1378.21 - The novel "The Magic Mountain" (Der Zauberberg) (BA)


Course number
1378.21
Title
The novel "The Magic Mountain" (Der Zauberberg) (BA)
ECTS
5
Prerequisites
Students must have completed the required core component of the BA in Faroese or hold an equivalent qualification. This course may also be completed as an individual course subject to other prerequisites (please refer to the Degree Programme in force).
Purpose
The aim is to read and discuss the novel The Magic Mountain from a philosophical perspective.
Content
Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) by German author Thomas Mann is considered one of the great novels of the 20th century. In form it is, ostensibly, a Bildungsroman, but could also be viewed as an ingenious caricature of this genre. The narrative is set at a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps. The protagonist, Hans Castorp, intends to pay a relative a short visit, but ends up staying for seven years. Over this period, the reader gains detailed insight into this microcosm in the mountain. Ultimately, the reader follows him into the battlefield of World War I. In its contents, Der Zauberberg addresses timeless topics, such as life and death, love and lust, time and the passing of time, and not least art. In parallel, ideals such as humanism and totalitarianism are pitted against each other and turned on their head. In this course, the work will be placed in the context of the history of ideas and interpreted from a philosophical perspective. Faroese texts, which content-wise touch on the same questions as Der Zauberberg, will also be read.
Learning and teaching approaches
Lectures, student presentations and discussions.
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete the course can demonstrate ability to: • Read and discuss literature and philosophical texts in analytical academic terms • Work with concepts and definitions • Analyse literature and philosophy and the potential connections between the two • Discuss in a structured manner philosophical questions posed in literature • Explain aspects of the history of philosophy, which are relevant to Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain).
Assessment method
Oral examination with 30-minute preparation time.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
Adaptations and short texts may also be added: Mann, Thomas: Der Zauberberg, 1924 Dowden, D.: A Companion to Thomas Mann´s The Magic Mountain 1999 Heinesen, J.P.: Thomas Mann. From Tíðarkjarr. Hugleiðingar, 1998.
Contact
Jógvan Dalbø Hansen