| Module Identifier |
ENM3420 |
| Module Title |
WORLD POSTMODERN FICTIONS |
| Academic Year |
2007/2008 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr William G Slocombe |
| Semester |
Intended for use in future years |
| Next year offered |
N/A |
| Next semester offered |
N/A |
| Course delivery |
Seminars / Tutorials | 5 x 2 hours |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 X 5000 WORD ESSAY | 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment | RESUBMIT ANY FAILED ELEMENTS | 100% |
|
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
demonstrate detailed knowledge of the global context of postmodernism
identify and evaluate the specific uses to which postmodern literary techniques have been put by various cultures
demonstrate an understanding of the problems inherent to issues of translation in both technical and cultural terms
communicate the above effectively in an extenede critical and analytical essay
Aims
Students would take this module in their second semester of their MA programme, primarily because they will already have experience of postmodernism from various other MA courses, such as Postmodern Cultures, Postmodern American Fictions (from semester 1), and Metafictional Experiments in the Postmodern Novel. This module also serves to introduce students to a wider variety of postmodern fiction than the MA programme currently allows.
Content
1. TRANSLATION, NATIONALITY, AND IDENTITY IN A POSTMODERN WORLD
Critical extracts from Susan Bassnett, "Translation Studies" (Routledge 2002), and Couser and Fichtelberg, "True Relations" (Greenwood Press 1998); and literary selections from Jorge Luis Borges, "Labyrinths" (1956-60), various translators.
2. ASIA
Haruki Murakami, "The Wild Sheep Chase" (1983), trans. Alfred Brinbaum, 1989. (304pp); Kodama Sanehide and Inoue Ken, "Postmodernism in Japan" in " International Postmodernism". Suggested further reading: Banana Yoshomoto, "N.P." (1990), trans. Ann Sherif, 1994; Arundhati Roy, "The God of Small Things". (1997)
3. EUROPE
Italo Calvino, "If on a winter's night a traveller" (1979), trans. William Weaver, 1981. (159pp); Monica Jansen, "Postmodernism in Italy" in "International Postmodernism". Suggested further reading: Geroge Perec, "The Exeter Text: Jewel, Secrets, Sex" (1972), trans. Ian Monk, 1996; Umberto Eco, "Misreadings" (1963), trans. William Weaver, 1993.
4. AFRICA
J.M. Coetzee, "Foe" (1986). (160pp); Chantal Zabus, "Postmodernism in African Literature in English" in "International Postmodernism". Suggested further reading: Wole Soyinka, "Season of Anomy" (1973) or "The Interpreters" (1965).
5. SOUTH AFRICA
Carlos Fuentes, "Christopher Unborn" (1987), trans. Alfred MacAdam, 1989. (531pp); Julio Ortega, "Postmodernism in Spanish-American Writing" in "International Postmodernism". Suggested further reading: Gabriel García Márquez, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" (1981), trans. Gregory Rebassa, 1982.
Brief description
Exploring the postmodern literature of four continents, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, often in translation, this module offers students the opportunity to explore the wider global contexts of postmodernism. The module locates postmodernism itself as a global phenomenon (via the concept of postmodernity) and encourages students to assess the relative differences between how postmodern narrative strategies and devices are used by various cultures. ¿Translation¿ here is as much a method of linking between cultures as it is a linguistic mechanism, and so both technical and thematic concepts of translation will be considered through topics such as magic realism, metafiction, and postcolonialism, as well as issues of globalization, and national, cultural, and individual identity.
Module Skills
| Problem solving |
Identifying problems and suggesting resoned solutionsin seminars.
Formulating and developing an extended argument. |
| Research skills |
Independent research to complete the summative assessment task.
Relating literary texts to cultural contexts;
Synthesizing information in an evaluative argument. |
| Communication |
Written communication in the form of essays.
Oral communication in seminars. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance |
Developing own research skills;
Management of time. |
| Team work |
Group work in seminars |
| Information Technology |
Use of electronic resources;
Production of written work. |
| Personal Development and Career planning |
Critical self-reflection and the development fo transferable communication and research skills. |
| Subject Specific Skills |
Advanced research skills in a specific area of specialist literary study.
The analysis of literary texts, cultural contexts, and awareness of the issues of translation, both in classroom discussion and written assessments. |
Reading Lists
Books
** Should Be Purchased
Calvino, Italo (April 2002) If on a Winter's Night
Random House 0099430894UKBFORMATPAPERBACK
Coetzee, J. M. (Feb. 2001) Foe
Penguin Books, Limited 014029953XTRADEPAPER
Fuentes, Carlos (Oct. 2005) Christopher Unborn
Dalkey Archive Press 1564783391PERFECTTRADEPAPER
Murakami, Haruki (May 2003) A Wild Sheep Chase
Random House 0099448777UKBFORMATPAPERBACK
** Supplementary Text
Bassnett-McGuire, Susan. (2002.) Translation studies /Susan Bassnett.
Routledge 0415280141PBK
Bertens, Hans (Jan. 1997) International Postmodernism: Theory and Literary Practice
John Benjamins Publishing Company 1556196024TRADECLOTH
Couser, G. Thomas (Jan. 1998) True Relations: Essays on Autobiography and the Postmodern.
Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated 0313305099TRADECLOTH
Das, Bijay Kumar (2003) Postmodern Indian English Literature
Atlantic
Head, Dominic. (1997.) J.M. Coetzee /Dominic Head.
Cambridge University Press 0521482321HB
Helmuth, Chalene (1997) The Postmodern Fuentes
Bucknell UP
Markey, Constance. (c1999.) Italo Calvino: a journey toward postmodernism /Constance Markey.
University Press of Florida 081301722X
Nash, Christopher (Jan. 1993) World PostModern Fiction
Longman Publishing Group 0582209102PAPERTEXT
Rubin, Jay (2002.) Haruki Murakami and the music of words /Jay Rubin.
Harvill 1860469868CASED
Strecher, Matthew. (2002.) Dances with sheep: the quest for identity in the fiction of Murakami Haruki /Matthew Carl Strecher.
Center for Japanese Studies/University of Michigan 1929280076CLOTHALKPAPER
Williams, Raymond Leslie (1995) The Postmodern Novel in Latin America: Politics, Culture, and the Crisis of Truth
Palgrave Macmillan
eds. D'haen, Theo and Bertens, Hans (1988) Postmodern Fiction in Europe and the Americas
Rodopi
eds. Masao, Miyoshi and Harootunian, H.D. (1989) Postmodernism and Japan
Duke UP
eds. Snyder, Stephen and Gabriel, Philip (1998) Oe and Beyond: Fiction in Contemporary Japan
University of Hawaii Press
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7