Marianne T Stecher Hansen
The study of literary representations (fiction, memoirs, and personal narratives) dealing with World War II and the occupation of the Nordic and Baltic countries. Offered: jointly with SCAND 445.
During World War II the Nordic region was clenched between two mighty belligerent powers: the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. As Finland resisted Soviet aggression from the East, Denmark and Norway suffered military occupation by Nazi Germany. Neutral Sweden avoided the war and occupation by making considerable concessions to the Axis. Juxtaposing the “Eastern” pressure on Finland and the Baltic states with the “Western” pressure on Norway and Denmark, this course explores the wartime fates of Nordic nations by means of testimonies and literature produced by ordinary citizens, resistance fighters, war victims, and fiction writers. Students will read historical scholarship alongside literary texts and memoirs in order to identify ideological, national, and personal perspectives in the narratives. In particular, the course focuses on the political implications and literary representations of “collaboration” and “resistance” during the war.
Student learning goals
To gain a knowledge and understanding of the history of Nordic region during World War II.
To develop a precise vocabulary for the study of war (alliance, collaboration, neutrality, occupation, resistance).
To apply analytical tools in discussions of wartime literature, films, and memoirs (application of such key concepts as agency, audience, censorship, propaganda, reception, and rhetoric).
To develop the skills of inquiry-driven research and scholarship.
General method of instruction
Lecture, guest-lectures, films and some small-group discussion.
The instruction and organization of the course is driven by inquiry into areas such as the following: the validity of the personal narrative or memoir as a historical account, the interpretation of encoded (allegorical) messages in literature, written under political censorship, the revisionist tendencies of postwar scholarship dealing with the Nordic countries during WWII.
Students will contribute their own lines of inquiry to the course by drawing from the larger questions posed by the instructor.
Upper-division students and graduate students in the Humanities and Social Sciences, particularly relevant to students majoring in European or Scandinavian Studies.
Class assignments and grading
Grades will be based on course participation, integrated writing assignments, and the completion of a research paper. Writing (W) credit is available for this course. Students are advised to make use of Odegaard Writing & Research Center (depts.washington.edu/owrc) for assistance with the final research paper, if needed.
The course grade will be based on the following criteria: 10% Participation in group work, discussions, and “class colloquim” (5%) 10% Midterm exam 10% Final exam 10% Research paper proposal (abstract & bibliography) 40% 10-page research paper (Graduate students: 15-page research paper) 20% 4 response “letters”/short essays