Proseminar Contemporary Tales of Fantastical Journeys

This seminar explores literary texts that tell stories of fantastical journeys. Before engaging with a selection of contemporary texts, we take some time to reconsider a literary classic, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Throughout the course, we will trace traditions of fantastical and will discuss diverse literary uses of the journey -down the rabbit hole”. Besides Carroll’s book, the main set texts are Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990), Yann Martel’s Life of Pi (2001) and Sherman Alexie’s Flight (2007). We will also discuss Maurice Sendak’s picture book classic Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and Spike Jonze’s filmic adaptation of the book (2009). Examining the set texts, we will discover that more often than not stories of fantastical travels also constitute reflections on the art of storytelling. We will debate stylistic features of the texts, common motives and characters and the cultural and discursive context of each work. On 7 July, the course will come together for a -one-day-conference” during which student groups will deliver poster presentations on a selection of other fictional journeys. Afterwards we will take a detour to the realm of filmic storytelling and engage with Tarsem Singh’s -The Fall” (2006). The course is meant to enhance the students’ understanding of current fictional journeys and to establish connections with a rich literary history of fantastical travelling. We will furthermore consider the debates around the categorization of certain books as -children’s literature” and their appeal to an adult audience. Requirements: Please attend the introductory session on 18 April, 4 pm, room R12 R04 A63. There will be two weeks for you to get started with your reading afterwards. Students should have read Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland in time for the course session on 9 May. This is a course for avid readers. The books discussed are enjoyable reading, yet you should only sign up for the course if you are prepared to cope with the full reading load. Students will be asked to submit two short written homework pieces and to prepare a poster presentation for 7 July. There will be an in-class exam on 18 July. Anglistik Universität Duisburg-Essen SS 2012 LHRGe, Lehramt an Grund-, Haupt-, Real- u. Gesamtschule, Sp Haupt-, Real-, Gesamtsch. Anglistik