History and Memory in Contemporary English, Irish and Commonwealth Fiction 3301-LB2024
Course for MA level students.
This course proposes to analyse the persistence of history in the national consciousness as reflected in novels by contemporary British, Irish and postcolonial authors. Topics to be discussed include: individual versus collective memory, memory and myth, history in the making, history versus histories, textualisation of history - analysis of narrative strategies. The aim of this course is to offer students insight into literary representations of history and memory on the example of selected novels written by authors from England, Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria, India.
Type of course
Learning outcomes
In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.
Knowledge:
- student learns about/ has the opportunity to analyze the most important trends in English-language literary theory, cultural theory and linguistics;
- student extends his/her knowledge of the terminology used in literary studies
- student acquires the knowledge of the methodologies of literary studies, especially in the Anglo-American context
Competence:
- applies the methodologies of literary studies
- presents his/her knowledge clearly and logically in written and oral forms
- acquires the awareness of cultural symbols and their role in the understanding of the products of culture such as literature, popular culture, visual arts
Social competence
- expresses his/her ideas in a coherent, lucid, logical and concrete way in order to develop meaningful relations with others
- understands the character of dilemmas, problems and conflicts and seeks the best ways of solving them
- demonstrates tolerance towards otherness, respects different kinds of cultural behavior and differing individual outlooks
Education at language level B2+.
Assessment criteria
20% of absences is allowed.
Final grade on the basis of an academic essay.
Retake on the basis of a revised version of the academic essay.
Bibliography
Suggested authors: Ian McEwan, Martin Amis, Graham Swift, Kazuo Ishiguro, Michael Ondaatje, David Malouf, Seamus Deane, Ben Okri, Salman Rushdie, V.S. Naipual, J.M. Coetzee.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: