FRS 001E — Sec. 001 — (2 units) — CRN 35565 — W 7:10 - 8:00 pm — 25 Wellman
Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice”: From Fact to Fiction to Film

Instructor: John Fetzer, Department of German, College of Letters and Science

Description: Mann's novella "Death in Venice" of 1912 is considered a milestone in twentieth century German fiction. This work was based on a real and significant event in the life of the author. In 1971 Luchina Visconti directed a very interesting, but also quite controversial, screen adaptation of the work. The course will analyze the novella from the biographical and aesthetic standpoints, and then compare and contrast the cinematic version with the original text. The aim of this course is twofold: 1. to acquaint the student with methods of literary interpretation (together with some secondary criticism, contained in the edition to be used) and 2. to study film techniques and the extent to which these either represent or "re-present" the essence of the literary work.

Format: The class will meet for two hours per session. The class format will be as follows: after some introductory remarks by the instructor, the students will gather in small groups to discuss among themselves (for 10-15 minutes) written topics and questions distributed in advance at the previous session. A different student will serve as the spokesman for his group each week, and members of other groups (as well as the instructor) are encouraged to augment and expand the comments of the initial speaker. Segments of the film corresponding to the sections of the novella read for that day will be shown and discussed in class (the students will also have been assigned these portions of the film for viewing in Room 1101 Hart Hall before the class meets). Outside of class the student will be expected read carefully the assigned pages from "Death in Venice" (a text of approximately 70 pages, but very complex and intricate in style and allusion) and to watch and assess the corresponding sections of Vistonti's film. A list of themes and questions dealing with the assigned text and film will be distributed prior to each class meeting. Grading: Grading in this course will be as follows: l. the quality (and quantity) of class participation in the oral discussion portions of the class hour 50% (as both group reporter and contributions to general discussions) 2. the quality of the 3-5-page paper which they will write for the course (they will first submit an outline version of their topic which will be assessed by the instructor and returned prior to their completing the final version) (50%). On the day the students turn in their papers, they will also be asked to inform the class about their findings in a brief oral presentation).

About the Instructor: I came to Davis as an Assistant Professor of German in 1965 and remained on the active faculty until 1993 (aside from two guest professorships, one at Dartmouth in 1976 and the other at the University of Exeter, England, in 1989-90). Twice I served as Chair of the Department of German and Russian 1981-1984; 1996-1997) and for five years I was the director of the Summer Institute for German language and Culture at UC Santa Barbara. I have had three Fulbright grants and one Guggenheim Fellowship, all of which have enabled me to further my study and scholarship in Europe. My research has focused primarily on German Romantic and modern literature, with a heavy emphasis on musicoliterary ties. Since retirement, I have, aside from teaching one course each year from 1993-1997, had more time for musical pursuits: I also play tennis daily and golf weekly (some would say “weakly”), but I have also continued my research in German literature. During recent years, for instance, I have given invited lectures at Trinity College, Dublin, at the Gregoriana in the Vatican, and at the University of Karlsruhe (all these presentations have now been published). On the whole, musical composition constitutes my most cherished avocation. In addition to being a member of the Davis Community Church Choir, I also sang with the UCD Symphony and Chorus in Brahms’ “Requiem” and Beethoven’s Mass in C in recent years.