English Lit final.pdf

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English LiteratureUndergraduate Handbook

2012 entry


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Please keep this handbook in a safe place. Itcontains essential information which you will needto refer to throughout your degree course.


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Contents

Welcome from Head of School ............................................................................................... 5Contact and Welfare Information ............................................................................................ 6

Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................... 9

Your Degree: Aims and Objective ......................................................................................... 12

Your Degree: Curriculum Information .................................................................................. 14

Table of Modules .................................................................................................................. 15

Assessment and Examination information ............................................................................ 18

Study Aids ............................................................................................................................ 24

Teaching and Learning Methods .......................................................................................... 25

First Year Module Outlines ................................................................................................... 28

Faculty Contact Details and Research Interests ................................................................... 34

Appendix: Guidance on Essay Referencing .......................................................................... 38

Please Note:

Although every effort is made to ensure that all information contained in this

handbook is correct at the time of going to print (September 2012), the Universitycannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The University also reserves theright to introduce changes from the information given, including the addition,withdrawal or restructuring of courses and/or modules. The terms and conditions onwhich the University makes offers of places on its courses of study, including thosecovered in this handbook, may be found in the University of Sussex UndergraduateProspectus, copies of which can be obtained from the Admissions Office inSussex House.


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.From Professor Tom Healy, Head of the School of English

A very warm welcome to the School of English. ThroughBA degrees in English Literature, English Language,American Studies, and Drama, we engage with the historical,creative, performed, theoretical, and linguistic aspects ofEnglish as a world language and literature. The School iscommitted to providing our students with teaching of highquality, founded on the expertise of over 40 members ofacademic faculty whose research has overwhelmingly beencelebrated as internationally excellent. Our aim as a School isto provide you with a supportive and intellectually stimulatingenvironment as you work in your chosen degree course.

I hope that you will take full advantage of what SussexUniversity has to offer you. All the School's staff wish to help

you to make the most of your time here. Studying in the School you become a part of anacademic community that explores how language, whether read or performed, is thefoundation of the investigations we undertake about the human place in the world. We wantto work with you in helping you further your development into independent, informed andquestioning thinkers. Yet how much you get out of your time here depends on how muchyou put in, and I encourage you to be an enthusiastic participant in your degree course.Above all, studying with us should be rewarding and enjoyable. If you feel at any point thatis not the case, let us know and we will try to help.

I very much hope that you have a pleasurable and productive time with us at Sussex.

Tom HealyHead of the School of English


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Contact and Welfare Information

Where do I go for Inform at ion?

The English School OfficeThe English School Office is located in Arts B133 on the ground floor of the ArtsB Building and the staff there are happy to help you with any queries you mayhave. The office is open 9 am 5 pm Monday to Friday. The office phonenumber is (01273) 877303and the office e-mail is: [email protected].

English Faculty contact details and office hours can be found at:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/schooloffice

Email

You will be registered for an email account here at the University of Sussex, and it isimportant that you check this account daily during the week in term times, as muchcommunication is done by email. University emails will automatically be sent to yourUniversity account rather than other personal accounts, such as Hotmail.

The WebThe School of English website has lots of useful information including faculty contact details,module and course information and up-to-date news and events in the School:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/

Sussex DirectWhen you arrive you will be registered to Sussex Direct, which is your personalised onlinegateway to university information. The system will provide you with your study timetableinformation, as well as help you track your marks, assessment deadlines, exams timetableand attendance. Behind the scenes, Sussex Direct helps your Academic Adviser, andStudent Advisers, to support your studies.

You will also be able to access your library account and personal information pages,including; contact, financial, printing and training course information.

Study DirectYou will also be registered to Study Direct, which has a range of on-line academic

resources to help you with your studies.

You will find the links to Sussex Direct and Study Direct at www.sussex.ac.uk (via thestudent internal link).

Notice boardsSome key information may be displayed on student notice boards in the Arts B Building (inthe lobby area outside the English School Office, B133), so it is important that youfamiliarise yourself with where they are located and check them regularly.


