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Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe (EURO30002)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Not available in 2020

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As part of the University’s response to COVID-19 and the associated Government restrictions and guidelines, most subjects will continue to be delivered online in Winter and Semester 2.
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
You’re currently viewing the 2020 version of this subject

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Overview

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The eye-witness account and the personal memoir offer powerful ways of exploring the human legacy of overwhelming historical events on individual lives. But how do literary genres like the memoir and autobiography manage to speak about unspeakable topics, how do they represent the unrepresentable and write about trauma? What is the function, and what the effect, of writing memory for the victim, for the reader, and for the perpetrator? How do the offspring of the victims and perpetrators "remember" their parents" traumas and shape memories of events they have only experienced second-hand? What is the relationship between fiction and memory in memoir writing and how do we read a testimonial of a Holocaust survivor that has been faked? This subject will introduce students to a selection of testimonial writing and films that tell individual stories of a shameful national past. It explores the effect of generic convention on the relation of history and memory, and the need for generic invention to speak trauma and tell the un-tellable. Its focus will be on the Holocaust, the Algerian War, and life under Eastern bloc communist regimes. This subject will focus on writing from France, Germany, and Italy in the first instance, but may from time to time include writing from other parts of Europe.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should:



  • be able to engage critically with personal and theoretical perspectives on European histories of violence and their genres and forms;
  • be able to communicate knowledge effectively about Europe’s present and past, and its traditions in polished oral and sophisticated written assignments;
  • demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of memoir and memory writing about traumatic pasts in 20th century Europe;
  • have developed advanced research skills in the constituent disciplines of European memory studies, trauma studies and Holocaust studies and learn to contextualise fictional and factual writing about trauma;
  • demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the impact of Europe’s histories of violence in relation to second and third generation writing about the past and from the Americas and Australasia;
  • have acquired comprehensive critical insights through their engagement with Europe that prepare them for becoming good global citizens;
  • be able to work with independence, self- reflection and creativity to meet goals and challenges in the workplace and personal life.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should:

  • have enhanced their understanding of texts through reference to existing scholarship;
  • appreciate the cultural complexity of issues that circulate in the popular media;
  • be able to identify and explore issues across texts from different contexts;
  • be able to engage critically with texts in oral presentation;
  • be able to interpret in writing the meaning of literature with attention to social context and language.

Last updated: 22 November 2023

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
EURO20003 Memory & Memoirs of 20th Century Europe
Not available in 2024
 12.5

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 22 November 2023

Assessment

Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS

DescriptionTimingPercentage

Written assignment

  • 1000 words
Mid semester20%

1000 word individual class paper

  • 10 minutes
During the teaching period30%

Final essay

  • 2000 words
50%
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass the subject.Throughout the teaching periodN/A

Additional details

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Last updated: 22 November 2023

Dates & times

Not available in 2020

Time commitment details

170 hours

Last updated: 22 November 2023

Further information

Last updated: 22 November 2023