Niklas Kroeger kicked off our Short Story Seminars with his selection, "Die drei dunklen Koenige" (1946) by Wolfgang Borchert, a story whose title translated into English as "The Three Dark Kings" became a topic of much class debate. Christine remarked that this was "one of the saddest stories" she had read in a long time. We learned about post-WWII Germany and the genre of "rubble" literature which emerged from the wreckage, discussing the child in the story as a symbol of the new life emerging from the sad darkness of the war. We learned about Borchert's horrific experiences during the war and his tragic death at the age of 26, recognizing how his experiences informed his writing. Niklas's questions were thought-provoking, leading us to analyze the rich symbolism in the story and even to compare and contrast the message of the story with that of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." Also, having already studied literature about war in class ("War" by Luigi Pirandello, a short story set at the time of WWI; the poem"Dulce et Decorum Est," written during WWI by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier who died in combat; and "Village," a short story by Estela Portillo Trambley, set in the Vietnam War), we were able to empathize with the characters and voice our interpretations of the story with conviction. Thank you, Niklas, for sharing this poignant piece with us.The next day, Christianne Lima conducted a dynamic seminar on "The Hen" (1964), by the brilliant and mysterious Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, another story whose titl
e's translation into English was suspect and thus a topic of discussion. Chris shared with us many details from her wealth of knowledge of the author's fascinating life. She designed our discussion questions with insight and led our discussion gracefully, calling on participants to share their interpretations of this allegorical tale in which the hen can be viewed as a symbol of women and the plight of the hen as a mirror of the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. Chris asked us to compare Sherwood Anderson's "The Egg" with Lispector's "The Hen," which led us to some interesting conclusions about the difference in the symbolism in the two tales. Thank you, Chris, for creating such a lively atmosphere for the free exchange of ideas in your seminar.
e's translation into English was suspect and thus a topic of discussion. Chris shared with us many details from her wealth of knowledge of the author's fascinating life. She designed our discussion questions with insight and led our discussion gracefully, calling on participants to share their interpretations of this allegorical tale in which the hen can be viewed as a symbol of women and the plight of the hen as a mirror of the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. Chris asked us to compare Sherwood Anderson's "The Egg" with Lispector's "The Hen," which led us to some interesting conclusions about the difference in the symbolism in the two tales. Thank you, Chris, for creating such a lively atmosphere for the free exchange of ideas in your seminar. 
No comments:
Post a Comment