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PigeonholesUndergraduate pigeonholes for students in the School of English are located in Arts B134and these should be checked regularly. The pigeonholes contain post andcoursework/feedback from assessments. Students will be emailed when coursework is

ready to be collected.

Undergraduate Examinations HandbookThere is some information about examinations and assessments in this

handbook, but more detailed information can be found in the Undergraduate ExaminationsHandbook, which is published on-line by the universitys academic office:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/academicoffice/documentsandpolicies/examinationandasseexaminationanda/undergraduateexaminationhandbook

The English Undergraduate Manual for Planning and Writing EssaysThis on-line manual gives you detailed guidance in the planning and writing of

essays and dissertations at undergraduate level. It is available on the School of Englishswebpage: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks

Event Booking System

The event booking system is used by the School office to invite students to events within theSchool. The event will appear in your Sussex Direct timetable as either compulsory orsomething that requires a request of acceptance. Typical events include book launches,extra workshops and Drama performances.

Who can I talk to?

Your Academic AdviserThe role of your Academic Adviser is to monitor your academic progress and to give youadvice and help on academic or personal issues that may be affecting your studies. You willmeet your Academic Adviser during the first term, and they will be available during theiroffice hour for you to talk to should you need their help and advice. You will also meet with

them each year to review together how your studies are progressing.

Student Life CentreThe Student Life Centre is based on the ground floor of Chichester 1, and is open everyweekday 9 am5 pm. The Student Life Team are there to help with the following issues:

Personal Concerns

Student Funding: Access to Learning Fund, all scholarships, bursaries and ViceChancellors loans.

Student Mentoring

Information about taking a temporary break (temporary withdrawal) or withdrawingfrom the university.

Student Complaints

Student Discipline


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Who c an I talk to if I am experiencing dif f icul t ies?If you are having problems with a particular module we would recommend talking to yourmodule tutor in the first instance. If you are experiencing more general academic problemsor issues with your degree you should see your academic adviser. For help and advice withpersonal and welfare issues you can talk to a member of the Student Life Centre team,based on the ground floor of Chichester 1.

What happens if I cant hand my work in due to illness/other circumstances?If you believe you have a good reason why you cannot hand in work you can submitMitigating Evidence. Please go to your Sussex Direct screen, click on your 'study' tab andchoose 'mitigating evidence' from the drop-down menu. Click on 'new claim' and select thedates appropriate to the duration of your claim. All assessments due between those dateswill appear on your screen claim. Enter the information about your claim according to theguidance provided on the screen. Once you have completed the claim you will be requiredto print a cover sheet and a copy of the claim 'insert'. Place insert and all documentaryevidence in an envelope and attach the cover sheet. You must submit the envelope to your

school office. Essays and coursework should be submitted to the School office, eitherbefore or after handing in the mitigating evidence form.

Where do I hand in my work?Coursework should be handed in to the English School Office (Arts B133), or, if you aretaking a module notrun by the School of English, to the school office of the School that runsthe module in question.

You need to make sure that you submit 2 copiesof your assessed work, with a cover sheetattached. The two copies must be individually stapled and one cover sheet must be placedon top of both copies, hole-punched in the top left-hand corner and attached with a treasurytag. (One cover sheet for both copies). Coversheets are available from the School Officethroughout the year.

Work that is not formally assessed and does not contribute to your marks for the year willnormally be handed in to the module tutor.

Where do I hand in work when its late?Late work should be handed in to the English School Office.

Please note that work submitted late will be subject to the following penalties:

up to 24 hours after the deadline - a penalty deduction of 5 percentage points, so an

original mark of 65% will be reduced to 60%. after 24 hours and up to 7 days (1 weeks) late - a penalty deduction of 10

percentage points

after 7 days and up to the final submission date (as detailed on Sussex Direct) -assignment to be marked but given a capped 40% mark

after final published submission deadlineautomatic zero mark.

