Kafka and "World Literature"

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This seminar explores aspects of Franz Kafka’s work in the context of ‘world literature’. In US academia in particular, the concept of ‘world literature’ marks a field that has experienced a great upswing in recent years. The seminar introduces central approaches from this academic field in order to apply them to selected texts by Franz Kafka as well as to central aspects of his work in general. Among other topics, constructions of authorship in a trans/national context, (re-)readings of Kafka’s work worldwide, Kafka’s situatedness in the context of German-Jewish literature, Kafka’s view of questions of ‘national literature’ and ‘minor literature’, the worldwide struggle for legitimate ownership of Kafka's literature and legacy will be examined.