Admission requirements
Not applicable.
Description
In Literature 1A, students (of English) will be introduced to and learn about key critical theories (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 two research/writing assignments, students will be tested on the development of their analytical and writing skills and their awareness of literature’s relation to broader socio-economic and political contexts. Students will use the written feedback received on their mid-term assignment, as well as the further study and discussion of literary materials in the second half of the course, to further develop their basic skills, which will be tested in a formal end-of-term MLA Style essay. A short-answer exam will test students on their knowledge and understanding of key literary critical concepts significant to all their further literary studies.
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 research & writing assignment. Submitted via Turnitin on Brightspace.
December on-campus exam (one-hour) on literary-critical terminology.
January Deadline MLA Style Research Essay. Submitted via Turnitin on Brightspace.
Attendance is compulsory. Missing more than two tutorials means that students may be excluded from the tutorials. Unauthorized absence also applies to being unprepared, not participating and/or not bringing the relevant course materials to class.
Weighing
Mid-Term research & writing assignment (30%; no minimum grade required).
December on-campus exam (20%; no minimum grade).
January Deadline MLA Style Research Essay (50%; minimum grade required: 6,0).
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average combined with additional requirements. 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
When the weighted average is below 5.5, the student will have to resit one (or both) of the writing assignments and/or the on-campus exam. For the exam there will be a fixed resit exam moment in January. The two writing assignments will need to be revised according to the feedback provided and resubmitted on the day of the resit exam via Turnitin on Brightspace.
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
Greenblatt, Stephen, gen. e.d. 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: 10th edition is also acceptable if 11th edition is not (yet) available.)
Klarer, Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies, 4th edition (Routledge).
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.