It is extremely important therefore, that you do hand all of your work in on time.Losing marks for lateness can have a significant impact on your degree classification.

Where do I col lect marked wor k?Marked work will be returned in class by the tutor or left in the Pigeonhole Room, Arts B134for you to collect. If you dont attend the seminar, subject to the tutor, the marked work willbe ready to collect from B134.


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Where can I see my marks?Your marks can be viewed on Sussex Direct, along with progress reports written by yourtutors. Marks and feedback will be returned within 15 working days.

Where do I get a photoco py c ard from , and w here is the nearest photoco pier?

You can purchase a photocopy card (and recharge it) in the Library. The nearestphotocopiers and printers are in the Library.

Where is the nearest computer cluster?Some computers are available off the English Social Space (B274) on the second floor inArts B. Computers are also available in the Shawcross Building and in the Library.

Where can I update my c ontact details?If your contact details change you should update them on your Sussex Direct account.

Where can I f ind informat ion about mod ules?Information about modules can be found on Sussex Direct, including the modes ofassessment, weightings and credit details. Or you can go to the link on the School ofEnglish website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses

What inform at ion is available via Sussex Direct?The system provides you with your study timetable information, as well as help you trackyour marks, assessment deadlines, exams timetable and attendance. Behind the scenes,Sussex Direct helps your Academic Adviser and the Student Life Centre teams to supportyour studies.

You can also see your library account and personal information pages, including; contact,financial, printing and training course information.

You will find the link to Sussex Direct and Study Direct at www.sussex.ac.uk (via thestudent internal link).

What is Study Direct?Study Direct has a range of on-line academic resources to help you with your studies. Somemodules also have readers and outlines which will be available for you to downloadand print.

I want to tr ansfer to a different degree cours ewhat should I do?You should talk it through with your Academic Adviser if you want to change your degree

course. If you decide to transfer to a different degree course this is only possible at certaintimes of the year, and you should contact Anne Woodbridge, Curriculum and AssessmentOfficer, Arts B138 (opposite the School Office). She will give you a transfer form and explainthe procedure to you.

What do I do in an emergency?If there is an accident or emergency you should phone the campus emergency hotline on3333 (from a mobile or external line call 01273 873333). Do not dial 999. If you hear a firealarm, leave the building straight away by the nearest exit and go to the local buildingassembly point.

and remember, the staff in the English School Office (Arts B133) are here to help you withany queries you may have.


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Your English Degree: Aims and Objectives

Why Engl ish at Sussex?

The University of Sussex has been at the forefront of developments in literary studies sinceour inception, and our current degree course is widely recognised for its combination ofcoherence, innovation and variety. You will not only be introduced to a range of recent - andoften controversial - critical approaches. You will also have the freedom to explore keyissues in literatures ranging from the medieval to the modern. During your studies you willexplore questions such as:

What role has literature played in past societies as well as in present society?

How do we analyse and understand different genres such as the novel, poetry, drama,the short story and autobiography?

What is the relationship between literature and other cultural forms, including film,

photography and the visual arts? What are the links between modernism, post-modernism and post-colonial writing?

The variety of module choices available during your degree course will provide you with thescope and flexibility to pursue your individual interests - anything from creative writing tosexual politics.

Core ski l ls

While at Sussex you will be acquiring and developing many skills. Below is a list of coreskills used in our modules. The language may be unfamiliar now, but it can help you toexpress the skills you learn through academic study when you apply for employment orfurther study. The aim for the presentis to help you to:

take control of your self-development

be clear about what you like doing and what you're good at

set yourself ambitious goals for your study at Sussex

plan how you will manage your time to achieve these goals

develop a critical awareness of your work and your working methods

make connections between your life at Sussex and your future beyond it.

