Admission requirements
High school diploma equivalent to Dutch VWO level.
Description
In Literature 1A, students (of English) will be introduced to, and learn about key critical approaches to literary studies, including formalism, structuralism, historicism, intertextuality, and methods of literary research (library-use skills) and analysis (close reading, scansion, narratology) through a combination of lectures and tutorials. The critical focus will lie on the formal (style, structure, genre) and thematic aspects (including, class, gender, environmentalism) of works of literature as well as their cultural and historical contexts (Victorian, modern, contemporary). By doing in-class writing assignments, students will develop their analytical and writing skills and their awareness of literature’s relation to broader socio-economic and political contexts. Students will use the feedback received on assignments, as well as the further study and discussion of literary materials in the second half of the course, to develop their basic critical skills, which will be tested in a formal end-of-term MLA Style essay on poetry. A mid-term exam will test students on their knowledge and understanding of prose fiction and film analysis.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, students
have gained knowledge of and have developed the ability research and analyse key formal and thematic aspects of prose fiction, drama, film and poetry.
will be able to successfully apply key literary-critical terms in the formal analysis of literary texts.
have the ability to relate literary texts to their important historical and contemporary social, economic and political contexts.
will be able to express their critical understanding of a text in formal academic prose following the conventions of the MLA style literary-critical essay format.
Will have shown independent learning skills by meeting deadlines and showing they can work with feedback to improve their academic writing skills.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Research
Assessment method
Assessment
Mid-Term exam on the materials covered in weeks 1-7 (50% of final grade).
Writing assignments, which are given feedback but not a grade.
MLA Style Research Essay on poetry (50%; minimum grade required: 6,0). Submitted via Turnitin on Brightspace.
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher. NOTE: the minimum grade for the MLA style literary-critical essay is a 6,0.
Resit
Student can resit the mid-term exam at the end of the semester when they receive a grade lower than 5.5. When students receive a grade lower than 6 for their end-of-term essay, they need to revise their essay following the feedback provided and resubmit their essay on the resit date.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Assignments will be posted with feedback on Brightspace. Students are expected to study the feedback and to use this to improve on their next writing assignment. Students will be offered the possibility to review their exam answers.
Reading list
Several e-texts made available via Brightspace.
Greenblatt, Stephen, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 11th edition, Volume F (Norton)
NOTE 1: do NOT buy the abridged “Major Authors” or “Shorter” edition of the Norton Anthology. NOTE 2: the 10th edition is also acceptable if 11th edition is not available.Klarer, Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies, 4th edition (Routledge).
NOTE 3: 3rd edition is also acceptable.Hitchcock, Alfred (dir), Shadow of a Doubt (DVD, or legal download/streaming service).
Yamashita, Karen Tei. Through the Arc of the Rain Forest (Coffee House Press).
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Please note: it's not possible to enroll in MyStudyMap yourself for first-year-courses, the courses will state as 'full'. If you are a higher year student or pre-master student and need to take a first-year-course, please contact the education coordinator.
Registration Exchange
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal
Remarks
The reading material for week 1 will be announced on Brightspace page before the first teaching week.