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'.
| Paper title | Literary Theory: From Marxism to Ecocriticism |
|---|---|
| Paper code | ENGL233 |
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2023 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $955.05 |
| 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
- More information link
View more information on the English and Linguistics Programme website
- 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. NestRecommended:
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
