Course Outline for English 48
The Literature of the Holocaust

Effective: Fall 2022
SLO Rev: 05/19/2016
Catalog Description:

ENGL 48 - The Literature of the Holocaust

3.00 Units

Explores the literature of the Holocaust through readings in a variety of genres including memoir, essays, fiction, poetry, and film. Historically and culturally contextualizes the literature and examines the implications of writing which attempts to represent the Nazi genocide against the Jews.
1501.00 - English
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. identify the different kinds of Holocaust literature, as well as the similarities and differences between this literature and other “topical” literature;
  2. discuss when these works appeared, how they have evolved, and why they were first—and continue to be—written;
  3. demonstrate familiarity with the structures of the works studied and identify techniques such as irony, analogy, metaphor, allusion, and satire as common to the works read;
  4. recognize the diversity of the literature while identifying common themes (including the problems posed by a fiction which re-imagines an inconceivably harsh reality);
  5. demonstrate understanding of the various ways the literature represents its subject matter depending on the culture and time within which it was produced.
Course Content:
  1. Critical Reading and Viewing
    1. Close reading of course texts and close viewing of course films.
    2. Analyzing texts and films in terms of content and form, with attention to themes, styles, author, purpose, audience, and contexts.
    3. Identifying patterns and contrasts within individual works and across multiple works studied in the course.
    4. Developing observations and questions about explicit and implicit ideas in course texts.
  2. Literature and Literary Analysis
    1. Literary works reflecting the themes, structures, and strategies used in Holocaust literature.
    2. Representative sample of literary works, including
      1. fiction
      2. poetry
      3. essays
      4. memoirs
      5. diaries
      6. graphic novels.
    3. Understanding of elements of literature, including
      1. point of view
      2. setting
      3. plot
      4. theme
      5. character and characterization
      6. structure (narrative, poetic, etc.)
      7. diction
      8. figurative language
      9. description
      10. exposition
      11. tone and mood
      12. symbolism.
  3. Film and Film Analysis
    1. Filmic works reflecting the themes, structures, and strategies used in Holocaust films.
    2. Representative sample of filmic works, including:
      1. documentary film
      2. essay film
      3. narrative film.
    3. Understanding of the elements of filmmaking, including
      1. camera (movement, focus, angle, depth)
      2. visual composition
      3. sound design (sound effects, music)
      4. dialogue and narration
      5. costume
      6. setting and staging
      7. lighting
      8. editing
      9. structure.
  4. Historical Contexts
    1. Supplemental materials providing historical context about the Holocaust and the literary works studied.
  5. Theoretical and Thematic Contexts
    1. Supplemental materials providing thematic and theoretical contexts related to the Holocaust, including but not limited to the following areas:
      1. antisemitism
      2. racism
      3. genocide studies
      4. trauma studies
      5. gender studies
      6. Family and child development
      7. Humanism
      8. Human Rights philosophies and laws
      9. media studies of representation and stereotype
      10. Humor studies.
  6. Writing and Discussion
    1. Writing of essays, journal entries, online discussion posts, and long-answer quizzes.
    2. Developing analysis based on evidence from course texts and films.
    3. Making comparisons and conclusions across multiple works from the course.
    4. Drawing connections between creative works and secondary source material about historical, thematic, and theoretical contexts.
    5. Utilizing the writing process (pre-writing, planning, writing, revision) to compose effective literary and film analysis writing.
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Films
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Distance Education
  4. Class and group discussions
  5. Lectures on literary, philosophical, and historical representations of the Nazi Holocaust
  6. Readings from a variety of literary works
  7. Small group collaborative learning
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Research, write, and audio record a short presentation on a research topic to provide background context for a piece of Holocaust literature.
  2. Write an analysis of how Primo Levi reflects on his Holocaust experience to introduce philosophical ideas and arguments in Levi's memoir Survival in Auschwitz.
  3. Write a 7 to 10 page essay on a literary representation of the Holocaust
  4. Write a one page summary of This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen
  1. Quizzes
  2. Home Work
  3. Journals
  4. Essays
  5. Midterm Examination
  6. Final Examination
  7. Written exercises
  8. Oral Presentation
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. The student should be able to evaluate the relationships between film and literary representations of the Nazi Holocaust
  2. The student should be able to evaluate and analyze the role poetry from different times and cultures assumes in coming to terms with the Nazi Holocaust
  3. The student should be able to recognize different generes and styles in Holocaust Literature and their similarities with and differences from other "topical" writing.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Borowski, T. (1992). This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Penguin.
  2. Ozick, C. (1990). The Shawl Vintage.
  3. Levi, P. (1996). Survival in Auschwitz Simon and Schuster.
  4. Spiegelman, A. (1996). The Complete Maus Pantheon.
  5. Safran Foer, J. (2015). Everything Is Illuminated Mariner Books.
  6. Friedlander, S. (1992). Probing the Limits of Representation Harvard University Press.
  7. Mehmedinovic, S (2001). Sarajevo Blues City Lights.
  8. Schiff, H. (1996). Holocaust Poetry St. Martins Griffin.
  9. Horn, D. (2021). People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present WW Norton.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Explores the literature of the Holocaust through readings in a variety of genres including memoir, essays, fiction, poetry, and film.
Discipline:
English*