This class is designed to analyse and interpret literary texts which represent children/adolescents and their mindsets, or elderly people. In detail, we will read two contemporary novels, Mark Haddon's Curious Incident with the Dog in the Night Time (for a youngster), and Alan Isler's The Prince of West Avenue (for an oldtimer).
However, representations of young and old aged protagonists reach far back in literary history. Therefore, we will begin by reading exerpts of works from earlier literary ages. First, we are going to take a look at William Shakespeare's melancholic figure Jaques and his views on the six stages of life (in As You Like It). We will then proceed into the 18th century with a look at Jonathan Swift's fictional tribe of the never dying, ever ageing Struldbruggs (in the Book III of Gulliver's Travels), and leap forward to Classical Modernism in the early 20th century: Joyce's young alter ego Stephen Dedalus (in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man) and Eliot's J. Alfred Prufrock, the speaker in the "Love poem" bearing this name.
These preliminary representations will provide a fitting background to a reading of the two novels.
Introduction to Literary Studies, BM 1
The two novels will have to be purchased by participants:
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. London: Red Fox Definition (Random House) 2003 (repr.)
Isler, Alan. The Prince of West End Avenue. London: Vintage 1995 (repr.)
Other material will be made accessible in the Lernraum by the beginning of the new semester.
Frequency | Weekday | Time | Format / Place | Period |
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Module | Course | Requirements | |
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23-ANG-AngBM2 Basismodul 2: Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies | 2.3 Basisseminar: Genres, Authors, Periods | Study requirement
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Student information |
- | Graded examination | Student information | |
23-ANG-AngPM2 Profilmodul 2: British Studies | 2.3 British Literature and Media | Study requirement
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Student information |
- | Graded examination | Student information |
The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.
This class addresses both students aiming for a B.A. in English, as well as those to become teachers at HR/GyGe.
Studienleistung: Oral presentation in class (plus handout and/or Powerpoint presentation, 20 mins per student, or a manifold of this duration for groups)
Prüfungsleistung: Additional term paper to becomposed in the summer vacation (wordcount ca. 3.600)
A corresponding course offer for this course already exists in the e-learning system. Teaching staff can store materials relating to teaching courses there: