F1214 Empire, Identity, and Exile in the Literature of Eastern and Central Europe (F1214)
Tuesday 15.15-16.45
Thursday 15.15-16.45
This course presents a survey of outstanding and influential works of and about the political and socialupheavals of the twentieth century in Central and Eastern Europe. Emanating from lands located at the crossroads of three empires (Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman), these works oftenshare the themes of frontier, identity, exile, and
apocalypse. Yet, the authors' concernsoften resonate with what we can identify as universal issues of the twentieth century.
Readings will be short—essays, articles, or if fiction, short stories or excerpts from larger works comprised of vignettes that can be considered individually. Students will be expected to have read the readings BEFORE class discussion, which will be available on the VIU blogs platform.
Evaluation Methods
There will be midterm and final exams. The final grade will depend on performance in thefollowing areas: class preparation (regular attendance; completion of readings) and participation, the midterm exam, and the final exam.
Evaluation
Readings