Heart of Europe: Poland in the Twentieth Century (261-0-1)
Instructors
Clare A Cavanagh
847/467-2360
1880 Campus Dr. (Kresge) Office 3222
Office Hours: Wednesdays 2-3pm
Meeting Info
University Hall 121: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
Over the last century, Poland has undergone an extraordinary range of transformations and traumas: the end of partition among three empires (Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian) leading to the brief period of interwar independence; Nazi conquest, and the virtual elimination of Poland's Jewish population; Soviet subjugation; Solidarity and the revolt against Soviet rule; martial law; and in 1989, independence once again. Poland's shifting borders and the complex history and politics they represent provide a unique point of entry into modern European history. In this course, we will explore the distinctive ways in which history and culture combine in a colonized nation at Europe's heart by way of novels, films, essays, memoirs, journalism, and poetry. Authors to be read will include Nobel Laureates Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, and Olga Tokarczuk.
Learning Objectives
"Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students should be able to
• Analyze a wide range of literary works through careful close reading in cultural context
• Construct an effective argument with appropriate evidence derived from literary texts
• Understand key periods in modern Polish history and culture, and their continuing significance in Europe and the world today
• Examine the role of literature and the arts in creating, sustaining and challenging national identity on the example of modern Poland"
Class Materials (Required)
Czeslaw Milosz, The Captive Mind (Vintage, 1999) 0679728562
Witold Gombrowicz, Ferdydurke (Yale, 2012) 0300181671
All other readings on Canvas
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area