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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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Seminar schedule: 1) Introductory seminar: Concepts of Central Europe and intersections of the poetics of 20th-century Central European literatures 2) Franz Kafka: Proces. Praha, Nakl. Franze Kafky 1997 (or other edition) (orig. 1925). 3) Joseph Roth: Pochod Radeckého. Praha, Lidové noviny 1993 (orig. 1932). 4) Elias Canetti: Zaslepení. Praha, Prostor 1998 (orig. 1935). 5) Witold Gombrowicz: Ferdydurke. Praha, Torst 1997 (orig. 1937). 6) Thomas Bernhard: Wittgensteinův synovec. Praha, Prostor 2005 (orig. 1982). 7) Imre Kertész: Člověk bez osudu. Praha, Academia 2003 (orig. 1975). 8) Danilo Kiš: Hrobka pro Borise Davidoviće. Praha, Mladá fronta 1995 (orig. 1976). 9) Péter Nádas: Dům paní Kláry. Praha, Mladá fronta 2003 (orig. 1979). 10) Ádám Bodor: Návrat k sově. Praha, Dauphin 2008 (orig. 1992). 11) Andrzej Stasiuk: Haličské povídky. Olomouc, Periplum 2001 (orig. 1995). 12) Jurij Andruchovyč: Rekreace aneb Slavnosti Vzkříšeného Ducha. Olomouc, Burian a Tichák 2006 (orig. 1992). 13) Credit session: 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 main objective of the course is to provide students with a deeper insight into the 20th-century Central European literary space and to develop their interpretative skills through the reading and analysis of pivotal works. The course aims to explore the historical, cultural, and linguistic diversity of this region, as well as to identify its shared themes or topoi, which include the collapse of traditional values, the trauma of the Holocaust, the crisis of the subject, the phenomenon of exile, and multilingual identity. By interpreting texts by key authors across the entire century (from Franz Kafka and Elias Canetti to Yuri Andrukhovych), students will acquire practical tools for the analysis of narrative works while simultaneously gaining the necessary broader literary-historical context, which will serve them in achieving a much more nuanced understanding of the development of Czech literature itself.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will gain a comprehensive overview of the development and specific characteristics of 20th-century Central European prose. They will be able to characterize the key literary tendencies of this region and demonstrate knowledge of pivotal works by selected authors. In terms of practical skills, students will be capable of independently interpreting and critically analyzing demanding narrative texts with regard to their historical, cultural, and linguistic context. Furthermore, they will be able to identify shared Central European themes or topoi (such as the trauma of the Holocaust, the crisis of the subject, or exile) and apply this knowledge to achieve a deeper understanding of the development of Czech literature itself. Ultimately, they will acquire the ability to argue persuasively and clearly formulate their own interpretive conclusions within scholarly academic discussions.
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Prerequisites
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Basic knowledge of 20th-century Czech literature.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Student performance, Seminar Work
Reading of at least 6 prose texts included in the seminar schedule. Active participation in the seminars (a maximum of 3 absences is permitted). Preparation of 1 written presentation.
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Recommended literature
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GOMBROWICZ, Witold. Vzpomínky na Polsko. Olomouc. 2001.
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HRABAL, Jiří (ed.). Cenzura v literatuře a umění střední Evropy. Olomouc. 2014.
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HRABAL, Jiří (ed.). Role středoevropského spisovatele-intelektuála ve zlomových okamžicích dějin. Olomouc. 2018.
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HRABAL, Jiří (ed.). Rozpad Rakouska-Uherska a jeho důsledky pro středoevropské literatury a kultury. Olomouc. 2019.
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KERTÉSZ, Imre. Vyhnaný jazyk. Bratislava, Kalligram 2003.
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MAGRIS, Claudio. Daleko odkud: Joseph Roth a východožidovská tradice. Praha, Sefer 2010.
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MAGRIS, Claudio. Habsburský mýtus v moderní rakouské literatuře. Praha, Triáda 2001.
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MILOSZ, Czesław. Rodná Evropa. Olomouc. 1997.
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Pechar, Jiří. (1999). Dvacáté století v zrcadle literatury. Praha.
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TRÁVNÍČEK, Jiří (ed.). V kleštích dějin. Střední Evropa jako pojem a problém. Brno, Host 2009.
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