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    Overview

    Examines key literary texts in relationship to a variety of critical methods, including affect theory; History of Emotions; Marxism; Postcolonialism; and cognitive approaches to literary study.

    Have you ever considered how politics, environmentalism, and emotions can shape your reading of literary texts?

    ENGL 233 will introduce you to a variety of critical approaches to literature and culture, from Marxist analyses of class dynamics, to Ecocritical readings by scholar-activists. We will examine how affect theory and work on the History of Emotions can illuminate our understanding of characters and their motivations. We will also address ways to deploy literary theory to reclaim silenced voices and to shine a light on those who have been under-represented.

    The paper will explore work by prominent literary critics including Lauren Berlant, Brian Massumi, and Gayatri Spivak. We will discuss how literary theories often develop from one another, and we will apply a range of different approaches to primary texts including George Eliot's 'The Mill on the Floss', Inga Simpson's 'Nest', and Amitav Ghosh's 'Gun Island'. We will analyse a range of nature writing to consider the representation of climate change, human agency, and what the critic Rob Nixon has described as 'slow violence and the environmentalism of the poor'.

    About this paper

    Paper title Literary Theory: From Marxism to Ecocriticism
    Subject English
    EFTS 0.15
    Points 18 points
    Teaching period Semester 1 (On campus)
    Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $981.75
    International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
    Prerequisite
    One 100-level ENGL paper (excluding ENGL 124, ENGL 126, ENGL 128) or 36 points
    Schedule C
    Arts and Music
    Contact

    grace.moore@otago.ac.nz

    Teaching staff

    Co-ordinator and Lecturer: Dr Grace Moore

    Paper Structure

    This paper consists of two 1-hour lectures each week that provide an overview of a major literary theory and demonstrate an application of the theoretical approach to the primary sources. The weekly lectures are complemented by tutorials, which involve group discussion and student activities based on (a) the theory at hand for that week and (b) supplementary reading.

    Teaching Arrangements

    This paper is taught by the Coordinator via lectures and tutorials.

    Textbooks

    Required:
    Eliot, George. The Mill on the Floss
    Ghosh, Amitav. Gun Island
    Simpson, Inga. Nest

    Recommended:
    Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle. An Introduction to LIterature, Criticism and Theory (5th edition).

    ENGL 233 Course Readings are available online via Blackboard.

    Graduate Attributes Emphasised
    Scholarship, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics.
    View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
    Learning Outcomes

    Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

    • A broad knowledge of the major schools and debates of literary criticism and theory
    • A working knowledge of the critical vocabulary of the field of literary study
    • The ability to critically evaluate different approaches to literary criticism and apply key concepts to their own interpretations of literary texts, both in written form (in critical essays) and in spoken form (in class discussion and tutorials)
    • Critical-thinking skills that extend beyond literary critical practice to broader problem-solving domains in contemporary social and political contexts
    • Communication skills derived from group work in tutorials and written assessment
    • An understanding of the ethical dimension of literary analysis and critical reading, including a greater cultural awareness gleaned from the socio-historical context of the primary and secondary sources

    Timetable

    Semester 1

    Location
    Dunedin
    Teaching method
    This paper is taught On Campus
    Learning management system
    Blackboard

    Lecture

    Stream Days Times Weeks
    Attend
    A1 Tuesday 14:00-14:50 9-13, 15-22
    Thursday 14:00-14:50 9-13, 15-16, 18-22

    Tutorial

    Stream Days Times Weeks
    Attend one stream from
    A1 Monday 15:00-15:50 11-12, 16-20
    A2 Monday 14:00-14:50 11-12, 16-20
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