Intendierte Lernergebnisse
Students will gain an understanding of the diversity and complexities of contemporary multi-version narratives. Through selected texts (novels, films, series) and their systematic analysis, they will be able to critically work with concepts and terminology of (postclassical) narrative theory. Additionally, they will learn about notions such as the multiverse, forking-path plots, and the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, in relation to contemporary U.S. and global cultures. Students will further develop their skills in the systematic analysis of literature and film, and advance their competence in interpreting texts within their specific socio-cultural and historical contexts.
Lehrmethodik
This course is designed to emphasize in-class student participation. Teaching methods include short input lectures, oral presentations by students, in-class exploration of theoretical and primary texts through close textual analysis and group discussion. One part of classwork will involve a short response paper on one panel of the AAAS 2023 Conference “Versions of America: Speculative Pasts, Presents, Futures,” which takes place at the University of Klagenfurt from 20-22 October 2023.
Inhalt/e
The sense that our lives unfold in uncertain ways that allow for a multiplicity of outcomes is reflected in a proliferation of texts of the past two decades that tell their stories in more than one version. While what-if thinking seems as old as humanity, our focus in this class will be, through narrative theory, specifically on the ways in which contemporary literary and cultural productions address the what-if question anew. We will examine what we mean by “version,” “versionality,” and “multi-version narrative,” but also explore notions such as the multiverse, time travel, forking paths, and the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Our central aim is to investigate how key features of our texts and their play with plot, character conception, and temporal structures functions to develop new forms of narrative that reflect contemporary cultural contexts. We turn to a variety of recent multi-version texts including novels by Paul Auster, Kate Atkinson, and Erin Kate Ryan, as well as (excerpts from) movies and series (e.g. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (2022); Russian Doll (2019)), to examine how their narrative techniques comment on notions of contingency, causality, and chance, and to address the philosophical and socio-political potentials of their forms of versionality. As part of this class, students will be invited to attend panel sessions of the AAAS 2023 Conference “Versions of America: Speculative Pasts, Presents, Futures,” which takes place at the University of Klagenfurt in October 2023.
Literatur
Required texts (Please purchase!)Paul Auster. 4321. Any edition.Kate Atkinson. Life after Life. Any edition.Erin Kate Ryan. Quantum Girl Theory. Any edition.All other texts will be made available by the course instructor.