851-0309-15L  Thomas Mann's Last Novel: "Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull"

SemesterAutumn Semester 2016
Lecturersnot available
Periodicitynon-recurring course
CourseDoes not take place this semester.
Language of instructionGerman
CommentNumber of participants limited to 20


Abstract"Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull" was published in 1954, one year before Thomas Mann's death. This humorous autobiography of a confidence man was and is often considered a somewhat lightweight work, intellectually inferior to Mann's more earnest and more celebrated output. By contrast, this seminar will seek to elucidate the novel's manifold discursive and knowledge-based contexts.
Learning objective- Students read and discuss the "Bekenntnisse"
- Students familiarize themselves with the critical technique of 'close reading'
- The seminar establishes current and well-founded research perspectives on Mann's novel, preferably from the context of the history of knowledge and the history of idea. Approaches from the fields of gender studies, discourse analysis and other areas will also be considered