The Naked Truth: Dissolution and Crisis in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna
Course Description German 351 / LIT 298A/ Glits 315C
This course is taught in English. All readings and discussions will be conducted in English.
How was gender portrayed in Vienna 1900, and what did people do to resist and undercut rigid definitions and stereotypes? Why were healthy expressions of sexuality forbidden during this time? How does a society react when their stable, comfortable world begins to collapse? What do you do when language fails and you can no longer describe your thoughts and feelings?
This course, The Naked Truth: Crisis and Dissolution in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna, seeks to hold up a mirror to Vienna at the turn of the century, examine these urgent questions and use them as a lens to understand contemporary society.
Course Objectives:
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To examine the foundations of the various literary and artistic movements of fin-de-siècle Vienna and the social and cultural context in which they emerged.
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To introduce the predominant themes of fin-de-siècle Vienna: sexuality, gender, crisis of identity and language, decadence, death and psychology.
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To make students aware of the traditions of modernity in Austrian literature and art.
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To strengthen students’ strategies for interpreting literary texts and visual works.
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To improve critical thinking skills through a comparative and interdisciplinary examination of art, film and literature.