Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Tony Hughes-dAeth
2016
Pursue Impossible
A brand new unit
So, what is it?
An introduction to the literature of the world
... in 13 weeks
How are we going to do this impossible task?
Is this not a project, after all, built on a
stupendous arrogance?
That we can know the world in its entirety?
Its hard enough to know our own literature, how
can we possibly know that of others?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Concede defeat
Use concise texts
Random sampling
Contemporaneity
Thematisation
1. Concede Defeat
2. Concision
We are looking at short texts
Short novels, short stories and one play
This allows us to read carefully each week,
without feeling swamped by the texts we are
studying
And the cultures they are disclosing
3. Sampling
We are drilling down at select points into world
literature
If we just drill one hole, then it is not possible to
generalise
If we drill two and find resemblances then that
could still be coincidence
But if we drill ten holes at completely different
places and find things in common
We might be able to make inferences about global
literatures
4. Contemporaneity
Thematisation
Babel (2006)
Alejandro Irritu & Guillermo Arriaga
What stands out from this clip?
1. A sense of crisis, urgency
2. An image of the world as multiple, fragmented
3. A Biblical fall some catalytic event which cannot
be undone and which we experience as:
a. The loss of unity
b. The inability to be understood and to understand
Babel (2006)
Alejandro Irritu & Guillermo Arriaga
4. Modernity as a fulcrum the pre-modern, the postmodern
5. The repetition of a traumatic border crossing, where
our very right to exist is called into violent question
6. There appear to be different globalisations
A Global Itinerary
3 interwoven stories
Morocco, Japan, USA/Mexico
1. Yasujiro Wataya gives hunting rifle to Hassan Ibrahim
2. Hassan sells it to Abdullah the goat-herd
3. Abdullah gives it to his two sons, Yussef and Ahmed
4. Yussef shoots Susan Jones (Cate Blanchett)
5. The Joneses (Blanchett and Brad Pitt) cant return
as planned to California
A Global Itinerary
6. Amelia (their maid) has to take the two Jones children
to Mexico
7. As a consequence she is deported and her nephew,
presumably, imprisoned
Reading Globally
What now?
What now?
2. Start reading Where Angels Fear to Tread (150
pages long)
We need you to have it finished by next week
3. Go to LMS and check it out
Particularly Weekly Learning Material: has
little introductions to each week, as well as
reading materials
Thanks, and see you on Wednesday morning!