AJ04003 Introduction to Literary Studies II

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2009
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Drábek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Martina Horáková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Tomáš Kačer, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Klára Kolinská, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Prajznerová, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel, B.A.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Timetable of Seminar Groups
AJ04003/A: Mon 8:20–9:55 G31, K. Prajznerová
AJ04003/B: Mon 10:00–11:35 G31, K. Prajznerová
AJ04003/C: Wed 15:00–16:35 G31, T. Kačer
AJ04003/D: Wed 16:40–18:15 G31, M. Horáková
AJ04003/E: Wed 18:20–19:55 G31, M. Horáková
Prerequisites (in Czech)
AJ04001 Intro. to Literary Studies I
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Description: This course consists of workshops that encourage students to engage in literary research and analysis. We will focus on two major literary works (for instance, N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn and Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing) that will serve as the core case studies for a semester-long research project. These readings will be supplemented by several brief selections that will provide further material for in-class discussion. Workshops will include presentations, group discussions, and quizes. Objectives: 1. To know how to locate and use primary and secondary materials in literary research. 2. To learn the techniques needed for literary analysis and writing essays. 3. To refine critical thinking and to improve communication capabilities. 4. To achieve a deeper understanding of how literature affects us and how it enriches our perception of the world.
Syllabus
  • Week 1: February 22 Introduction to the course Introduction to literary research Week 2: March 1 Reading and Discussion: Momaday, House Made of Dawn (Part 1: The Longhair) Research Project Portfolio, section 1: Literatures in English: main sources of information in the field (major print and electronic “gateways”) Week 3: March 8 R+D: Momaday, House Made of Dawn (Part 2: The Priest of the Sun) RPP, section 2: North American literatures: list of reference works (bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, encyclopedias, guides, companions, histories) Week 4: March 15 R+D: Momaday, House Made of Dawn (Part 1: The Night Chanter) RPP, section 3: North American literatures: list of book-length studies (electronic/print) Week 5: March 22 R+D: Atwood, Surfacing (Chapters 1-10) RPP, section 4: Momaday/Atwood: list of articles and reviews (from websites, databases, electronic/print journals, edited collections of essays) Week 6: March 29 R+D: Atwood, Surfacing (Chapters 11-27) RPP, section 5: Momaday/Atwood: list of primary sources (fiction, nonfiction, interviews) Week 7: April 5 R+D: Momaday and Atwood, review RPP, section 6: Summaries of five major secondary sources (scholarly articles and/or book-chapters related to the topic you plan to pursue in your research paper) Week 8: April 12 guest lecture RPP, section 7: Prewriting: paper proposal and preliminary bibliography Week 9: April 19 R+D: Introduction to Literature, Session 6: “Narrative and Point of View” (41-43) “The Gospel according to St Mathew, Chapter 2” “T. S. Eliot, “Journey of the Magi” RPP, section 8: Prewriting: first outline and annotated bibliography Week 10: April 26 R+D: Introduction to Literature, Session 4, “Convention and the Genre: The Sonnet” (32-34) “Claude McKay, “The Lynching” Edna St. Vincent Millay, “I, Being Born a Woman and Disstressed” W. H. Auden, “Sonnets from China: XII” RPP, section 9: Writing: first draft (2-3 pages) Week 11: May 3 R+D: Introduction to Literature, Session 9 (Summer Semester) Herman Melville, “Review of Mosses from an Old Manse” (164-69) Henry David Thoreau, “from Walden” (170-72) RPP, section 10: Rewriting: second outline and second draft (3-4 pages) Week 12: May 10 RPP, section 11: Rewriting: final draft (4-5 pages) and complete portfolio (sections 1-11) due in class Week 13: May 17 Conclusion Get back your portfolios and grades
Literature
  • Margaret Atwood, Surfacing
  • MLA Handbook
  • N. Scott Momaday, House Made of Dawn
  • SPARLING, Don, Stephen Paul HARDY and Iva GILBERTOVÁ. Introduction to literature. Vyd. 2., upr. V Brně: Masarykova univerzita, 1998, viii, 226. ISBN 8021017767. info
  • DURANT, Alan, Nigel FABB, Tom FURNISS, Sara MILLS and Martin MONTGOMERY. Ways of reading : advanced reading skills for students of English literature. London: Routledge, 1992, x, 257. ISBN 0415053196. info
Assessment methods
Assessment: class participation – 35%, research project portfolio – 65% The preliminary research sections of the research project portfolio should include 10-15 principal sources that are accessible in full-text versions from the Czech Republic. All the sections should follow the MLA style of documenting sources. If you decide to focus on author(s) other than Momaday and Atwood, you need to clear your choice with me first. The weekly RPP assignments are due on Tuesdays by 10:30 am. (The final version of the complete portfolio is due week 12 in class).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: 4 skupin studentů
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Autumn 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2009, recent)
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