This seminar investigates the Chicago cityscape construed in a selection of 20th century fictional works from/set in Chicago. Each of them constructs the megacity in a different way, sometimes, for example, setting the focus on segregation and the civil rights struggle, as in Lorraine Hansberry's famous play "A Raisin in the Sun",
on immigration such as in H.M. Petrakis' short story "Pericles on 31st Street",
or on the former world's largest meatpacking industry and socialist movements in Upton Sinclair's famous novel, "The Jungle".
With particular focus on the developments, we will discuss how "Chicago the Beautiful" - a picture constructed through, amongst others, the 1893 World's Fair, is criticized and de-constructed in the different works, sometimes shedding light on, for instance, crime developments as in Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City" or gender issues such as in Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie".
Along with elementary theoretical texts, we will further read chapters from the novel:
-Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City” (2004)
Short stories from:
-Joseph Epstein’s “The Goldin Boys” (1992)
-H.M. Petrakis’ “Collected Stories” (1965),
a few of Carl August Sandburg’s “Chicago Poems” (1916),
and watch parts of the film adaptions of
-Nelson Algren’s “The Man with the Golden Arm” (1949)
-Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” (1959).
Rhythmus | Tag | Uhrzeit | Format / Ort | Zeitraum | |
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14täglich | Fr | 14-18 | V2-213 | 17.10.2014-06.02.2015
nicht am: 26.12.14 |
(Beginn in der 2. Semesterwoche) |
Verstecke vergangene Termine <<
Modul | Veranstaltung | Leistungen | |
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23-ANG-AngBM2 Basismodul 2: Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies | 2.3 Basisseminar: Genres, Authors, Periods | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation | |
23-ANG-AngPM3 Profilmodul 3: American Studies | PM 3. 3 US American Literatures and Media | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation | |
23-LIT-LitP4 Kulturwissenschaft (Kulturtheorie) | Kultur und Text: Exemplarische Analysen | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation |
Literaturwissenschaft als Kulturwissenschaft: Theorie und Praxis | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation | |
Seminar mit Lektüreschwerpunkt | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation | |
23-LIT-LitP8 Englischsprachige Literaturen | Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 1 | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation |
Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 2 | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation | |
Englischsprachige Literaturen: Traditionen, Gattungen, Motive | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation | |
Seminar mit Lektüreschwerpunkt | Studienleistung
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Studieninformation |
Die verbindlichen Modulbeschreibungen enthalten weitere Informationen, auch zu den "Leistungen" und ihren Anforderungen. Sind mehrere "Leistungsformen" möglich, entscheiden die jeweiligen Lehrenden darüber.
Studiengang/-angebot | Gültigkeit | Variante | Untergliederung | Status | Sem. | LP | |
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Anglistik: British and American Studies / Bachelor | (Einschreibung bis SoSe 2011) | Kern- und Nebenfach | BaAngPM5; BaAngPM6 | 2 | |||
Literaturwissenschaft / Bachelor | (Einschreibung bis SoSe 2011) | Nebenfach | BaLitP8; BaLitP4 | 3 |
Students will have to read:
-Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" (1900) (there are free audiobooks available on librivox.org); to be read by 28 Nov. 2014.
-Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" (1906); to be read by 12 Dec. 2014.
Part of the 'Studienleistung' is serving as a member of an expert group on one of the theoretical texts that are provided in the first session.
Also, students will have to write a short essay, analyzing one particular aspect of cityscape construction in one of the fictional works that we will will read during the semester.