A2MP_SOBR Contemporary British literature

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Jiří Šalamoun, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Lucie Podroužková, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable of Seminar Groups
A2MP_SOBR/Kombi01: Fri 20. 9. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 4. 10. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 18. 10. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 8. 11. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 22. 11. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 6. 12. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Z. Janík, J. Šalamoun
A2MP_SOBR/Kombi02: Fri 27. 9. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 11. 10. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 25. 10. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 15. 11. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 29. 11. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Fri 13. 12. 14:00–16:50 učebna 11, Z. Janík, J. Šalamoun
A2MP_SOBR/Prez01: Mon 17:00–19:50 učebna 6, Z. Janík, J. Šalamoun
Prerequisites
Students are familiar with the development of British literature till the beginning of the 20th century, possess advanced reading skills and are familiar with the methods of close reading and textual analysis. Students are comfortable with reading English texts in the original and engage in the said practice.
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
This course examines the development of British literature since 1945 on the background of historical, social and cultural events. In the seminars we will explore major writers and literary movements of the period as well as recurrent themes and motifs in the assigned readings. At the end of the course students will be able to identify major figures of British literature of the 20th century, make their own connections between the assigned reading and also question and actively interpret them as well as create their own critical evaluation.

Teaching practice:
The literary part of the course is inspired by the theory and practice of dialogic teaching (as proposed by Robin Alexander). To that end, each class employs a different communicative activity which is used to: (i) introduce students to some possible ways of teaching literature, (ii) enable students to understand the discussed texts on a deeper level, (iii) foster the spirit of a learning community.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
1) identify and describe four major trends of postwar British literature and understand their relationship to British society and culture
2) understand and frame literary works as a form of social commentary which responds to specific social and cultural occurrences
3) develop your skills in analytical reading and proposal writing
4) research, prepare, and deliver a presentation which meets the requirements of the State Exam in literature.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction to the course: organization, readings, final assignments.
  • 2) The 1950s in context: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (part 1).
  • 3) From the Consumer Age to A Sense of Crisis: Lord of the Flies (part 2).
  • 4) The 1960s and a Sense of Crisis: Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (part 1).
  • 5) Wide Sargasso Sea (part 2).
  • 6) The 1960s: The 'Swinging Sixties,' the 'Psychedelic Sixties,' and the youth subcultures: Anthony Burgess’s Clockwork Orange.
  • 7) Identity, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism in Great Britain: Salman Rushdie (The Prophet’s Hair + Hanif Kureishi (“My Son the Fanatic”).
  • 8) Women of the UK of 1960s: Angel Carter, The Bloody Chamber.
  • 9) Regionalism; V for Vendetta.
  • 10) The 1990s: Kazuo Ishiguro ("Village after Dark”) + Ian McEwan (Enduring Love, chapter one).
  • 11) 21st Century Britain.
  • 12) Conclusion of the course.
  • 13) Student presentations.
  • Since the combined version of this course only has six contact sessions available, half of the readings will be discussed in our Moodle course.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SANDERS, Andrew. The short Oxford history of English literature. Third edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, vii, 756. ISBN 9780199263387. info
    not specified
  • The contemporary British novel. Edited by James Acheson - Sarah C. E. Ross. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005, iv, 250 p. ISBN 0748618953. info
  • Dark humor and social satire in the modern British novel. Edited by Lisa Colletta. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003, 154 p. ISBN 1403963657. info
  • The Longman anthology of British literature. Edited by David Damrosch - Kevin J. H. Dettmar - Jennifer Wicke. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 2002, xxiii, s. ISBN 032110580X. info
  • BRADBURY, Malcolm. The modern British novel. London: Penguin Books, 1994, xvi, 515. ISBN 014023098X. info
  • MASSIE, Allan. The novel today : a critical guide to the British novel, 1970-1989. London: Longman, 1990, vi, 97. ISBN 0582004071. info
  • MEISEL, Perry. The myth of the modern :a study in British literature and criticism after 1850. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987, x, 263 s. ISBN 0-300-03946-8. info
  • MORRIS, Robert K. Continuance and change : the contemporary British novel sequence. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1972, xx, 164. ISBN 0809305445. info
  • BURGESS, Anthony. English literature : a survey for students. London: Longman, 1958, 278 p. ISBN 0582552249. info
  • MANLY, John Matthews, Fred Benjamin MILLETT and Edith RICKERT. Contemporary British literature : a critical survey and 232 author-bibliographies. 3rd rev. and enl. ed. / base. London: Harcourt, Brace, 1935, xi, 556 p. info
Teaching methods
Discussion, small group work, lecture, in class writing exercises.
Assessment methods
Literature part:
Participation in collaborative learning and discussion based activities (26%)
Think & reflect in-class papers (20%)
Short in-class presentation on recent articles/videos related to readings (10%)
Mock state exam presentation (44%).

Culture and social part:
A final quiz.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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