Høst 2018

ENG-3153 Literary History - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for språk og kultur

Type of course

This course is intended for students in the master's programme in English literature and students in the master's programme in education year 8-13 (lektorutdanninga, studieretning engelsk). This course may be taken as a single course by students who meet the admission requirements for the MA programme in English Literature.

This course fulfils the Period-Based Studies requirement for the MA in English Literature.

Course contents

This course explores the relationships between literature and history and connects the theorization of these relationships to important societal shifts portrayed in literature. We will ask, as Geoffrey Hartman puts it, "How do we ground art in history without denying its autonomy?" and examine the many ways that authors and scholars have approached this question. Particular emphasis will be placed on literature´s ability to challenge a period´s socio-cultural norms, with thematic foci including the representations of oppressed cultures, the portrayal of outsider or criminal characters, and the representation of effective social change.

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

Exchange students and Fulbright students: 15 April for the autumn semester and 1 October for the spring semester.

Admission requirements

Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or equivalent qualification, in English literature, or a degree combining English literature and a closely-related discipline (minimum 80 ECTS in English). An average grade equivalent to C or better in the Norwegian grading system is required.

Application code: 9371 - Enkeltemner på masternivå (Nordic applicants).

Objective of the course

Knowledge

The student has:

a comprehensive grasp of the historical relationships among primary texts of the course and between each text and its historical context
strong theoretical understanding of approaches to literature that attend to cultural and political contexts and socio-economic conditions
a thorough knowledge of the social functions that literature has been seen to fulfill, focusing particularly on its ability to challenge social norms

Skills

The student can:

analyze primary and secondary texts and discern connections among them
think critically about literature´s representation of social change
use relevant theoretical approaches to achieve independent insights about individual texts
communicate effectively both orally and in writing about the literature and criticism they have read

Language of instruction

Language of instruction and examination: English.

Teaching methods

The course meets once a week for 13 weeks for two hours of lecture and discussion.

Assessment

The following coursework requirements must be completed and approved in order to take the final exam:

A 5-6 page paper positioning a single literary work from our reading list in its historical context, drawing on contemporaneous non-literary sources
A 5-6 page paper exploring the theoretical implications of one critic´s work for a single literary work from our reading list

These two assignments must treat two different literary works.

The exam will consist of:

A research-based term paper of approximately 12-15 pages.

All written work is based on the following standard: Times New Roman, 12, 1,5, 2,5 cm.

Performance in the course will be assessed on an A-F grades scale. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed. A re-sit examination is offered in the event of an F grade. The deadline to register (in the Studentweb) for a re-sit examination is January 15th for the autumn semester and August 15th for the spring semester. In the event of a re-sit examination, the student is allowed to submit a revised version of his/her term paper within a given deadline.

Date for examination

Term paper hand in date 17.12.2018

The date for the exam can be changed. The final date will be announced at your faculty early in May and early in November.