Understand the structures and conventions of narrative texts (novel, short story, ...) and the basics of narratology. Begin to appreciate the complexity of the operation of literary interpretation. Discover the diversity (textual, chronological, cultural, geographical, ...) of literary writing in English. Develop a taste for literature.
See "Learning Outcomes".
Starting from a collection of carefully selected excerpts, short stories, and novels, and moving back and forth between the texts and the theoretical notes, the course gradually builds up a toolbox for narratological analysis, i.e., a method for the description and interpretation of narratives, including storyworld, characterisation, narration, and focalisation. This model integrates textual, intertextual, historical, and cognitive dimensions.
Analyses of novels and of a wide range of narrative texts to be found in the "Anthology").
For example (the list of required reading is subject to change):
“Cognition”
David Almond’s Paper Boat, Paper Bird
“Storyworld”
Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other
“Narrative Text”
Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway
“Emotion”
Sylvia Plath’s “Tulips” & Wendy Erskine’s “Gloria and Max”
“Extra Concepts”
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein & Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home
Almond Seminar
Seminar David Almond’s Bone Music
“Adaptations”
“Rooney Seminar”
Seminar Sally Rooney’s Normal People
“Whitehead Seminar”
Seminar Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
“Joyce Seminar”
Seminar James Joyce’s “The Dead”
“Conclusion”
These exercises are designed to help students read, understand, and appreciate a selection of literary texts featured in the “Anthology". The goal is not to produce a systematic literary analysis following the descriptive framework of the theoretical course, but rather to verify and deepen students’ understanding of the texts in question, as well as to explore certain possible avenues of interpretation. The exercises are interactive in nature so as to allow students to practice both “active” language skills (speaking, writing) and “passive” skills (reading, listening), thereby improving their communicative proficiency in English. This is the second major objective of these exercises, which is just as important as the first.
Taught lectures involving active participation of the students, who will have previously studied the relevant texts in advance. Questions are asked and answers given in both directions; additional examples and more food for thought are provided. Given the teacher's interactive approach it is imperative for students to prepare lectures in advance.
Written exam, based entirely or for the greatest part on anonymized extracts from the literary texts on the reading list. Students must be able to identify the extracts and to put them into context. They will also be asked to apply the descriptive categories from the theoretical toolbox to them.
Coursebook "Narratology Lab", available at "Réprographie"
"Anthology", available at "Réprographie"
Selected novels, available at Point Virgule
The PowerPoints will be made available on WebCampus, and additional illustrations will be provided, for instance in the form of musical excerpts or video clips, which will illustrate the concepts, texts, and periods discussed.
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | 1 | 7 | Yes |
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | 3 | 7 | No |