EN3201 Literary Theory

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

11.00 am - 1.00 pm Thursday

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr A Raychaudhuri

Dr A Raychaudhuri
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr A Raychaudhuri

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module is designed to guide students through some fundamental questions in literary theory, and introduce them to the writing of some canonical critical theorists. Week by week, in a series of two-hour sessions, students will be introduced to a question or problem in literary interpretation, such as the role of the unconscious in writing, the ideas of ethnicity and nation and their influence on literature and culture. By reading a selection of theoretical texts each week, students will develop an understanding of these fundamental questions. Students will be introduced to the terminology of the various different theoretical positions studied; gaining familiarity with feminist, psychoanalytical, Marxist, post-colonial and post-structuralist concepts and terms, amongst others. Students should be able to understand these terms and employ them in their own work in a clear and unpretentious manner. Over the course of this module students will also have to consider the methodology of other disciplines in the arts, humanities and social sciences (philosophy, anthropology, political theory and history, for example), and ask how the methodology of literary studies is related to those other disciplines. (Group E)

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS EN2003 AND PASS EN2004

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

exam = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 lecture and 1 tutorial, and 2 optional consultative hours.

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

278

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Display a familiarity with fundamental questions in critical theory, and with the writing of canonical critical theorists
  • Discuss issues in critical theory in seminars, whether guided by topics set by a teacher, or in open conversation
  • Demonstrate a familiarity with the terminology and arguments of different theoretical positions
  • Understand these terms and employ them in their own work in a clear and unpretentious manner
  • Take their theoretical knowledge and apply it to a range of literary texts. Students should be aware of a variety of relationships between literary texts and the theoretical texts that are written around and about them.