Bruce
Clarke
contact information
English 4342.001, Spring 2009
Literary and Narrative Theory
Policy statement
Theory is the name
under which the study of literature connects to other departments of
knowledge: philosophy, history, sociology, psychology, economics, science,
technology, what have you. When stipulated as "literary," theory is the
discourse through which one generalizes about the forms and effects, the
internal and external relations of literary artifacts per se, as distinct
from the study and interpretation of particular literary periods, authors,
and works in their own right. Narrative is the representation of an (actual
or imaginary) event
or series of events. Narrative representation can occur in a number of
different mediums. Narrative is literary when its medium is language,
but, for instance, cinematic when its medium is film. Narratology is
the theory of narrative, literary and otherwise. In this course we will keep
out focus on literary matters, in their theoretical connections to
other creative mediums and scholarly disciplines.
Expectations, Outcomes, Assessments
Texts:
Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford)
S. T. Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, ed. Fry (Bedford
Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism)
Jorge Luis Borges, Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings (New
Directions)
Monika Fludernik, An Introduction to Narratology (Routledge)
Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49 (Harper Perennial)
| Readings |
Responses |
|
|
JAN 8 |
Introduction |
|
|
13 |
Literary Theory 1-3 (1-55) |
Taryn |
|
15 |
Literary Theory 4-8, Appendix (55-132) |
Anne, Steve |
|
20 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: Biographical and Historical Contexts,
Critical History (3-24, 77-96) |
Cecilia, Sean
|
|
22 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: The 1798 and 1817 Texts (25-75) |
Craig, Stephanie |
|
27 |
SNOW
DAY |
|
|
29 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: Reader-Response Criticism |
Hope
|
|
FEB 3 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: Marxist Criticism (131-67) |
Jolie, Michael
|
|
5 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: The New Historicism (168-219) |
Evan
|
|
10 |
Rime
of the Ancient Mariner: Psychoanalytic Criticism |
Gabe, Megan |
|
12 |
|
|
|
17 |
Jennifer, Pedro |
|
|
19 |
Essay 1 due |
|
|
24 |
Labyrinths: Invitation, Introduction, “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius,”
“The Garden of Forking Paths” (ix-29) |
Hope, Cecilia |
|
26 |
Labyrinths, from Essays: “Partial Magic in the Quixote,”
“Avatars of the Tortoise,” “The Mirror of Enigmas,” “A New
Refutation of Time” |
Jordan, Anne
|
|
MAR 3 |
Labyrinths: “The Lottery in Babylon” to “Three Versions of
Judas” (30-100) |
Karen, Craig, Taryn
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
10 |
Labyrinths: “The Sect of the Phoenix” to “The God’s Script”
(101-73) |
Kathleen
|
|
12 |
Midterm
Exam study guide |
|
|
Spring Break |
|
|
|
24 |
Introduction to Narratology: chapters 1-3 (1-20) |
Margarita |
|
26 |
Introduction to Narratology: chapters 4-5 (21-52) |
Jolie, Evan |
|
31 |
Crying of Lot 49: chapters 1-2 |
Megan, Pedro |
|
APR 2 |
Crying of Lot 49: chapters 3-4 |
Michael, Karen |
|
7 |
Introduction to Narratology: chapters 6-8 (53-87) |
Matt, Jen |
|
9 |
Introduction to Narratology: chapters 9-11 (88-135) |
Gabe, Kathleen |
|
14 |
Crying of Lot 49: chapter 5 |
Sean, Margarita |
|
16 |
Crying of Lot 49: chapter 6 |
Stephanie, Jordan |
|
21 |
Term
paper workshop groups |
|
|
23 |
Term
paper due |
|
|
28: |
Wrap-up |
|
|
May 5 |
Final
Exam, 4:30-7:00 p.m. |
|