Mediating the Troubles. Northern Irish Literature and Culture

Kursbeschreibung / -kommentar

This seminar examines a number of texts concerned with the situation in Northern Ireland between 1969 and more recent times, a period often referred to as “the troubles”. This term hardly captures the complexities of the conflict along religious and political lines nor does it account sufficiently for the human sacrifices and the pain suffered in both Catholic and Protestant communities in the “six counties”. Despite the official termination of open and armed conflict with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the historical experience of the last 40 years continues to have an impact on life in the North. In the course of the seminar, we will therefore investigate how various forms of cultural expression have contributed to “mediate” the conflict, often telling stories of individuals caught up between the lines. Among the material considered will be two novels (Bernard MacLaverty’s Cal, 1983 and Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark, 1996), two plays (Mary Jones’ A Night in November, 1994 and Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore, 2001) and two films (Paul Greengrass’ Bloody Sunday, 2001 and Terry Loane’s Mickybo and Me, 2004).
Primary Reading:
Students wishing to take this course are advised to start familiarizing themselves with the above-mentioned texts in preparation for the seminar.
Suggested Secondary Reading:
A course bibliography and a semester apparatus will be made available at the beginning of the course. For preparatory reading, see, for example: McKittrick, David. Making Sense of the Troubles. Penguin, 2001.
Assessment: Regular and active participation, an expert session and a term paper
2 Kreditpunkte: Expert session and book/play/film review
5 Kreditpunkte: Expert session and exam
7 Kreditpunkte: Expert session and term paper