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| LGER0080-1 | Studies of English literary modern texts 4
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| Duration : | 30h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures, German, Dutch and English, 3rd year | | 4 |
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| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures, German, Dutch and English, 3rd year | | 4 |
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| Bachelor in modern languages and literatures, general orientation, 3rd year | | 4 |
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| Bachelor in modern languages and literatures, general orientation, 3rd year | | 4 |
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| One-year preliminary programme leading to the Master in Linguistics | | 4 |
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| One-year preliminary programme leading to the Master in Modern Languages and Literatures, germanic orientation | | 4 |
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| One-year preliminary programme leading to the Master in Modern Languages and Literatures, general orientation | | 4 |
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| Année préparatoire au master en communication multilingue | | 5 |
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| Lecturer : | Marc Delrez |
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| Substitute(s) : | Delphine Munos |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| English language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the second semester |
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Course contents :
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| The course will focus on three contemporary narratives - respectively, Jhumpa Lahiri's "Hema and Kaushik," Paul Auster's The Invention of Solitude, and Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family - in which the 'image world' constitutes a strong presence, even occupies a physical space of its own (as in Ondaatje's photography-embedded memoir and, to a much smaller extent, in Auster's elegy for his father). Whether photography appears directly in the text or is mediated through the act of narration, this media recurrently functions as a powerful memory trigger, at the same time as it sets narration into crisis, notably because it creates 'out of the frame' interpretive spaces with a potential for interrogating the coordinates by which (narrative) reality is constructed. While placing these works in context, particular attention will thus be paid to the ways in which, in all three texts, photography serves as an instrument of revelation, not only in terms of operating a mise en abyme of the dynamics of story-telling, but also in terms of exposing the significance of the reader's interpretive authority. |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| The broader aim of the course is to reflect on the ways in which photography in literature offers innovative inroads into issues such as the workings of memory, the persistence of the past in the present, the unreliability of narration, the ever-constructed nature of reality, while also drawing readers out of their comfort zone by calling attention to their potential (indeed, their responsibility) for working through meaning in the text. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| The course is integrally taught and assessed in English. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| The course will take the form of interactive seminars animated by the teacher. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Face to face. |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| For the purpose of easy referencing, please use the following paperback edition:
- Jhumpa Lahiri, "Hema and Kaushik," in Unaccustomed Earth (first edition 2008). Paperback by Bloomsbury (2009).
"Hema and Kaushik" is Unaccustomed Earth's Part 2. You are not required to read Part 1, though this is highly recommended reading.
Note that, as the different versions of Auster's and Ondaatje's books might impact on their overall layout, cover, and reproduction of photographs, it is essential that you use the following paperback editions (which are widely available):
· Paul Auster, The Invention of Solitude (first edition 1982). Paperback by Faber & Faber (2012).
- Michael Ondaatje, Running in the Family (first edition 1982). Paperback by Bloomsbury (2009).
Compulsory secondary resource
- Roland Barthes, La Chambre Claire (1980). Please note that you MUST USE the English version of the text: Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, by Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc (1999).
An optional bibliography will be provided in class, to help you choose a theoretical framework for your essays. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| Assessment will be based on a personal written essay, while the oral exam will take the form of two commentaries on two texts (one of the teacher's choice, one of the student's choice). |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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| The course will be organized in the second term (Tuesdays 4-6h pm) and taught by Dr Delphine Munos. |
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Contacts :
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| Delphine Munos
Delphine.Munos@ulg.ac.be |
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