Interpersonal skills

Communicat ionWriting clearly and cogently Listening to others

Preparing and delivering presentations Negotiating and cooperating

Contributing to seminar discussion

Social

Building on the ideas of others Working in a group, delegating tasks

Encouraging and motivating others


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Academic Skills

Learning Ski l ls

Contributing effectively in seminars Revising drafts and proof reading

Evaluating evidence, developing an

argument

Reviewing progress

Essay planning, writing effectively

Research Skil ls

Independent research Using resources (the library, on-line andCDROM data)

Making use of a reading list Applying critical theories

Developing critical awareness

The aim for the futureis that you will be able to:

question what you read and why you read it respond critically and creatively to how you read

develop a critical and cultural awareness that will remain with you for life

find and develop your own distinctive voice

make well informed decisions about the world in which you live

articulate your strengths to employers

take control of your own career development.

Creat iv i ty and y our degree

Your English degree at Sussex will enable you to develop your own creativity. You will beable, if you wish, to submit creative writing exercises in a number of the modules studiedduring your degree. You may produce visual work - painting, photography, sculpture andvisual artifacts - for some of your modules, provided that it is accompanied by critical orcreative reflection.

Royal Society of Literature Writing SupportThe Royal Literary Fund (RLF)Writing Fellowship Programme provides support forstudents who would like to improve their writing skills for their creative writing, essays,projects or dissertations. Full details can be found on the web:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tldu/studentskills/rlf


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Your English Degree: Curriculum Information

You will study English at Sussex either as a Single Honours student, taking English core

modules, English options and electives, or as a Joint Honours student, taking core modulesand options from the two courses you are studying.

Single Honours Degree Courses:BA EnglishJoint Honours Degree Courses:BA English and HistoryBA English and Art HistoryBA English and Media StudiesBA English and a Language (French, German, Italian or Spanish)BA English and Film StudiesBA English Language and Literature

BA Philosophy and EnglishBA American Studies and EnglishBA Drama Studies and English

How is m y degree course structured?

Your degree course has been designed so that it has clear stages of development.

InYear 1, your modules provide you with the foundation for your further studies in years 2and 3. The modules you take in year 1 will ask fundamental and far-reaching questionsabout what literature is and about the ways we read and make sense of literature.

InYear 2, your modules consolidate what you have learned in year 1 and introduce you tonew material and approaches. In the spring and the summer terms of year 2 you will beginyour study of a Period of English Literature module. This will develop your skills in thinkingcontextually and historically and in applying to the literature of a particular period thetheoretical approaches you have learnt so far.

InYear 3, your modules involve an element of independent research, requiring you to show[if you have not done so before] originality and independence of thought. You will be able towork in detail on a Special Authorand on a Special Subject, giving yourself the freedom tospecialise with rigour and in depth in areas of study and on topics of your choice.

At Sussex, we encourage you to maintain an awareness of the interconnectedness and thedevelopment of your degree as a whole. In your electronic feedback in Sussex Direct orwritten feedback forms, you will be asked how you intend to carry forward your work on aparticular module and how you relate the module you have completed to work you havealready undertaken.


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Final YearTerm Module CreditsAutumn (core) Period of English Literature choose ONE from:

1500-1625;1625-1750; 1750-1880; 1860-194530

Autumn (option) Special Authorchoose ONEfrom: 30

Austen, Beckett, Dickens, Hardy, Hitchcock, John Ashbery,Marlowe, Rushdie, Woolf,

Spring (core) Modern and Contemporary- choose ONEfrom: 30British Writing

Contemporary Film: Contemporary Theory

21stCentury Literature

Spring (core) Special Subjectchoose ONEfrom: 30Q3141 Culture and PornographyQ3142 Documentary America

Q3024 Islam, Literature and the West

Q3020 Language, Truth & Literature

Q3079 Literatures of AfricaQ3006 Sexual Difference: Women and WritingQ3051 The Uncanny

Q3119 Utopias and Dystopias

Details of all modules listed above can be found at:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses

(Joint Honours):BA English and HistoryBA English and Art History

BA English and a Language (French, German, Italian or Spanish)BA English and Film StudiesBA Philosophy and EnglishBA American Studies and EnglishBA Drama Studies and English

First Year

Term Module (code and title) CreditsAutumn (core) Q3121 Texts in Time 1 30Spring (core) Q3124 Texts in Time 2 30

The remainder of your modules for the first year will be

from your joint subject.

