Course syllabus

Welcome all!

 

Course Convenor:     Dr. Claudia Marquis

                                   email: c.marquis@auckland.ac.nz

                                   3737599 ext. 84792

 

Tutor:                       Sparkle Gibbs

                                email: sgib024@aucklanduni.ac.nz           

 

Staff in this paper always respond to student emails, but you should not expect a response during weekends.  Please ensure that your email has a proper address and subject line as well as a proper signature.  We do like to know the name of the student to whom we are writing, firstly, but also that you know to whom your email note is addressed. It is also inappropriate to address staff with 'hello there'.  And please remember that an email is not a text message.

 

Email is for quick, brief queries and responses. If your email message requires a lengthy reply – more than two or three sentences – you may be asked to discuss your query in person.

 

Please do not instruct staff to respond ‘asap’.   It is rude, as it assumes that your request for attention should be the most urgent thing on someone's agenda.  There are more polite ways of suggesting urgency.  For instance -- I would appreciate it if . . .

 

 

Course Description:

 

Adolescence is a problematic category and a peculiarly modern one; necessarily, the same holds true for adolescent fiction. The aim of this course is to examine this phase of development that is neither childhood nor adulthood but lies between, and recent literary and filmic responses to the characteristic interests and demands of readers and viewers at this stage of their lives. Course reading will include film and television, as well as written texts.

 

Prescribed Texts:

J. D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye

S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders

Paula Boock, Dare Truth or Promise

Margaret Mahy, The Changeover

Edwidge Danticat, Untwine

Beverley Naidoo, The Other Side of Truth

Karen Healey, Guardians of the Dead

David Hair, The Bone Tiki

Veronica Roth, Divergent

 

 Aims and Outcomes 

• Sound close reading skills
• Ability to engage with multiple genres
• Ability to think critical about texts
• Ability to deal with theoretical concepts used in the course
• Ability to exchange, discuss and defend ideas and opinions

 

Expectation of Students:

The Faculty of Arts advises that ten hours work a week is required in order for an average student to obtain an average pass on a course. Please aim to follow this advice.

You are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials. Both lecturer and tutor conduct classes with an understanding that you are attending classes.  If there is a good reason why you cannot attend a lecture or tutorial, a brief email would be fitting. 

Students are expected to read texts in advance of lectures and tutorials.

 

 

ASSESSMENT:

 

 There are TWO assignments for this paper and a final examination.–

 

1. An in-class test.  The test will be a close reading of nominated passages or a chapter taken from a text taught in this course (approximately 1000 words), worth 15% of your final grade.  You will be informed of the passages or chapter the week before the test.
2. An essay on an agreed topic (approximately 2000 words), worth 35 % of your final grade.
3. Tutorials – 10% (in-tutorial tests included)
4. Final Examination, worth 40% of your grade.There will be a number of questions in the examination, covering all texts in the course. You must answer TWO (2) questions. Each answer must cover at least two of the primary texts studied in this course.   You are not permitted to write on the same texts twice in the examination. A text may be a film or written text. In answering questions, you must ensure that you do not repeat texts used in EITHER of your coursework assignments. If you do, you will receive no credit for that answer. 

Please Note: Please hand in your essay at level 5, Rm 538, HSB. 

 

Summary of Grade Distribution:

 

In-class test – 15 %

Essay  – 35%

Tutorial mark – 10%

Final Examination – 40%

 

The prescribed texts are grouped, roughly, into the following categories: 

1. Adolescent angst
2. Adolescent social structures
3. Adolescent disaffection with family
4. Adolescent fantasy
5. The erotic adolescentThese topics are, of course, fluidly conceived. But they are an indication of the areas we will focus on in lectures and tutorials.  

 

TUTORIALS

Please make every effort to attend tutorials; they are an extremely important part of the course programme.

5 marks will be allocated to a short and reasonably straight-forward test at the start of every tutorial.

5 marks will be awarded for how prepared you are for tutorials and your willingness to participate in class discussion.

 

Lecture Times: 11- 12, Monday and Wednesday

 

 First lecture is on 24 July

 

Mid-semester Break: 4 September - 17 September (2 weeks)

 

WEEKS	TOPICS
WEEK 1 -   24 July	Introduction Catcher in the Rye
WEEK 2 –  31 July	Catcher in the Rye Outsiders
WEEK 3 –  7 August	Outsiders Dare Truth or Promise
WEEK 4 –  14 August	Dare Truth or Promise Class Test – Close Reading
WEEK 5 –  21 August	10 Things I Hate About You  The Changeover
WEEK 6 –  28 August	The Changeover Untwine
WEEK 7 –  18 September	Untwine Essay Writing Class
Week 8 -  25 September	The Other Side of Truth The Other Side of Truth
Week 9 -  2 October	The Bone Tiki The Bone Tiki
Week 10 -  9 October	Guardian of the Dead Guardian of the Dead  (Essay Due)
Week 11 -  16 October	Divergent Divergent (Film)
Week 12 -  23 October	Labour Day Conclusion

   

PLEASE DO NOT ENQUIRE HOW MANY TEXTS YOU NEED TO READ TO PASS THIS PAPER.

Such a query is inappropriate and demonstrates lack of interest in the subject.