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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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Seminar schedule "Narrative Unreliability": 1) Introductory discussion on theoretical texts concerning various concepts of narrative unreliability (Chatman, Nunning, Yacobi, Zerweck etc.) 2) Maria Edgeworth: Zámek Rackrent. (orig. 1800) 3) Fyodor M. Dostoevsky: Něžná. (orig. 1876) 4) Robert Louis Stevenson: Podivný případ dr. Jekylla a pana Hyda. (orig. 1886) 5) Henry James: Utažení šroubu. (1898) 6) Jaroslav Havlíček: Neviditelný. (1937) 7) Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita. (orig. 1955) 8) Max Frisch: Homo Faber. (orig. 1957) 9) Kazuo Ishiguro: Malíř pomíjivého světa. (orig. 1986) 10) Julian Barnes: Historie světa v 10 1/2 kapitolách (orig. 1989) 11) Ian McEwan: Nezničitelná láska. (orig. 1997) 12) Edgar Dutka: Slečno, ras přichází. (orig. 2004) 13) Credit seminar: course summary and evaluation
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
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Learning outcomes
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The primary objective of the course is the critical examination of the narratological category of narrative unreliability. We will analyze this phenomenon through selected works of Czech and world literature that literary history has traditionally designated as texts featuring an unreliable narrator. Throughout the seminar, we will focus on the following specific objectives: 1) Critical reflection on the concept: Given that theoretical approaches to narrative unreliability vary, there is no consensus in literary studies regarding the actual identification of such narratives. The aim is to identify and examine these theoretical discrepancies. 2) Delineating the boundaries of unreliability: We will intentionally analyze borderline texts where the presence of an unreliable narrator may be debatable. To achieve a more precise understanding of what narrative unreliability is, we will employ a method of negative definitiondemonstrating what narrative unreliability is not. 3) Examining historical and cultural conditionality: Many theoretical approaches understand narrative unreliability as a category dependent on its historical and cultural context. Therefore, we will work with a diverse corpus of texts that includes works from various national literatures written over a span of two centuries.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will gain a comprehensive overview of the theoretical concepts of narrative unreliability and their historical and cultural context. They will be able to navigate scholarly literary discourse and demonstrate knowledge of pivotal works of 19th- and 20th-century Czech and world literature in which this phenomenon is employed. In terms of practical skills, students will be able to apply advanced narratological tools in the interpretation of complex texts, independently identify textual signals of unreliability, and argue persuasively for or against its presenceeven in borderline worksby utilizing the method of negative definition. Additionally, they will acquire the ability to critically reassess established literary-historical claims, clearly formulate and defend their own interpretive conclusions within academic discussions, and independently produce a scholarly assignment that integrates theoretical frameworks with specific literary material.
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Prerequisites
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Basic knowledge of narratological concepts is expected.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Analysis of Creative works (Music, Pictorial,Literary), Seminar Work
The student is required to read at least 6 selected narrative texts and 6 selected theoretical texts, prepare one presentation, and, above all, actively participate in seminar discussions. A maximum of three absences is permitted during the course.
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Recommended literature
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Booth, W. C. (1966). The Rethoric of Fiction. Chicago.
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Chatman, Seymour . (2004). Dohodnuté termíny. Rétorika narativu ve fikci a filmu.. Olomouc.
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CHATMAN, Seymour. (2008). Příběh a diskurs. Narativní struktura v literatuře a filmu. Brno.
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Kubíček, T., Hrabal, J., & Bílek, P. A. (2013). Naratologie: strukturální analýza vyprávění. Praha.
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Kubíček, Tomáš. (2007). Vypravěč. Kategorie narativní analýzy. Brno.
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