This course will deal with a variety of prose works in English which can be regarded as adventure or “quest” stories — narratives about a (usually involuntary) search which tends to be unsuccessful. Among the questions to be discussed are: What do these books share, and how do they differ? Are they escapist or exploratory, and what does that mean? What developments were taking place in this genre in the late Victorian and (early) Modernist period? Why was the genre particularly popular during the last two decades of the nineteenth century, and why does it seem to peter out soon afterwards? Why are there few if any female writers in this genre?
Rooster
The timetable will be available from June 1st on the Internet.
Onderwijsvorm
Three-hour seminar per week.
A la carte- en contractonderwijs
Available as modular course and a la carte.
Leerdoelen
Based on the assumption that participants have already acquired the basic skills for the analysis of literary texts, this course aims to extend these skills both in terms of textual analysis (close reading) and contextual approach (cultural-historical as well as theoretical). Students will be encouraged to share analytical and theoretical views on the assigned texts in class discussions, including short presentations, and to focus research skills on a relevant subject of their own choice within the parameters of the course in the form of a final research paper.
Literatuur
*Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island (Puffin). *Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Penguin). *H. Rider Haggard, She (Penguin). *Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (Penguin). *H.G. Wells, The Time Machine (Penguin). *William Morris, The Well at the World’s End (Ballantyne). *Bram Stoker, _Dracula _(Signet Classics). *Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (Penguin). *Rudyard Kipling, Kim (Penguin). *H.G. Wells, The First Men in the Moon (Penguin). *G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday (Penguin). *Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World (Modern Library Classics). *David Lindsay, Voyage to Arcturus (Cannongate).
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Toetsing
Active participation in class (including the presentation of a weekly ‘reading report’) and a 5.000-word paper will contribute for 50% each toward the final mark.
Informatie
English Department, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102c, tel. 071-5272144. English@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Blackboard/webpagina
No blackboard available.