Universität Wien

127010 KO Critical Readings in Literature (2022S)

'Things Fall Apart' The Experimental Novel

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

In accordance with the current regulations at the University of Vienna, this course is planned as an in-person course on site. Should the Covid-19 situation change for the worse, digital or hybrid options will be announced in due time.

  • Friday 04.03. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 18.03. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 25.03. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 01.04. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 08.04. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 29.04. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 06.05. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 13.05. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 20.05. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 27.05. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 03.06. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 10.06. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 17.06. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
  • Friday 24.06. 12:15 - 13:45 Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Novels that do not abide by the rules of ‘traditional’ forms of literature may captivate – but occasionally also startle or irritate – us. These novels provide fascinating insights into the struggle for finding new ways of representing the ever-increasing complexity of human character, inspiring us to see what literature is capable of; to reflect on our own biases and expectations as readers; and to become more aware of the ever-shifting definitions of what makes ‘good’ or ‘bad’ literature (and the question of who gets to decide).

This course is organised chronologically, starting with (excerpts from) early experimental novels in English literature such as Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy to the heyday of the experimental novel in modernist and postmodern literature (Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway; [excerpts from] Joyce, Ulysses; Flann O’Brien, The Third Policeman) as well as more recent experiments in hypertext and electronic fiction ([excerpts from] Jackson, Patchwork Girl) and contemporary novels which employ experimental techniques (Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other; [excerpts from] McBride, A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing), we will address and discuss a range of questions and topics, including: the intricate relationship between literary form and content; experimental literature as an act of resistance; the realist novel as a quintessentially bourgeois genre; experimental literature and/as trauma narrative.



We will introduce and revise a range of analytical tools and theoretical approaches, giving students the chance to develop their analytical and academic writing skills further and providing them with basic theoretical tools for the critical analysis and interpretation of literary texts.

Assessment and permitted materials

- regular attendance and participation in discussions and group work (you may miss a maximum of two classes without a doctor's notice): 30p
- acting as one of the experts for one session (selecting quotations and discussion questions, leading discussion in breakout rooms, presenting results): 20p
- portfolio (consisting of 4 tasks: close reading, critical review, blog post, creative task): 50p

The course requirements will be discussed in detail during the first session.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students must fulfill and pass each of the 3 course requirements (portfolio, regular attendance and participation, acting as expert) and score at least 60 points altogether in order to pass this course.

Grading scale:
1: 100-90 points
2: 89-80 points
3: 79-70 points
4: 69-60 points
5: 59-0 points

The course requirements will be discussed in detail during the first session.

Examination topics

This is an interactive course with continuous assessment ("prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung"). In addition to handing in a written portfolio, participants are expected to read all set texts and actively participate in class throughout the semester as well as hand in tasks and assignments on time.

There will be no written exam.

Reading list

Required Reading (in full):
* Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (1925)
* Flann O'Brien, The Third Policeman [1967]
* Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other (2019)
(A personal request: Please buy/order the book in a local bookshop, if possible.)

Links to excerpts from other novels (Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy; James Joyce's Ulysses; Shelley Jackson's Patchwork Girl; Eimear McBride's A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing) as well as theoretical and secondary literature (by Emile Zola, Virginia Woolf, Astrid Ensslin and others) will be provided on Moodle.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612; BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: BA08.3; BEd Modul 10
Lehrinhalt: 12-3000

Last modified: Tu 22.02.2022 09:28