230586 Breaking Illusions, Breaking Realities: Metafictional Storytelling (S) (SoSe 2017)

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“Fiction is woven into all ... I find this new reality (or unreality) more valid.” (John Fowles, The French Lieutenant’s Woman)

Fiction creates storyworlds, ‘As-If’s, alternate realities, whole universes, shared fantasies. Metafiction is ‘meta’ because it reflects upon its own creation and createdness, it self-consciously reveals the workings of writers, exposes the construction of the fantasy. It breaks the illusion of fictional reality and provokes its readers to look at story as a product of choices which are ultimately ulterior to the storyworld itself.

In this (admittedly fairly nerdy) seminar, we will read four metafictional novels that reflect upon the reasons for fiction writing with regard to the ethics of writing, its function for personal and social memory culture or for historiography. We will look at theoretical concepts of postmodern metafictionality and we will connect our reading to the fundamental question of what literature is.

Please buy and read the following novels in a format that you can annotate and bring to class:

  • Ian McEwan, Sweet Tooth (2012; we’ll start with this novel, so you’ll have to have read it before the beginning of class)
  • Ian McEwan, Atonement (2001)
  • John Fowles, The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969)
  • Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient (1992; this novel is very beautiful, but quite complex; set aside enough time to read it)

We will also watch selected metafictional films to complement the reading.

Hey, nerdy is the new sexy, right?

Please note that the first session of this seminar takes place on 26 April because the first week of term is reserved for the "How to English" week to which you are cordially invited (you will receive an announcement and programme toward the start of the semester).

Requirements for participation, required level

This is not a class for first year students. Participants should have completed basic modules BM1 (especially Writing, Presentations and Research Skills, and Argumentation, Communication and Critical Reading) and BM2 (Analysing British Literature, Analyzing American Literature, and the Basisseminar: Genres, Authors, Periods).

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23-ANG-AngPM2 Profilmodul 2: British Studies 2.3 British Literature and Media Study requirement
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23-ANG-AngPM2.1 Profilmodul 2.1: British Studies 2.1.3 British Literature and Media Study requirement
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23-ANG-AngPM2_a Profilmodul 2: British Studies 2.3 Literature and Culture Study requirement
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23-ANG-AngVM1 Vertiefungsmodul 1: Britain 1.2 British Literature: Genre, Periods, Authors Study requirement
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1.3 British Cultural Studies: Theories, Periods, Media Study requirement
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- Graded examination Student information
23-ANG-AngVM5 Vertiefungsmodul 5: Theories & Ideologies VM 5.2 Literary Theory Study requirement
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VM 5.3 Cultural Theory Study requirement
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23-LIT-LitP8 Englischsprachige Literaturen Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 1 Study requirement
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Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 2 Study requirement
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Englischsprachige Literaturen: Traditionen, Gattungen, Motive Study requirement
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Seminar mit Lektüreschwerpunkt Study requirement
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The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.


The credit points you receive for this class encompass regular participation (or alternative self-study with submitted reflection papers), weekly homework tasks for class preparation, and a Studienleistung.

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seminar (S) /
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This lecture is taught in english
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Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies
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