Study Center in Prague, Czech Republic

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1 Study Center in Prague, Czech Republic Course Title: Franz Kafka: A Prague Writer Course Code: LITT 3004 PRAG Programs offering course: CES, CNMJ Language of instruction: English U.S. Semester Credits: 3 Contact Hours: 45 Term: Spring 2017 Course Description Franz Kafka ( ) has become recognized as one of the leading figures in world literature. Perhaps more than any other major author, Kafka is associated with one geographical location: the city of Prague. Kafka s works themselves are not explicitly about Prague, nor are they set in Prague. But we cannot say that Prague is irrelevant to Kafka s works, for Kafka spent almost all of his life in the city. Therefore, we cannot read Prague through or into Kafka s works, but comparing the two is surely fruitful. The most obvious connection between Kafka s works and the city of Prague is Franz Kafka the historical person. While one always wants to be cautious about biographizing creative work, this course will take into consideration Kafka s life and times in reading and analyzing his fiction. Such an adventure is best undertaken in the city of Prague itself. Kafka s fiction that will be read in the course are organized in a chronological manner, along with relevant critical material for each work. However, less time-bound thematic issues will also be addressed in a less linear fashion, such as the cultural and historical interaction with the fiction, Kafka s development as a writer, the impact of Kafka s biographical story on his stories, Kafka s use of animal characters, and the narrative innovations that Kafka implemented. The course will focus on a selection from Kafka s many well-known short stories and one of his three novels. Kafka s works will be studied in English translation; they were originally written in German. Learning Objectives By the end of the course, the student will: understand the story line and the main issues of each story/novel on the syllabus. understand the main idea of at least one critical article on each story or novel on the syllabus. understand the intersection of German, Jewish, and Czech identities in Prague in the early 20th century. understand Franz Kafka s biography and how his lived life impacts his fiction. understand how Franz Kafka developed as a writer of fiction over the course of his short life. understand the types of narrative innovation that Franz Kafka implemented, and the effect these innovations have on his stories. be able to write an effective literary analysis essay. be able to prepare and deliver an effective in-class presentation. be able to effectively participate in class discussions on literature and literary criticism. will know different ways of thinking about literature, culture, and literary analysis. will be able to articulate how Kafka's writing is connected to his historical and cultural context. 1

2 Course Prerequisites There are no formal prerequisites for this course. However, the course will mainly appeal to students who have an interest in literature, and in reading and discussing stories. It is more important to have an interest in this type of learning than it is to have experience studying literature. Methods of Instruction In-class reading quizzes Short lectures Open class discussion to interpret literary works Small-group activities and discussions Student presentations Course Requirements Essays: two argumentative literary-analysis essays of words each, one due during the semester and the other at the end. Reading quizzes: these will be frequent, each counting for a small part of the semester grade, but all together counting for a relatively large percentage. Presentation: one minute presentation on a topic determined through negotiation with the teacher. Class participation: willingness and ability to engage in both whole-class and smallgroup activities and discussions. This is evaluated holistically at the end of the semester. Assessment and Final Grade Essay 1 20% Essay 2 20% Reading quizzes 25% Presentation 10% Class participation 25% 2

