EU1298: Innovations in European Literature

School null
Department Code null
Module Code EU1298
External Subject Code R900
Number of Credits 20
Level L5
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Montserrat Lunati
Semester Spring Semester
Academic Year 2013/4

Outline Description of Module

 This course explores the changing face of European literature in the modern period. Concentrating on key literary works from French, German, Italian and Spanish-language cultures in the nineteenth and twentieth century, it focuses on the theme of ‘innovation’, covering subject matter, historical, social and cultural movements, and elements of style, structure and aesthetics. The course explores the interrelationship of different European literatures and offers students the possibility to enhance their understanding of the cultures of their chosen degree subjects. It also provides the opportunity to situate that culture comparatively within a wider European context. Students will be required to read the text of the language for which they are enrolled on the module, in the original language (not the translation). Other texts may be read in translation.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  • Demonstrate the capacity to evaluate critically individual works of literature;
  • Evaluate and assess the key concepts associated with the development of literature in the period, and employ relevant critical approaches to these concepts;
  • Understand a range of texts from European-language cultures and analyse how these are related to their historical, social and cultural contexts.

How the module will be delivered

  • Lectures, workshops and seminars to total approximately 25 hours
  • Use of Learning Central to supplement and extend class-based activity
  • Homework preparation and research tasks on topics prescribed by the course-leader
  • Feedback and feed-forward sessions to provide guidance and help with student performance

Skills that will be practised and developed

Academic: intellectually-advanced skills centred on the ability to build a convincing argument, using a variety of sources relevant to the themes and topics of the module content.

Subject-specific: high-level language-specific reading skills, ability to read and assess high-level literary language. Ability to engage critically with literary texts and literary-critical texts. Ability to understand how cultural works evolve and interact with their historical and social contexts.

Generic:transferable skills of information gathering; critical thinking; evaluation of materials; high-level oral presentation skills; intercultural awareness; time management; high-level written communication and word-processing/visual presentation skills.

How the module will be assessed

Assessed essay (2000 words):

70%

Assessed esay on a range of topics relating to materials from the course

 

Submission at course end

Assessed essay (2000 words):

30%

Assessed essay chosen from range of questions relating to materials from the course which has a formative as well as a summative role. Preparation for more wide-ranging answer required in summative assessment.

 

Submission part-way through course

 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 30 Innovations In European Literature (Essay) N/A
Exam - Spring Semester 70 Innovations In European Literature 2

Syllabus content

Course introduction: literary, history society in nineteenth and twentieth century

I each of French, German, Italian and Spanish-language text.

Revision and course review.

Essential Reading and Resource List

Chatman, S., Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Ithaca, Cornell UP 1978.

Eagleton, T., Literary Theory: An Introduction. Oxford, Blackwell 1996.

Eco, U., The Role of the Reader. Bloomington, U of Indiana Press 1979.

Hutcheon, L., A Poetics of Postmodernism. History, Theory, Fiction.  Routledge 1988.

Langford, R., Depicting desire: gender, sexuality and the family in nineteenth-century Europe. Literary and artistic perspectives. Peter Lang, 2005 [Introduction especially]

Maloney, B., Italo Svevo and the European Novel. Hull, Univ. of Hull 1977.

Moretti, F., Atlas of the European Novel: 1800-1900. Verso 1998.

Todd, J., Feminist Literary Theory. Routledge 1988.

Tyson, L.,  Critical Theory Today. Garland Publishing 1999.

Watt, I., The Rise of the Novel. Chatto & Windus 1957.

Williams, R., Culture and Society 1780-1950. New York, Harper 1958.

Peck, J., How to Study a Novel. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 1995.

Mullan, J., How novels work. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.


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