GM 066 The Quest for Justice: Kafka and Kleist (Fall/Spring: 3)
Cross Listed with
EN084
Satisfies Literature Core Requirement
Offered Biennially
Conducted in English with all texts in English translation.
Counts toward
German major, German minor, and German Studies minor.
The term "poetic justice" implies that when we are wronged, literature can
put it right even if our environment cannot. In this course, we read two
of Germany's most enigmatic authors: Heinrich von Kleist and Franz Kafka.
Though hailing from two different centuries, both grapple with the task
of defining a universal standard of justice in a diverse world. Is there
really justice for all when racism and sexism inform not only our thinking
but also our social institutions? Can we ever really know what justice is,
after we realize that all human knowledge is subjective?
Rachel Freudenburg
Last Updated: 15-JAN-13