ENGLISH 361, Contemporary Literature in English
Fall Quarter, 1997
Merry Pawlowski, FT 201A (664-2142)
Office Hours: T,R 9-10:30am
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
- A Bend in the River, V. S. Naipaul
- A Question of Power, Bessie Head
- Burger's Daughter, Nadine Gordimer
- Waiting for the Barbarians, J. M. Coetzee
- Nights at the Circus, Angela Carter
- The French Lieutenant's Woman, John Fowles
- House of Splendid Isolation, Edna O'Brien
REQUIRED ADDITIONAL READING
- Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
REPORT TOPICS
- Contemporary Poets writing in English
- Contemporary Playwrights writing in English
COURSE POLICIES
Grading:
- Papers -- 2 critical papers (20% each) chosen from assigned topics,
1 midterm (15%), 1 final (20%)
- Class Participation--(15%) Students will work in small groups and/or individually to
conduct research projects limited in scope. Students will be given
specific questions topics to present in class as an extension of course
materials culminating in a report to the class at the end of term.
Students will be encouraged to enter information on this web
site.
"I" Grades -- will be considered only in the case of an emergency
Evaluative Criteria:
For each assignment, students will be informed of the criteria used to grade their
work. Generally, students should be aware of these criteria for evaluating
written work.
- A -- A paper which demonstrates a unique quality of thought and a creative spark,
an extremely effective and original thesis, coherent organization and seamless transitions, a
lucid and readable style, virtually no errors
- B -- A paper which is very good, but does not demonstrate the superior qualities
required for an A grade. This paper will have a strong thesis, effective organization, and
few errors
- C -- This paper demonstrates average performance in responding to the topic. It
has a thesis which lacks originality and creativity, its organization may be weak in spots, it
may have a few major errors and a number of minor ones
- D -- The paper really does not respond to the assigned topic, it has no thesis or a
thesis that is very weak and insupportable, and it has a number of
errors.
Attendance:
I expect regular, punctual attendance. Students absent for valid, verifiable reasons
only will be allowed to make up work; however, absence is not an excuse for a late paper.
Students with more than three unexcused or unverifiable absences will lose no less than
one letter grade on their final averages.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Contemporary British Literature encompasses the work of writers around the
world who have chose English as their publishing language. Such a
recognition of the expansion of the meaning of "British" literature
acknowledges the historical past of the British Empire in the making of the
contemporary English-speaking world. Hence, the writers chosen include
Chinua Achebe, a native of Nigeria; Bessie Head, from South Africa and
Botswana; Nadine Gordimer and J. M. Coetzee from South Africa; V. S.
Naipaul, from the Caribbean; Edna O'Brien, from
Ireland; and Angela Carter and John Fowles from England. In addition to
the significance of postcolonial issues in the making of late twentieth
century literature, however, the nature of experimentation in narrative
within a postmodern context will be explored as well.
COURSE CALENDAR
POSTCOLONIAL, POSTMODERN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
September 9
Introduction: British Literature in the
Late Twentieth Century
September 11
Discussion of Conrad's Heart of Darkness and British
Imperialism
September 16
The Colonization of Africa: Things Fall Apart
September 18
African Voice, English Tongue: Things Fall
Apart
September 23
Africa's Decolonization: A Bend in the River
Paper 1 due
September 25
Racial Identity and Narrative Persona in A Bend in
the River
September 30
Apartheid and Migration: A Question of Power
October 2
The Madwoman's Narrative in A Question of Power
October 7
The Politics of Racism: Burger's Daughter
October 9
Narrative Innovations and Feminist Persona: Burger's
Daughter
October 14
White Man's Burden or Terror? Waiting for the Barbarians
Midterm
October 16
Narrating Paranoia: Waiting for the Barbarians
October 21
What the Nineteenth Century can teach the Twentieth:
The French Lieutenant's Woman
October 23
Postmodern Narration in The French Lieutenant's
Woman
October 28
Fantasy and Politics in Nights at the Circus
October 30
Experimentation and Magic Realism in Nights at the
Circus
November 4
Irish Politics and House of Splendid Isolation
Paper 2 due
November 6
Feminism and Narration in House of Splendid
Isolation
November 11
Veteran's Day: No Class
November 13,18
Individual Reports
November 20-25
Finals Week
DUE DATES: Papers and exams are due on the dates listed in the syllabus.
Papers should be 5-7 pages typed and will not be accepted late.