Course syllabus
Course Code: ENGLISH 101
Course Title: Literature and the Contemporary
Semester: 1 2019
Instructors: Prof. Erin Carlston and tutorial staff
|
Well-being always comes first We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community. |
|
Go beyond your majors with skills-based learning Have you considered studying a three-course Module to complement your majors? Find out here how Modules can boost your degree. Find out here about the Faculty of Arts’ new career-focused skills course, ARTSGEN 102, Solving your Future, coming in Semester 2, 2019. |
Course Description
English 101 is a wide-ranging study of literatures in English in different forms and media between the beginning of the 20th century and the present. Themes such as modernity/postmodernity, memory, war, and ecological crisis will be studied in the context of key historical events and cultural movements. We also examine and compare different genres of literature (fiction, drama, film), and key elements of narrative (structure, style, perspective, theme, characterisation, setting, etc. in prose; all of the above plus lighting, tracking, and so on in film).
After beginning the semester by looking at the kind of realist literature that flourished before WWI, we will move on to modernism’s reaction against realism, and then to postmodernism and postcolonialism. Students will learn to read and interpret a range of literary works, develop written and oral arguments about literature, and familiarise themselves with some of the major cultural movements of the 20th century.
Course outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this course will have the opportunity to:
- read a range of innovative and enjoyable literary works
- familiarise themselves with some of the major trends and movements in twentieth and twenty-first century literature
- understand and carry out strategies for close reading and analysis of texts
- develop written and oral arguments about literature
- acquire additional skills in critical thinking and cooperative group work
Prescribed readings include:
- Albert Belz, Awhi Tapu (2006); bookshop
- Arnold Bennett, “His Worship the Goosedriver,” from Tales of the Five Towns (1905); coursebook; also available as audiobook
- Don DeLillo, White Noise (1985); bookshop
- Bill Manhire, “The Brain of Katherine Mansfield” (1988); link on Canvas
- Katherine Mansfield, selected short stories; coursebook
- Christopher Nolan (dir.), Memento (2000); to be screened for the whole class.
- Virginia Woolf, “Mr Bennett and Mrs Brown” (1923); coursebook
- Virginia Woolf, To The Lighthouse (1927); bookshop
Recommended Reading:
Additional readings to enhance your understanding of lectures and readings are also available and listed on the course outline.
Assessments:
- 40%: eight short writing assessments
- 10%: participation and contributions to discussion
- 20%: midterm test
- 30%: final exam
Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:
The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.
Course summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|