BA English and Media Studies

First Year

Term Module (code and title) CreditsAutumn (core) Q3120 Critical Approaches 1 15

Q3122 Reading Genre 1 15

Spring (core) Q3124 Texts in Time 2 30The remainder of your modules for the first year will befrom your joint subject.


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BA English Language and Literature

First Year

Term Module (code and title) CreditsAutumn (core) Q3120 Critical Approaches 1 15

Q3122 Reading Genre 1 15Spring (core) Q3123 Critical Approaches 2 15Q3125 Reading Genre 2 15

The remainder of your modules for the first year will befrom your joint subject.

All Joint Honours

Second Year

Term Module CreditsAutumn (option) Period of English Literature choose ONE from:

1500-1625;1625-1750; 1750-1880; 1860-1945

30

Spring (option) Q3060 Traditions, Innovations and Genres: The NovelOR

30

Writing, Translation and Performancechoose TWO froman array of options (see second year BA English table onpage 15 for list of options)

15 each

The remainder of your modules for the second year will befrom your joint subject.

Final Year

Term Module CreditsAutumn (core) Special Author Choose ONE from an array of options

(see final year BA English table on page 16 for list ofoptions):

30

Spring (core) Special Subject Choose ONE from an array of options(see table on page 16)

30

The remainder of your modules for the final year will befrom your joint subject.

N.B. For details of the modules that you will take for your joint subject, please refer to therelevant course handbook.

PLEASE NOTE: Whilst the above course tables are accurate at the time of printing this handbook (Septemb

2012), the curriculum may have changed by the time you are in your second and final years i.e. some nemodules may be running and some modules may not be offered. The English website will always have the moup to date degree course structuresgo tohttp://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourseshttp://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourseshttp://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses


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Your English Degree: Assessment and Examination

The Credit System

You will notice that each module has a certain number of credits. Degree courses at Sussexare modular, with each academic year being a largely self-contained unit of study. Full-timestudents are expected to spend at least30 working weeks on their studies - a grand total ofat least 1,200 student-hours per year. Sussex, like other Universities, uses a measurecalled acredit which reflects this input of time. In the system used here, each academicyear contains at least 120 credits (i.e. a credit is equivalent to 10 hours of student effort).These credits are divided out amongst the different modules. By knowing the number ofcredits for each module, you will have a guide to the relative amount of work required - i.e. a15 credit module should require only half the total amount of work needed for a 30 creditmodule. The credit allocated to a module is meant to indicate the total amount of effortrequired over the duration of the module. This can include time spent on many relevantlearning activities such as reading background material, preparing and writing essays,

attending lectures and tutorials and revision for exams.

These figures can only be a guide. The most important reason for this is that individualstudents come with different backgrounds and have different strengths, and this affects theamount of effort (and time) that will be needed to cope with the various modules in thedegree course. If you find yourself spending much more, or much less, time on a modulethan is appropriate for that modules credit loading, then you should talk to your moduletutor and your academic adviser to make sure that you are spending your time effectively.

Modes of Assessment

You will be assessed throughout your degree course through a variety ofmodes of assessment, chosen to test the particular skills and forms of knowledge you havebeen taught on particular modules.

In year 1, we make use of short coursework exercises, group presentations, courseworkessays, portfolios and unseen examinations as modes of assessment. In year 2, we makeuse of longer coursework essays, unseen exams, log books, oral presentations andtakeaway papers. In year 3, we make use of longer coursework essays, an extended essay,oral presentations and a dissertation as modes of assessment.

Coursework

Many modules include a coursework component in their assessment. Assessed courseworkallows your regular essays and/or exercise work to contribute to your final result for theyear, and demands continuing commitment and effort. This mode of assessment will enableyou to research and reflect upon a topic before writing, develop your skills in organising andpresenting a coherent argument within a designated word-length, show your skills in theclose reading of particular passages in order to reflect upon genres and styles of writing andto substantiate general points about the texts discussed, and to demonstrate your ability topresent your written work in a scholarly and professional manner.

