| Yomi Braester Studies in Asian and Western Literatures |
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| How do texts and films describe cataclysmic and traumatic events? How does the narrator cope with the need to tell and retell painful experiences? How do authors address not only the past but also the present in which they are producing their work? The course examines these questions through novels and films from China, France, Germany, Israel, and Italy. |
Hours:
| Instructor : | Yomi Braester |
| office: C-504 Padelford |
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| office hours: TBA and by appointment |
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| e-mail: yomi@u.washington.edu |
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| course website: | http://faculty.washington.edu/yomi/east-west.html |
class list (postings will be accepted only from UW IDs): clit322a_wi12@uw.edu
| (1) In-class commentary: at the end of each class marked by an asterix (*), students will be asked to write a short response to what has been discussed. The purpose is to allow the students to think through what has just occurred, and to allow me to gauge class progress. The assignment is performed in class. To allow some flexibility, students are required to hand in 12 commentaries out of 14 marked meetings. (2) Reading responses: students are required to submit, via a reading response, at least 300 words long, for 15 of the 16 readings (a double reading response should be 600 words long), following a set of questions posted on the web (link will be added here). The responses should demonstrate familiarity with the text and point at passages of special interest to the student. Unlike the two papers, the responses are not meant to demonstrate originality of thought. (3) Final project: |
| In-class commentaries (12): |
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10 |
| Reading
responses (15): |
30 | |
| Final project, stage one: | 30 | |
| Final
project, stage two: |
30 |
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Late
submissions must be pre-approved by the instructor or they will not
be accepted. Extensions will be available only in very special cases, where the students
can demonstrate circumstances beyond their control. |
| Readings |
| Books are available
at the University Bookstore as well as on reserve in Odegaard. |
| Texts: |
- - Albert Camus, The Fall ( - Zhang Xialiang, Grass Soup (PL2837.H762 F3613 1995 - Bernhard Schlink, The Reader (PT2680.L54 V6713 1997) |
| Films, on reserve at the Odegaard Media Center: |
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- Roberto Benigni,
Life is Beautiful (MIRA 003) - Eli Cohen |
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