Sections offered FALL 2019:
#34563 |
LUKASZ SICINSKI |
M 5:45pm-8:15pm |
GA 0005 |
CLASS NOTES: COLL (CASE) A&H Breadth of Inquiry credit; COLL (CASE) Global Civ & Culture credit. This class meets with SLAV-P 363.
What does living through a war look like from the perspective of a civilian? How do we respond to circumstances beyond our control, and how do we deal with situations that engender unsolvable moral dilemmas? Is it possible to accurately represent events that defy comprehension? What is the role of culture in times of social and political crises? Can literature and the arts be entirely free from social and political commitment? These are some of the questions that we will ask in this class. The main goal of this course is to examine literary and artistic strategies of responding to the conditions of foreign occupation, colonization, and genocide. We will discuss the role of culture in times of historical, social, and ideological upheavals, and the capability of culture to both oppose and normalize sociopolitical pressures. Special attention will be given to the existential dimension of war and freedom and to the analysis of various ways literature and the arts represent the perspective of an individual. The course examines these issues in the context of Polish culture. Course materials include literary texts, films, and reproductions of visual artworks. Knowledge of Polish language and culture is not required.