Print syllabusWHAT IF Nazi Germany won? Alternate histories of the Second World War in academic studies, prose fiction and film
General data
| Course ID: | 3301-LB2036 |
| Erasmus code / ISCED: |
09.202
|
| Course title: | WHAT IF Nazi Germany won? Alternate histories of the Second World War in academic studies, prose fiction and film |
| Name in Polish: | CO BY BYŁO GDYBY nazistowskie Niemcy zwyciężyły? Alternatywne wersje drugiej wojny światowej w pracach historycznych, prozie i filmie |
| Organizational unit: | Institute of English Studies |
| Course groups: |
(in Polish) Fakultatywne przedmioty dla studiów dziennych z literatury brytyjskiej |
| ECTS credit allocation (and other scores): |
(not available)
|
| Language: | English |
| Type of course: | elective courses |
| Mode: | Classroom |
| Short description: |
Course for MA level students. The aim of this course is the study of the phenomenon of alternate histories of the Second World War which have become one of the most vivid examples of a re-assessment of the functions of history during the so-called "Entertainment Revolution." |
| Full description: |
Course for MA level students. The aim of this course is the study of the phenomenon of alternate histories of the Second World War which have become one of the most vivid examples of a re-assessment of the functions of history during the so-called "Entertainment Revolution." The topics for discussion will include the defining characteristics of alternate history as genre, the impact of postmodernism, the issue of historical "truth" in academic re-writings of the war, a comparison of novel and film in their capacity to generate a credible alternate reality, the differences in national approaches to the re-imagining of the Second World (e.g. British, American and German examples of alternate histories), the attitudes to the Third Reich in the context of a cultural "normalization" of the subject of Nazi Germany. We will also attempt to define the document in relation to history, in the context of the purposes of speculation in historical analyses of the past. |
| Bibliography: |
LITERATURE/FILM Katherine Burdekin Swastika Night Kevin Brownlow (dir.) It Happened Here Channel Islands Occupied (documentary film about an actual occupation) Hitler’s Britain (documentary about an occupation that never took place) Len Deighton SS-GB SS-GB mini-series 2017 Robert Harris Fatherland Fatherland (dir. Christoper Menaul) Murray Davies Collaborator Inglorious Basterds dir. Quentin Tarantino Philip K. Dick The Man in the High Castle The Man in the High Castle, TV series 2015, Frank Spotnitz Daniel Quinn, After Dachau Stephen Fry Making History Polish versions of alternate histories CONTEXTS The Empty Mirror (1996) dir. Barry J. Hershey Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) dir. Christian Duguay Der Untergang, / The Downfall (2004) dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel Mein Kampf / Dawn of Evil - Rise of the Reich (2009) dir. Urs Odermatt Er ist wieder da / Look Who's Back (2015) dir. David Wnendt (novel by Timur Vermes) Jojo Rabbit (2019) dir. Taika Waititi SECONDARY SOURCES Niall Ferguson, “Introduction” to Virtual History: Alternatives and Counterfactuals: “Towards Chaohistory” Richard J. Evans „Wishful Thinking” (Altered Pasts) Karen Hellekson The Alternate History: Refiguring Historical Time Gavriel D. Rosenfeld „Introduction” to The World Hitler Never Made: Alternate History and the Memory of Nazism Gavriel D. Rosenfeld Hi Hitler! How the Nazi Past is Being Normalized in Contemporary Culture Gavriel D. Rosenfeld The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present Susan Sontag “Fascinating Fascism” (Under the Sign of Saturn Michael Rothberg, “Introduction” to Multidirectional Memory: Remembering the Holocaust in the Age of Decolonization Daniel Goldhagen Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust |
| Learning outcomes: |
Knowledge: the graduate will be able to Identify and characterize on an advanced level the place and status of literary and culture studies within the humanities Describe on an advanced level the current trends in literary and cultural studies research within English studies Characterize on an advanced level the principles of research design in literary and culture studies with special focus on the application of methods and tools in formulating research problems identify the notions and principles pertinent to intellectual property and copyright Abilities: the graduate is able to Apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to the discipline (literary and culture studies) Apply advanced research methodology within literary and culture studies and English studies, respecting ethical norms and copyright law Apply knowledge obtained during the course of studies to account for and solve a problem, thereby completing a research task related to the discipline literary studies and/or culture studies Analyze literary and cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis in the context of societal and historical factors on an advanced level Discern alternative methodological paradigms within a discipline Find information in various sources and critically assess its usefulness for research related to the topic of the MA project Social competences: the graduate is ready to Apply knowledge and skills obtained during the course of studies to undertake lifelong learning, as well as personal and professional development Take responsibility for performing one’s professional duties, with due respect for the work of others, obey and develop the ethical norms in professional and academic settings related to the disciplines included on the curriculum of English studies Assess critically one’s own knowledge and skills related to the studies Value cultural heritage and cultural diversity as well as individual opinions English competence B2+ level |
| Assessment methods and assessment criteria: |
20% of absences is allowed. Final grade on the basis of an academic essay. Retake on the basis of a revised version of the academic essay. |
Copyright by University of Warsaw.
