Selected readings in Polish tailored to the academic interests of students enrolled.

This course introduces students to the representative works of Polish literature in prose and poetry. It examines the works in socio-historical context; analyzes thematic and formal elements intertextually to form a coherent understanding of the Polish literary trends in the 20th century. What is the role of Poland in the literary world? How have historical events shaped Polish sensitivity and expressive language? How does newly found independence and freedom allow for experimentation? We will start answering these questions by reading the very exciting and innovative avant-garde writers, who broke all the rules and made fun of old conventions. Then we will look at looming fear of fascism and catastrophic visions of the future which turned out to be very prophetic. Inevitably, the course will focus on literature born out of the World War II trauma and the Holocaust. We will consider how these experiences were different for Polish citizens from different ethnic backgrounds, and how they influenced the Polish national psyche for decades to come. Finally we will move to the communist era marked by censorship and some inventive ways to circumvent the limits established by the ruling party. Among others, we will read works of three Nobel laureates, Czesław Miłosz (1980), Wisława Szymborska (1996) and Olga Tokarczuk (2018). Student engagement will be an integral component of this course. No Polish Language knowledge required. All readings in English. Additional credit (1unit of independent studies) available for readings in Polish.

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Requirements class fulfills