Unit information: Nineteenth Century Novels of Society in 2013/14

Unit name	Nineteenth Century Novels of Society
Unit code	GERM22030
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Debbie Pinfold
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of German
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

It has been suggested that nineteenth-century German authors did not produce social novels comparable with those of France and Great Britain, perhaps because Germany was still in the process of state formation for much of the nineteenth century and did not have a social centre like Dickens's London or Balzac's Paris. This unit will question this premise by considering social novels by Theodor Fontane and one of his female contemporaries, Fanny Lewald, whose quasi-autobiographical novel Jenny first appeared anonymously in 1842 and caused shock waves when it was revealed that the author was a woman. The unit will explore the different ways in which Lewald and Fontane tackle social themes such as the role and treatment of women and the position of Jews in Germany. It will be structured around seminar discussions for which students will prepare with the aid of regular worksheets.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Develop their ability to read German texts in the original language
• Gain a clear understanding of specific social and literary conventions in 19th century Germany
• Enhance their capacity for critical analysis and discussion
• Develop their ability to present their arguments in structured written form

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught largely through seminar discussion on the basis of close textual analysis. Students will receive regular worksheets to enable them to prepare effectively for seminar discussions

Assessment Information

2 essays of c. 2,000 words each.

Reading and References

• Carol Diethe, Towards Emancipation: German Women Writers of the Nineteenth Century (Berghahn, 1998)
• John C. Fout (ed), German Women in the Nineteenth Century: A Social History (Holmes and Meier, 1984)
• Fanny Lewald, Meine Lebensgeschichte,esp. vol. 1, Im Vaterhause (Helmer, 1988-9)
• Henry Garland, The Berlin Novels of Theodor Fontane (OUP, 1980)