Feminist Literatures from the German-speaking World
Intersectionality in literature from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Intersectionality examines the interconnected nature of social groups such as race, class, and gender, which often overlap with other marginalized groups to create an individual experience of discrimination and oppression. It is within this context that German Feminist Literature (GRM 295) explores feminist writings with a focus on Black and Jewish writers.
GRM 295 introduces authors and genres representing important literary currents and historical developments, while seeking to broaden your understanding of the complexities of our world and people’s lived experiences, says Viktoria Pötzl, an assistant professor of German studies. Using the foundation of intersectionality, you will explore various literary types, genres, key feminist concepts, text analyses, and literary theories.
Pötzl hopes that students will develop an awareness of literary types while improving their academic and creative writing. When she began teaching GRM 295, she found that students needed more practice with academic writing, so she incorporated that into the course. Pötzl uses techniques that will help students approach academic and literary texts with greater confidence, while also learning the course material.
GRM 295 builds foundational knowledge of German Colonialism, the Shoah or Holocaust, and German unification through feminist literature. You will learn how to perform in-depth text analysis, a skill you will use in other Grinnell courses and beyond. GRM 295 will also open your mind to higher learning, later in your Grinnell education and perhaps even in grad school.
GRM 295 reflects Grinnell’s dedication to a robust liberal arts program. While focusing on the readings and text analysis in small groups, Pötzl also weaves historical knowledge into the course and encourages both academic and creative writing.
Students who have taken GRM 295 have enjoyed the open-ended structure of the class, as well as the creative and thoughtful small group discussions. These allow students to gain historical and cultural context, along with a broader understanding of intersectionality.