Please note: there is a manual entitled Guide to Planning and Writing Essays andDissertations, which contains lots of helpful information and advice regarding the planningand writing of coursework essays. This manual is available online via the School of English

website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks


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PortfolioYou will submit a specified number of coursework essays in a specified number of words forassessment at the end of a module as part of a portfolio. You may be set specific topicsupon which to write or you may be asked to write on a topic of your own choice. You will beinformed about the manner of assessment at the beginning of the module.

Log-BookThe log-book enables you to reflect on your own learning experiences and to make a recordof your methods of reading, research and critical and creative analysis.

Extended Essay and DissertationsEssays or dissertations of 4000 or 6000 words allow you, by choosing your own topics, todevelop expertise in areas of particular interest to you and to conduct individual researchprojects. Students will be expected to show wide reading and reflection, the ability toorganise and develop a lucid and persuasive argument, and the capacity to make andsubstantiate generalisations through mastery of the details of texts and through closeattention to their form, style and language. Extended essays and dissertations also test your

skills in using sources and organising and presenting an effective and scholarly piece ofdiscursive writing.

Takeaway PapersTakeaway examinations [for which you have to answer a set number of questions in aspecified number of words over a specified period] allow you to display your skills in writingabout literary texts without relying exclusively on memory.

Unseen ExaminationsUnseen examinations test your assimilated knowledge and understanding and the ability towrite succinctly at short notice. There is an Examinations Handbook for Undergraduatespublished each year by the University, which will provide more detailed information aboutexaminations.

Useful assessment informat ion

Writing well and avoiding academic misconduct

Plagiarism, collusion, and cheating in exams are all forms of academic misconduct whichthe University takes very seriously. Every year, some students commit academicmisconduct unintentionally because they did not know what was expected of them. Theconsequences for committing academic misconduct can be severe, so it is important thatyou familiarise yourself with what it is and how to avoid it.

The University's S3 guide to study skills gives advice on writing well, including hints and tipson how to avoid making serious mistakes. Visit http://sussex.ac.uk/s3/writingwell and makeuse of the resources there. You will also find helpful guides to referencing properly andimproving your critical writing skills. Brief information about referencing can also be found inan appendix at the end of this booklet.

If you are dealing with difficult circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, do not try torush your work or hand in something which may be in breach of the rules. Instead youshould seek confidential advice from the Student Life Centre.The full University rules on academic misconduct are set out in the UndergraduateExamination and Assessment Handbook; seehttp://www.sussex.ac.uk/academicoffice/documentsandpolicies/examinationandassessmenthandbooks/undergraduateexaminationhandbook.


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Handing in formally-assessed work

It is important that you are quite clear about where and when work must be handed in.Deadline dates for coursework are shown on your study pages on Sussex Direct(www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexdirect). Coursework should be handed in to the School Office

which owns the module in question (e.g. assessed coursework for English modules shouldbe handed in to the English School Office Arts B133, coursework for media modules will behanded in to the Media, Film and Music School Office, and so on). If you are in any doubt,please ask staff in the School Office before the deadline date. Unless told otherwise youshould hand in two copies of your work with a cover sheet attached.

Deadlines for assessed work

Deadlines for assessed coursework are absolute and the university does not allowextensions so it is very important you make every effort to hand your work in on time.Coursework handed in up to 24 hours late will receive a penalty of a 5% reduction of themarks available. Work handed in after 24 hours and up to 7 days (1 week) late will have 10

percentage points deducted from the total, and work handed in after 7 days and up to thefinal submission date (as detailed on Sussex Direct) is assigned a capped mark of 40%.Anything submitted after the final published submission deadline receives a zero mark.

