Reading Theory / Reading Text

Wedi cwblhau'r modiwl dylai'r myfyrwyr fedru:

1. Analyse the relationships beteen different theoretical approaches
2. Reflect on their own critical practice in a theoretically informed way
3. Employ particular theoretical approaches in the critical analysis of literary text
4. Evaluate the significance of particular theoretical approaches for the practice of literary criticism.

The module aims to enable students to explore the relationship between literary theory and literary analysis by means of a weekly one-hour seminar and a weekly two-hour 'workshop' building upon the experience gained in previous theory modules. Thus, the key notion of the module is the provision of opportunities to gain experience of the practical application of literary theory to literary texts. It is intended that individual tutors are granted considerable scope to determine choice of material, and the precise definition and running order of topics. All tutors will, however, be expected to give equal emphasis to topics within three broad theoretical areas – politics and history; language and textuality; gender and sexuality – and to explore these topics in relation to four literary texts.

To build upon the experience gained in the previous theory module, EN20120 Literary Theory, Debates and Dialogues and to enable students to explore the relationship between literary theory and literary analysis.
To enable students to gain experience of the practical application of literary theory to literary texts.

The four literary texts on which workshops will be focused are:

William Shakespeare, The Tempest
Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights
Henry James, The Turn of the Screw

plus one text of the tutor's choice (indicative range from past practice: Daniel Defoe, Roxana; Jane Austen, Emma; Tennyson, selected poems; Virginia Woolf, Between the Acts; Toni Morrison, Beloved; Derek Walcott, selected poems; China Mieville, The City and the City)

The three broad theoretical headings, which all groups will use, are:
1. Politics and History
2. Language and Textuality
3. Gender and Sexuality

Tutors will decide individually on the order of treatment of these topics, and will match topic to text according to their own judgement. Tutors may wish to touch on several of the topics for a given text, rather than matching each of the four literary texts to just one of the four broad topics. In each week the one-hour seminar will be used to refresh and extend students' understanding of key theoretical concepts, and the two-hour workshop will be devoted to putting these concepts into use in the practical analysis of literary texts. Critical essays on the literary texts that have appropriate theoretical inflections will regularly be used as prompts and exemplars.

Mae'r modiwl hwn yn cydymffurfio a FfCChC Lefel 6