COMP 352(S) Writing after the Disaster: The Literature of Exile (Same as Jewish Studies 352)
This course will consider different kinds of works (poetry, memoirs, fiction, essay) written by authors forced to live in exile as a consequence of political and/or religious persecution. Our point of departure will be the paradigmatic expulsion and subsequent diaspora of the Jews of Spain and Portugal. Most assignments, however, will be drawn from twentieth century texts written during, or in the wake of, the massive destruction and displacements brought about by the Spanish Civil War and World War II. How is the life lost portrayed? How are the concepts of home and the past intertwined? What kind of life or literature are possible for the deracinated survivor? We will discuss the role of writing and remembrance in relation to political history, as well as in the context of individual survival. Readings might include works by Nuñez de Reinoso, León, Cernuda, Semprún, Benjamin, Nancy, and Blanchot.
Format: seminar. Requirements: active participation in class discussions, an oral presentation, several short writing assignments, a midterm paper and a final paper.
Prerequisite: Comparative Literature 111 or an equivalent English course. Enrollment limit: 20 (expected: 20). Preference given to majors in Comparative Literature.
Hour: S. FOX