3 CIEE Prague Attendance Policy At CIEE, professors record attendance online, and CIEE staff takes care of any possible excuses from absences. Professors do not excuse absences. An absence can be excused only for medical reasons or other extraordinary situations. If a student is sick, s/he must visit a doctor on the day that s/he is sick and get an official note from the doctor. For help to see a doctor, see the Student Handbook and/or ask CIEE Prague staff. The student then submits that note to the CIEE Academic Department to get the absence excused. For other extraordinary situations, the student must contact the Academic Department to request an excuse. Students get three allowed unexcused absences for each course for the whole semester program. This assumes a course schedule of two 90-minute meetings per week, so if the course meets in one longer block, missing the class constitutes two absences. These allowed unexcused absences should be used for situations such as when one does not want to bother to see a doctor or has some personal situation that prevents the student from attending class. Allowed unexcused absences should not be used in a planned way for travel or other extracurricular events. If a student has 4 unexcused absences, the semester grade will be lowered by 5 points (on a 100- point scale). For 5 unexcused absences, the grade is lowered by 10 points. Students with 6 or more unexcused absences will automatically fail the course. This is a CIEE rule that applies to all CIEE courses and is in line with the Participant Contract that each CIEE student signs before arriving on site. CIEE staff regularly updates the Moodle attendance for each course. Students can and should check their attendance on the Moodle course sites throughout the semester to make sure it is correct. Students with excessive absences will be notified and the student s study abroad advisor will also be notified. CIEE Academic Honesty Statement Presenting work of another person as one s own, failure to acknowledge all sources used, using unauthorized assistance on exams, submitting the same paper in two classes, or submitting work one has already received credit for at another institution in order to fulfill CIEE course requirements is not tolerated. The penalty ranges from failure on the assignment to dismissal from the program. The Academic Director should be consulted and involved in decision making in every case of a possible violation of academic honesty. 3

4 Weekly Schedule Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Midterm Exam Week Week 7 Week 8 Introduction, shorter stories Before the Law (1914), A Common Confusion (1916), Jackals and Arabs (1917), Poseidon (1920), The Knock at the Manor Gate (1917), The Cares of a Family Man (1917) Elizabeth Trahan, A Common Confusion: A Basic Approach to Franz Kafka s World Kafka s breakthrough The Judgment (written and published 1912) Walter Sokel, Language and Truth David Foster Wallace, Laughing with Kafka Martin Swales, Why Read Kafka Kafka s breakthrough The Metamorphosis (written 1912, published 1915) Heather Merle Benow, Food, Gender, and Power Letter to the Father (written 1919) Kafka s breakthrough In the Penal Colony (written 1914, published 1919) Band, "The Margins of Assimilation" Koelb, "Kafka and the Scene of Reading" Norris, Sadism and Masochism in Two Kafka Stories Week 5: Museum The Trial (written , published posthumously) Feuerlicht, Omissions and Contradictions in Kafka s Trial Koelb, Kafka s Rhetorical Moment Smith, The Limited Circle Is Pure The Trial (written , published posthumously) Feuerlicht, Omissions and Contradictions in Kafka s Trial Koelb, Kafka s Rhetorical Moment Smith, The Limited Circle Is Pure The Trial (1962), directed by Orson Welles BBC Interview with Orson Welles (1962) Huw Weldon, Orson Welles on The Trial Essay 2 due 4

5 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Final Exam Week Mid-life stories A Report to an Academy (written and published 1917) David Foster Wallace, This is Water A Country Doctor (written 1917, published 1919) Dorrit Cohn, Kafka s Eternal Present Hans P. Guth, Symbol and Contextual Restraint Walking tour Last stories A Hunger Artist (written?, published 1922) Wallace, Laughing with Kafka Norris, Sadism and Masochism in Two Kafka Stories The Burrow (written 1923, published posthumously) Stine, Kafka and Animals Coatzee, Time, Tense, and Aspect in Kafka s The Burrow Last stories The Burrow (written 1923, published posthumously) Stine, Kafka and Animals Coatzee, Time, Tense, and Aspect in Kafka s The Burrow No meeting. Essay 2 due. 5

6 Bibliography Coots, Steve. Kafka: A Beginner s Guide Gray, Ronald, ed. Kafka: A Collection of Critical Essays Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views: Franz Kafka Rolleston, James, ed. A Companion to the Works of Franz Kafka Sokel, Walter H. The Myth of Power and the Self: Essays on Franz Kafka Thiher, Allen. Franz Kafka: A Study of the Short Fiction Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: The Trial Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: The Metamorphosis Nabokov, Vladimir. The Metamorphosis. In Lectures on Literature Rolleston, James, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Trial Sussman, Henry. The Trial: Kafka s Unholy Trinity Salfellner, Harald. Franz Kafka and Prague Brod, Max, ed. Franz Kafka Diaries Murray, Nicholas. Kafka. 6