerika

F. Kafka, Der Proceß

F. Kafka, Das Urteil, Die Metamorphosen, In der Strafkolonie

F. Kafka, Briefe an Milena

Critical literature:

L. Mittner, Storia della letteratura tedesca, PBE 345/2, Turin, Einaudi, 1971 ss., part III Dal realismo alla sperimentazione, vol. 2 Dal fine secolo alla sperimentazione (§ 381-390)

G. Baioni, Kafka. Romanzo e parabola, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1962 (pp. 49-191)

P. Citati, Kafka, Milan, Rizzoli, 1987 (pp.  77-112; 129-16; 197-218)

P. Rina, V. Rieder (a c. di), Kafka a Merano. Cultura e politica intorno al 1920, Bolzano, Raetia, 2020

or, for the last one, alternatively:

M. Freschi, Introduzione a Kafka, Bari, Laterza, 1993 (out of commerce; available on Moodle)

For a general introduction, the FOLLOWING CHAPTERS OF THE INDICATED TEXTS should also be consulted IN FULL (some parts are available in the last unit of the Moodle handout materials, in acomplishment with Copyright regulations):

E. Heidegger Moroder, Texte und Themen. Einführung in die deutsche Literatur von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart mit Anthologie, Milano, Hoepli, 2007 (Kapitel 10: Um die Jahrhundertwende, pp. 226-282)

or, alternatively:

Buglioni-Castellari e.a., Letteratura tedesca. Epoche, generi, intersezioni. Dal Medioevo al primo Novecento, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2019 (Chp. 11: Fin de siècle; Chp. 12: L'Espressionismo, pp. 418-527)

The themes of the fin de siècle, Naturalism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Expressionism, artistic-cultural centres, movements, protagonists and everything that has an introductory character on Kafka's epoque can also be studied in other literary histories, of which the teacher must be informed at the moment of the exam.

Assessment

Oral or written exam. Small thesis

Attending students can make use of an essay, to be carried out individually during the course and delivered before the end of it, according to the criteria described by the teacher. It will be evaluated by the teacher, after its presentation, with a mark of thirty and will integrate the oral exam at 50%. Those who declare themselves attending must ensure attendance of at least two thirds of the lessons.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are required to observe the program of the vademecum and to verify the historical and cultural contexts through the network or other methods. They are also required to visit the page on Blended Learning Uniurb for more study materials.

Attendance

There are no obligations, if not the observance of the vademecum program

Course books

Same as those attending

Assessment

Oral exam

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

It should be remembered that a CFU approximates the measurement of the hours of commitment dedicated by the student to the training activity equal to 25 hours (lessons, seminars, practice, work at home). This course is equivalent to 8 CFU, that is to 200 hours of total activity: if the hours of attendance in class are not included within this amount, it will be integrated with autonomous activities of the same additional duration.

Part of the course will be taught in German. The students can request to sit the final exam in German with an alternative bibliography.

Teil des Kurses wird auf Deutsch gehalten werden. Die StudentInnen können auf Nachfrage die Prüfung in deutscher Sprache mit einer Alternativbibliographie halten.