In German 3104, we will read major works works of German literature that present tales of love and violence while also casting suspicion on the power of literature. Goethe's novel Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, which launched the author's international reputation, relates a story of doomed love that is triggered by the dangerous act of reading. In Heinrich von Kleist's Das Erdbeben in Chili, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's Die Judenbuche, and Theodor Storm's Der Schimmelreiter, the stories of love and death are narrated in mysterious and at times thrilling fashion, yet they leave the reader wondering what narrated clues - if any - can be trusted. We will end with Nietzsche's essay "Über Wahrheit und Lüge im außermoralischen Sinne" that explicitly questions the referential power of language, while itself being an expertly crafted work of German literature.
Each of these texts is marked equally by compelling content and by structural and psychological complexity. In class discussions and assignments, we will closely examine the production of meaning and artistic effect in these texts. You will be encouraged to share, test, and develop your ideas to the best of your ability in German. As a Writing Intensive course GER 3104W also provides support to you as you formulate and present interpretive arguments using textual evidence. Required readings, short lectures, student presentations, and discussions are in German.