| Unit name | Effi Briest and her Afterlives |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM20048 |
| 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 |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Theodor Fontane’s Effi Briest (1895) is one of the best-known and best-loved of German nineteenth-century novels. It is famed in equal measure for its realist depiction of the stifling social codes of nineteenth-century Prussia and for the spontaneous, youthful protagonist who is ultimately crushed by them. The figure of seventeen-year old Effi, whose parents encourage her to marry her own mother’s former suitor in a bid to secure social advancement, and who subsequently embarks on an affair with fatal consequences, has captured the imagination not only of generations of readers, but also of film-makers. This unit focuses on Fontane’s novel and its five film adaptations, which include versions made during the Third Reich and the German Democratic Republic, as well as Werner Rainer Fassbinder’s 1974 classic of New German Cinema and Hermine Huntgeburth’s 2009 feminist reimagining of Effi’s story. The unit will thus include close analysis of both literary text and film material, and will explore questions of media transfer and adaptation, the representation of women figures in nineteenth-century and more contemporary texts, and the exploitation of canonical texts for ideological purposes.
The unit aims:
This unit carries a formative piece of assessment of;
1 x 1,000 word commentary on Effi Briest.
By the end of the unit, successful students will be able to:
1. analyse in detail a passage from the set text in its original language;
2. demonstrate an understanding of the conventions and techniques of the Realist novel appropriate to Level 5;
3. develop an independent analysis of a film within its historical, aesthetic and ideological contexts;
4. demonstrate an understanding of issues surrounding media transfer and adaptation appropriate to Level 5;
5. work in teams to develop and present arguments in oral form, using appropriate visual aids and supporting documentation;
6. make confident and critical use of secondary literature to support and develop their own written interpretation of literary and filmic works.
2-hour seminar each week
1 x group presentation (15-20 Mins) on one of the films studied on the unit (25%) ILOs 3 and 5
1 x 2,000 word essay on both literary text and film versions (75%) ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GERM20048).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
