Seminar: (Re-) Reading Moby Dick - Details

Seminar: (Re-) Reading Moby Dick - Details

Allgemeine Informationen

Veranstaltungsname Seminar: (Re-) Reading Moby Dick
Untertitel
Semester WiSe 2026/27
Aktuelle Anzahl der Teilnehmenden 19
Heimat-Einrichtung Institut für Anglistik
Veranstaltungstyp Seminar in der Kategorie Lehre
Nächster Termin Donnerstag, 15.10.26, 08:00 - 10:00 Uhr Phil. I, B 410

Räume und Zeiten

Phil. I, B 410

  • Donnerstag, 08:00 - 10:00, wöchentlich (ab dem 15.10.26)

Informationen für das eVV

Studienbereiche/Modulzuordnungen

Kommentar/Beschreibung

When it was published in 1851, Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick was a far cry from a commercial or critical success – many of its contemporary readers simply didn't know what to make of this strange, bulky book. Today, Moby-Dick is widely considered to be one of the "Great American Novels". In bibliographic databases and library catalogues, you'll be hard-pressed to find any other American novel that has generated more secondary literature.

To come to terms with its belated significance and ongoing relevance, this class is dedicated to (re-)reading just this one literary work: Moby-Dick. Throughout the semester, we will go through it bit by bit, immersing ourselves in its many themes, historical contexts, formal structures, and genres. In addition, we will familiarize ourselves with a variety of critical approaches, including recent works in eco-criticism, post- and decolonial approaches, feminist and queer readings, critical race studies, and world literature, among others.

Prerequisites: Students in this class should be capable of, and willing to, delve into such an extensive and complex work with the necessary depth and perseverance. Reading Moby-Dick is a marathon, not a sprint. Be prepared for an experience of slow reading. Familiarity with 19th-century (American) literature is beneficial but not a requirement. We're all at sea.

Requirements: All students are expected to give an oral presentation (ca. 20 minutes, followed by a discussion) that thoroughly introduces a specific critical approach to the novel.

For the sake of referenceability, it is crucial that all participants have a copy of the Oxford World's Classics edition of the novel (2022, ed. Hester Blum, ca. €10). Further material will be provided via StudIP.

Anmeldemodus

Die Auswahl der Teilnehmenden wird nach der Eintragung manuell vorgenommen.

Nutzer/-innen, die sich für diese Veranstaltung eintragen möchten, erhalten nähere Hinweise und können sich dann noch gegen eine Teilnahme entscheiden.