Prison Writing in Germany: Fiction and Reality (U04108)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-4-U04108

This course investigates non-fictional writing by those with experience of prison in Germany and fictional writing about the prison experience. We shall ask what the function of writing for prisoners is, from the Nazi period onwards - what are the writers trying to achieve when they record their experience? - and how authentic fictional accounts of prison for young offenders are, by comparison with real-life experience, which we shall study in recent interviews conducted with young offenders. On a broader level we shall be questioning the idea of crime and punishment in the social and political context.

? Keywords : German prison writing

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Honours entry. Also open to visiting students with fluent German and a background in literary studies

? Costs : Cost of primary texts for the course.

Variants

? This course has variants for part year visiting students, as follows

Prison Writing in Germany: Fiction and Reality (VS1) (Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2))

Subject Areas

Home subject area

European Languages and Cultures - German, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
22/09/2008	11:00	12:00	Room 4.01, David Hume Tower	Central	ALL 4th year students meet at this time

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Tutorial	Tuesday	16:10	18:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : Classes are held EVEN weeks only

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The course intends to sharpen understanding of prison writing and prison literature. Students will develop their knowledge of the connections between literature and society, between fiction and non-fiction, and between writing and identity. They will be encouraged to reflect on the purpose of imprisonment and on the meaning of crime and punishment in a social and literary context.