Introduction to English Literary Studies

Introduction to English Literary Studies

Prof. Dr. Jana Gohrisch
Englisches Seminar, Raum 738
Sprechzeiten: Dienstag 12-13 Uhr
WS 2008/09
Wednesday 8-10, 1502.615
1st class: October 15, 2008
Grundkurs Englische Literaturwissenschaft (BritF1)
Introduction to English Literary Studies
October 15
Introduction
October 22
Literary Studies: Subject-Matter, Major Issues and Research Domains
English and American Literary History: Terminology and
Periodization
Vera und Ansgar Nünning. An Introduction to the Study of English and American Literature.
Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Sprachen, 2005, chapters 1 and 7.
October 29
Literary Studies: Theories, Models, Methods
Nünning. Introduction, chapter 2.
November 5
Literary Studies: Theories, Models, Methods (contd.)
Victor Shklovsky. “Art as Technique”. Twentieth-Century Literary Theory. A Reader. 2nd ed. K. M.
Newton, ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan 1997, pp. 3-5.
Jan Mukařovský. “Aesthetic Function, Norm, and Value as Social Facts”. Twentieth-Century Literary
Theory, pp. 15-18.
Gérard Genette. “Structuralism and Literary Criticism”. Twentieth-Century Literary Theory, pp. 8993.
Roland Barthes. “The Death of the Author”. Twentieth-Century Literary Theory, pp. 120-123.
November 12
Literary Studies: Theories, Models, Methods (contd.)
Frederic Jameson. “On Interpretation: Literature as a Socially Symbolic Act”. Twentieth-Century
Literary Theory, pp. 181-189.
Louis Montrose. “Professing the Renaissance: The Poetics and Politics of Culture.” TwentiethCentury Literary Theory, pp. 240-247.
Kiernan Ryan. Shakespeare. 2nd ed. London: Prentice Hall, Harvester Wheatsheaf 1995, pp. 25-27.
November 19
Literary Studies: Theories, Models, Methods (contd.)
November 26
An Introduction to the Analysis of Poetry
Nünning. Introduction, chapter 3.
William Shakespeare. “Sonnet 73”
William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Stephen Booth, ed. New Haven, London: Yale
University Press 2001, p. 64.
December 3
William Shakespeare. “Sonnet 73” (contd.)
Dezember 10
An Introduction to the Analysis of Drama
Nünning. Introduction, chapter 4.
William Shakespeare. Othello
William Shakespeare. Othello. J. Honigmann, ed. The Arden Shakespeare. 3rd edition. Walton-onThames: Thomas Nelson & Sons 1997. (Act One only)
December 17
William Shakespeare. Othello (contd.)
Kiernan Ryan. Shakespeare, pp. 86-92.
Prof. Dr. Jana Gohrisch: Introduction to English Literary Studies (WS 2008/09)
January 7
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An Introduction to the Analysis of Narrative Texts
Nünning. Introduction, chapter 5.
Thomas Hardy. “For Conscience’ Sake”
Thomas Hardy. Life’s Little Ironies and A Changed Man. F. B. Pinion, ed. (The New Wessex Edition
of the Stories of Thomas Hardy, vol. 2) London: Macmillan 1977, pp. 47-61.
January 14
Thomas Hardy. “For Conscience’ Sake” (contd.)
January 21
Virginia Woolf. “Kew Gardens”
Virginia Woolf. A Haunted House and Other Short Stories. London: Hogarth Press 1967, pp. 32-39.
Laura Marcus. Virginia Woolf. 2nd ed. Tavistock: Northcote House 2004, pp. 17-20.
January 28
Written test
Homework assignments
for November 5 Imagine you are Shklovsky, Mukařovský, Genette and Barthes: how would
you analyse a literary text? What would you look for?
Identify the key terms and recurrent phrases in their texts and describe the
underlying view of the world.
for November 12 Imagine you are Jameson, Montrose and Ryan: how would you analyse a
literary text? What would you look for?
Identify the key terms and recurrent phrases in their texts and describe the
underlying view of the world.
for November 26 Translate the sonnet into German and analyse its main metaphors according
to Nünning/Nünning pp. 68-71.
for December 10 Take notes of the main line of action, modes of speaking, characterization,
tropes, etc.
Develop (in writing) a text-related and a context-related contention
concerning Othello. (to be handed in and graded)
for December 17 Why does Kiernan Ryan reject the traditional readings of Othello as a
universal moral tragedy?
for January 7
Look up Thomas Hardy, unknown names, terms, references, etc. Establish
the major topics and narrative strategies of the story (esp. focalization).
for January 21
Look up Virginia Woolf, unknown names, terms, references, etc. Establish
the major topics and narrative strategies of the story (esp. images).
What may be gained from reading the secondary material?
Prof. Dr. Jana Gohrisch: Introduction to English Literary Studies (WS 2008/09)
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Recommended further reading
Bode, Christoph. Der Roman. Eine Einführung. Tübingen, Basel: A. Francke Verlag 2005
(UTB).
Childs, Peter and Roger Fowler. The Routledge Dictionary of Literary Terms. London, New
York: Routledge 2006. (1st ed. 1987)
Cuddon, J. A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. London:
Penguin 1999 (1st eb. 1977).
Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, New York: Oxford
University Press 1997.
Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory. An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell 1996. (1st ed. 1983)
Franck, Norbert und Joachim Stary. Die Technik des wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens. Eine
praktische Anleitung. 11. überarb. Aufl. Paderborn, München, Wien, Zürich: Schönigh
2003 (UTB).
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: MLA 2004. (1st
ed. 1977)
Head, Dominic, ed. The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press 2006. (1st ed. 1988)
Kimmich, Dorothee, Rolf Günter Renner und Bernd Stiegler, Hrsg. Texte zur Literaturtheorie
der Gegenwart. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun. 2000.
Kruse, Otto. Keine Angst vorm leeren Blatt. Ohne Schreibblockaden durchs Studium.
Stuttgart 1995.
Macey, David. The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin 2001.
Mikos, Lothar. Film- und Fernsehanalyse. Konstanz: UVK Verlagsgesellschaft 2003.
Nünning, Ansgar, Hrsg. Literaturwissenschaftliche Theorien, Modelle und Methoden. Eine
Einführung. Trier: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier 1995.
Nünning, Ansgar, Hrsg. Metzler-Lexikon Literatur- und Kulturtheorie: Ansätze – Personen –
Grundbegriffe. Stuttgart [u.a]: J. B. Metzler 2001. (1. Auflage 1998).
Pfister, Manfred. Das Drama. Theorie und Analyse. München: Wilhelm Fink 2000. (1. Aufl.
1988)
Pope, Rob. The English Studies Book. London, New York: Routledge 1998.
Poplawski, Paul, ed. English Literature in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2008.
Rimmon-Kennan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction. Contemporary Poetics. London, New York:
Routledge 1997. (1st ed. 1983)
Roberts, Phil. How Poetry Works. London: Penguin 2000. (1st ed. 1986)
Schabert, Ina. Englische Literaturgeschichte aus der Sicht der Geschlechterforschung.
Stuttgart: Kröner 1997.
Seeber, Hans-Ulrich (Hg.). Englische Literaturgeschichte. Stuttgart: J. B. Metzlersche
Verlagsbuchhandlung 2004. (1.Aufl. 1991)
Styan, J. L. Drama. A Guide to the Study of Plays. New York, Washington: Peter Lang 2000.
Zapf, Hubert. Kurze Geschichte der anglo-amerikanischen Literaturtheorie. Tübingen:
Francke 1996. (1. Aufl. 1991)