In this course we will trace the different positions on realism in fiction from the romance/novel debate of the late 17th century to the Modernist rejection of the late Victorian ‘materialists’ and beyond. This historical survey, which will acquaint us with changing notions of what constitutes literary ‘reality’, will be complemented with contemporary theories of fiction.
While the seminar will focus on these conceptual and theoretical aspects, the Lektürekurs will be dedicated to literary examples to establish a dialogue between theory and novelistic practice.
Reading:
Walter F. Greiner and Fritz Kemmler, eds., Realismustheorien in England(1692-1919): Texte zur historischen Dimension der englischen Realismusdebatte (Tübingen: Narr).
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews (1742);
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