Captured! Stories of Entrapment in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Stories of self-seclusion and entrapment, from artist hermits to doomsday preppers. What are the social and psychological effects of enclosure, what creative potential does it hold, and why are we so drawn to these narratives? When do they lead to escape and liberation, and when do they end in scenes of explosive self-destruction? Stories by Franz Kafka, Ilse Aichinger, and Thomas Bernhard; films by Werner Herzog and Michael Haneke; theoretical texts by Schopenhauer and Freud; discussions of self-seclusion via social media in the contemporary world. Readings and discussions in German. Recommended prerequisite: German 320 or above, or equivalent.