| Course title | Selected chapters from American literature 2 |
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| Course code | KAA/KAL2 |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminar |
| Level of course | Master |
| Year of study | not specified |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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Course outline: Genre literature may be regarded as substandard, trivial, and sometimes even as trash, but it is the literature that most readers enjoy, and it does in its own way deal with pertinent problems and questions. Vampire stories ? and movies ? are no exception, and in this seminar, we will follow the figure of the nightwalker through the centuries, starting with the vampire in folklore and then moving on to the more recent incarnations (if that should be the correct word for someone who is undead). In each section we will read one short story and one novel and also discuss one movie, starting with John Polidori?s ?The Vampyre? and Bram Stoker?s Dracula (the novel and Francis Ford Coppola?s film). In the following section we will read C.L. Moore?s SF story ?Shambleau? and Anne Rice?s Interview with the Vampire; the movie will be Let the Right One In. In the final section we will probably read the comic A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and watch the movie Sinners. I have not yet decided on the novel. It could be Dead Until Dark, the first volume of Charlaine Harris?s Sookie Stackhouse series. We can discuss the assignment for that section in October ? I am open to suggestions. Digital versions of the texts will be available in Moodle. I will bring digital copies of the movies when I come to Olomouc in October ? bring a device to download the movies in the fist session. Be prepared to watch Coppola?s Dracula either prior to the first section or on Thursday evening so that we can discuss it on Friday. I will also show the movies each Thursday evening for those who still remember that once upon a time watching movies was a social activity.
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
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| Learning outcomes |
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Topic: Vampires. Exploring the History of a Nightwalker, winter semester 2026 The BLOCK course will be taught by Prof. Dirk Vanderbeke (Friedrich Schiller University Jena). Dates: The twelve lessons will be distributed across the following three blocks: 15-16 October 2026 12-13 November 2026 3-4 December 2026 Each block includes: ? 2 sessions on Thursday (15:00?18:15) ? 2 sessions on Friday (9:45?13:00) Course outline: Genre literature may be regarded as substandard, trivial, and sometimes even as trash, but it is the literature that most readers enjoy, and it does in its own way deal with pertinent problems and questions. Vampire stories ? and movies ? are no exception, and in this seminar, we will follow the figure of the nightwalker through the centuries, starting with the vampire in folklore and then moving on to the more recent incarnations (if that should be the correct word for someone who is undead). In each section we will read one short story and one novel and also discuss one movie, starting with John Polidori?s ?The Vampyre? and Bram Stoker?s Dracula (the novel and Francis Ford Coppola?s film). In the following section we will read C.L. Moore?s SF story ?Shambleau? and Anne Rice?s Interview with the Vampire; the movie will be Let the Right One In. In the final section we will probably read the comic A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and watch the movie Sinners. I have not yet decided on the novel. It could be Dead Until Dark, the first volume of Charlaine Harris?s Sookie Stackhouse series. We can discuss the assignment for that section in October ? I am open to suggestions. Digital versions of the texts will be available in Moodle. I will bring digital copies of the movies when I come to Olomouc in October ? bring a device to download the movies in the fist session. Be prepared to watch Coppola?s Dracula either prior to the first section or on Thursday evening so that we can discuss it on Friday. I will also show the movies each Thursday evening for those who still remember that once upon a time watching movies was a social activity.
The ability of students to compose a critical text in the English language dealing with the chosen literary text. |
| Prerequisites |
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Only students who have taken the Introduction to the Study of Literature (or an equivalent) are eligible.
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Essay
Requirements: Reading, attendance, active participation. Credits will be obtained by writing a short term paper (8-10 pages). The use of AI is not permitted. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English for Translators and Interpreters (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2024) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English for Translators and Interpreters (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2020) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): English Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |