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Poslední úprava: doc. PhDr. Jiří Vykoukal, CSc. (11.02.2019)
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Poslední úprava: PhDr. Richard Olehla, Ph.D. (13.02.2019)
The main goal of this subject is to introduce topics and points of discussion that American literature and society have defined in texts following and related to the most important historic date of the 21st century in the USA, that is 9/11/2001. Another goal of the subject is to improve students' speaking and critical argumentation skills. |
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Poslední úprava: PhDr. Richard Olehla, Ph.D. (13.02.2019)
- regular attendance (max. 3 absences per term) - homework and activity in classes (discussions will be held on the texts which the students will be required to read before each class) - term essay (4 pages; 1200 words)
The final grade will be awarded on the following system: - 30% attendance - 20% activity in classes - 50% term essay Each of the above mentioned criteria will be assessed from A to F, and the final grade will be constructed from the three grades taking into account their relative weight. All results higher than 51 % will be assessed as Pass, whereas any result lower than 51 % will be assessed as Fail. For more information about the use of the grading scale at FSV UK, please see Dean's Provision No. 17/2018: https://www.fsv.cuni.cz/opatreni-dekanky-c-172018aj. |
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Poslední úprava: PhDr. Richard Olehla, Ph.D. (22.02.2019)
Some of the materials are available online or can be downloaded from the SIS. All fiction to be discussed is available as English e-books online, or widely available in Czech translation on sale or in public libraries.
Primary sources: Amis, Martin. "The Last Days of Muhammad Atta," The New Yorker, April, 2006, (short story) Auster, Paul. Man in the Dark. Henry Holt, 2009. (novel) DeLillo, Don. Cosmopolis. Scribner, 2003. (novel) DeLillo, Don. Falling Man. Scribner, 2007. (novel) DeLillo, Don. „In the Ruins of the Future“. Harper`s Magazine, December 2001, s. 33–40. (essay) Sontag, Susan. „The Talk of the Town“. The New Yorker, 2001, Vol. 32, 24 Sept 2001. (essay) Updike, John. Terrorist. Alfred J. Knopf, 2006. (novel)
Secondary sources: Bercovitch, Sacvan. „The Myth of America“. Litteraria Pragensia, 2003, Vol. 13, No. 25, s. 1–17. Borradori, Giovanna. Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. University of Chicago Press, 2003 Joffe, Josef. Überpower: The Rise of Antiamerianism. WW Norton, 2006. Kamp, David. "Rethinking the American Dream". Vanity Fair, April 2009. Available online at: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/04/american-dream200904 Procházka, Martin. „Apocalypticism in American Cultural History 2: Revelations of the Other“. Litteraria Pragensia, 2005, Vol. 15, No. 30, s. 79–106. Sandhu, Sukhdev. "Aliens and Other: The Desolation of Manhattan". London Review of Books. 4 October 2001. Available online at: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v23/n19/sukhdev-sandhu/aliens-and-others |
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Poslední úprava: PhDr. Richard Olehla, Ph.D. (13.02.2019)
In the seminar, students will be required to read texts for each seminar. A short introduction of the topics from weekly readings will be offered at the start of the class. Students will then discuss the topics of the weekly readings. The seminar is the most suitable teaching method for developping discussion and argumentation skills, especially related to critical reading skills. The course completion requirements mirror these, as the final essay requires good critical writing skills, which are formed as a result of the ongoing process of discussion and argumentation. |
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Poslední úprava: doc. PhDr. Jiří Vykoukal, CSc. (11.02.2019)
Essays are due on 27 May 2019. Later submissions will not be accepted.
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Poslední úprava: doc. PhDr. Jiří Vykoukal, CSc. (11.02.2019)
Class plan Week Date Topic, Text 1 22 Feb 19 orientation / introductory class 2 1 Mar 19 Founding myths: Sacvan Bercovitch - The Myth of America (essay) 3 8 Mar 19 Apocalypticism: Martin Procházka - Apocalypticism in American Cultural History (essay) 4 15 Mar 19 Megalopolis: Don DeLillo - Cosmopolis (novel) 5 22 Mar 19 Political correctness: Don DeLillo - In the Ruins of the Future (essay) 6 29 Mar 19 Political correctness: Susan Sontag - The Talk of the Town (essay) 7 5 Apr 19 Writing about the Other: Don DeLillo - Falling Man (novel) 8 12 Apr 19 Fear and Loathing: Giovanna Borradori - A Philosophy in the Time of Terror (interview with Jacques Derrida) 9 19 Apr 19 no class (Easter Friday) 10 26 Apr 19 American Dream: David Kamp - Rethinking the American Dream (article) Antiamericanism: Josef Joffe - Uberpower: The Rise of Antiamericanism (book chapter; pp. 55-59) essay topics due 11 3 May 19 Being the Other: Sukhdev Sandhu - Aliens and Others (article) Martin Amis - The Last Days of Muhammad Atta (short story) 12 10 May 19 Being the Other: John Updike - Terrorist (novel) 13 17 May 19 What to do now: Paul Auster - Man in the Dark (novel) closing session, discussion over students` essays |