ENGL8005 Theories of Literature and Criticism
| Offered By | School of Humanities |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | English |
| Offered in | Second Semester, 2009 and First Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 12 units |
| Course Description |
AUTHORSHIP AND AUTHORITYHow does a writer's obstensible authority as a writer or cultural critic, as a spokesperson on gender or race,or asa celebrity or popular culture hero, affect how we read his/her work? This course investigates the concept and construction of authorship in a selection of twentieth century texts (including film as well as literature). Students will be introduced to theories about the author and his/her relationship to the reader (Barthes, Foucault etc). Special focus topics will include: the problem of authorship/authority for women/ African-American writers; imitation and other anxieties of influence; passing, plagiarism and crimes of writing; literary celebrity and scandal; book clubs/ reading culture. |
| Learning Outcomes | On satisfying the requirements for this course, students will further develop analytic and evaluative skills, begun at undergraduate level. Students will learn the value of a theoretical approach to the study of canonical and popular American texts and will discover new ways of thinking about the role of authorship in contemporary consumer culture. |
| Indicative Assessment |
In order to pass this course, students mus pass 60% (in total) of the following assessment tasks: 1 x Oral Seminar presentation (10% of mark) 1 x 2000 word write up of seminar presentation (30% of mark) 1 x 3,500 word essay (60% of mark) |
| Workload |
Contact hours : 1 x 2 hour seminar per week (26 hours per semester). |
| Course Classification(s) | AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs. |
| Areas of Interest | English |
| Eligibility | Students enrolled in this course would normally have obtained at least a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in English in which most of the grades are at Credit level or better. Consideration will also be given to those students with a good Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, with no English major. |
|
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills |
Skills in critical analysis and essay writing abilities. |
| Prescribed Texts |
F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Nella Larsen, Passing Sylvia Plath, Poems, Letters, Diary Truman Capote, In Cold Blood Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections |
| Preliminary Reading |
F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Nella Larsen, Passing |
| Academic Contact | Dr Monique Rooney |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.
