Transformation, Transgression and Tradition: German and Italian Culture across the Centuries (Level 5)
Classes
There are no classes currently available for registration.
Overview
In this Transformation, Transgression and Tradition: German Literature from the 16th to the 21st Century short course we provide you with a broad overview of German and Italian literature and culture from a cross-cultural perspective, foregrounding moments of key transformation in the literary and film landscape of each culture. We will study the most important literary movements - the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, Expressionism, twentieth-century German and Italian literature and post-1945 writing - and some of the most significant and enjoyable writers from Dante and Goethe to the present day.
We plan to cover:
- Introduction/Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, 1321
- J.W. Goethe, Faust: Part 1, 1808
- Italo Calvino, Italian Folktales, 1956
- Theodor Fontane, Effi Briest, 1894
- R.M. Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, 1910
- Expressionist war poetry (e.g. Heym, Lichtenstein, Stramm,Trakl)
- Nathalie Ginzburg, The Dry Heart, 1947
- Wim Wenders, Alice in the Cities, 1974
- Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose, 1980
Assessment is via a 2500-word essay (50%) and three-hour in-class test (50%).
As a student on this course, you will study alongside Birkbeck students enrolled on one of our undergraduate or postgraduate courses, giving you the opportunity to network with a range of Birkbeck current students whilst you learn.
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Most of our short courses have no formal entry requirements and are open to all students.
This short course has no prerequisites.
As part of the enrolment process, you may be required to submit a copy of a suitable form of ID.
International students who wish to come to the UK to study a short course can apply for a Visitor visa. Please note that it is not possible to obtain a Student visa to study a short course.
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How to apply
How to apply
You register directly onto the classes you would like to take. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis - so apply early. If you wish to take more than one short course, you can select each one separately and then register onto them together via our online application portal. There is usually no formal selection process, although some modules may have prerequisites and/or other requirements, which will be specified where relevant.