Varieties of Literary Ambiguity

We will consider readings in a range of European, British, and American fictions purposefully designed to lead the reader to uncertain or contradictory judgments regarding the larger implications of the tale. Narratives of this kind, often deceptively straightforward but in fact intricately conceived, may be understood to provide an experience of insinuating irresolution, calling for repeated and progressively deeper assessments of the same story. Authors whose works may be considered include Heinrich von Kleist, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Nikolai Gogol, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, and Franz Kafka. 3 hrs lect/disc