ENGL2006 Modern American Fiction
Later Year Course
| Offered By | School of Cultural Inquiry |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Undergraduate |
| Course Subject | English |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description | This course examines a selection of American novels, novellas and short stories that were published in the twentieth century. We will be investigating a selection of exemplary texts in order to analyse the relationship between authors' experimentation with narrative form and exploration of modern and postmodern American themes. Topics to be explored include the role of writing/literature in the age of multi- and digital media; racial/ multicultural/"post"racial identities; the role of the city, the suburbs and other American regions; utopian and dystopian visions of the future; literature and form/genre. |
| Learning Outcomes |
By the end of this course, students should be able to 1. identify key elements of twentieth-century American fiction and evaluate the similarities and differences between different narrative forms 2. think, write and argue about the importance of literary and intellectual approaches to understanding everyday life (especially the role of writing, identity, etc) in the context of the United States as a post-industrial or technologically advanced society 3. develop a critical stance on the role that narrative plays in imagining and responding to representations of everyday life but also in shaping responses to that life |
| Indicative Assessment |
Essay of 1,500 words (30%) Essay of 2,500 words (50%) Tutorial particpation including contribution to 4 weeks of online discussion (20%). NB: 4 tutorials will be online. |
| Workload | 20 Hours of Lectures and 1 hour tutorial per week. |
| Areas of Interest | English |
| Requisite Statement |
Any two English courses. |
| Recommended Courses |
N/A |
| Preliminary Reading |
Major American Short Stories, (ed. Litz) Gertrude Stein, Three Lives Brett Easton-Ellis, Less than Zero
|
| Majors/Specialisations | English and American Studies |
| Academic Contact | Dr Monique Rooney |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.
