| Unit name | Nineteenth Century Novels of Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM22030 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Debbie Pinfold |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
It has been suggested that nineteenth-century German authors did not produce social novels comparable with those of France and Great Britain, perhaps because Germany was still in the process of state formation for much of the nineteenth century and did not have a social centre like Dickens's London or Balzac's Paris. This unit will question this premise by considering social novels by Theodor Fontane and one of his female contemporaries, Fanny Lewald, whose quasi-autobiographical novel Jenny first appeared anonymously in 1842 and caused shock waves when it was revealed that the author was a woman. The unit will explore the different ways in which Lewald and Fontane tackle social themes such as the role and treatment of women and the position of Jews in Germany. It will be structured around seminar discussions for which students will prepare with the aid of regular worksheets.