If you are experiencing genuine problems in getting your work in on time you should arrangeto meet with an advisor at the Student Life Centre, and you may be advised to fill out aMitigating Evidence Form to present with late work (and medical evidence, e.g. doctorsnote should be presented too, if relevant). If your reason for lateness is considered a validone the reduction in your mark may be altered or waived.

For more detailed information please refer to the following web page:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre/mitigation.

Collecting marked work

Written coursework that has been marked will normally be returned within 15 working days.It may be returned to you directly by the tutor or it will be delivered to Arts B134 for you tocollect.

End of year results

At the end of each academic year, the English Undergraduate Exam Board meets todetermine your progression to the next year of your course, or, in the case of final year

students, the degree class you will be awarded. Details of your results, includingexamination results, will be available on your Sussex Direct study pages following themeeting of the exam board, and a pass list will be published on the notice board in Arts Blisting the students who have progressed to the next year. If at the end of year 1 or year 2you have not passed enough modules to progress to the next year, you will be asked toresit in September some or all of the modules you have failed. You will be contacted byletter if this is the case. More detailed information regarding examinations and resits is in theUndergraduate Examination Handbook, which will be available in the autumn term, and ison the web:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/academicoffice/documentsandpolicies/examinationandassessmenthandbooks/undergraduateexaminationhandbook

The pass mark for al l undergraduate mod ules is 40%.


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The module reader or module outline will help you to decide on what is significant. It isessential that you read these thoroughly before the lecture series and that you read

recommended sections before the lecture.

Active ParticipationWe believe that active participation is essential to your learning through lectures. You must

attend: do not rely on the notes of those who have attended lectures. Notes record what thenote taker has decided is significant and will not reflect your own analysis and assessment ofwhat is significant. It is often helpful, however, to compare your notes with those of others afterthe lecture and reflect upon the reasons for divergences.

Make your notes legibly and on loose-leaf paper so that you can integrate your notes in a wayyou find helpful into your binder for the module as a whole. Write only on one side and use theback for your own thoughts and responses and for further work to follow up or to contest aproposition made in the lecture. Set aside a few minutes every day to edit your notes and keepthem in a safe place.

Seminars and how to use them

Seminars involve group work, and as such, they offer you the opportunity to listen to the ideasand arguments of others, to try your own ideas and arguments and to subject the ideas andarguments of others to criticism. Your tutor will lead and direct discussion, steering you inproductive and stimulating lines of inquiry while ensuring that the discussion of points of viewremains detached and objective.

The ability to participate sympathetically and in an articulate and analytical way in seminardiscussions is one of the most valuable lessons you will learn at university and one of the skillsmost prized beyond the university. But we prize it as an end in itself: it helps you to define yourown point of view and to establish your own intellectual framework. It takes your own thinkingabout a text or an idea from the realm of the unexpressed to something which has found shape

and form in the act of articulation.

To make best use of seminars, you need to reflect on your own role as a participant.

What to talk aboutThe module reader or the module outline will provide you with guidance about the aims andobjectives of the module and the material to be read in advance of seminars. Seminars will onlybe productive for you if you have undertaken substantial work before the seminar, by readingthe primary texts set for the week's discussion and by following up recommended secondaryreading. It is not necessary for you to present fully formed and definitive judgements on whatyou have read. You will need at times to take risks in seminars. You can admit to being baffled,perplexed, unmoved, irritated [or, of course, to being moved, elated, or transformed] by the

texts you have read and then, through discussion, to proceed to find out why you responded inthis way and to find means of making your response a more formal and objective one. Butnothing will come out of the seminar for you unless you have read the texts underdiscussion.


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Oral Presentations

In the promotion of active learning, a common teaching/learning method is the student-ledseminar, in which one or more of you give an oral presentation on an aspect of the week'stopic. Oral presentations are a formal part of the assessment of some of your modules. It ishelpful if you can work on a text which engages you and it is also helpful if you can decide in

advance (either through consultation with the tutor or simply on your own initiative) what yourpresentation will be about. You may find it useful to give your presentation a title so that theseminar will know the subject matter and mode of approach you will be adopting. Yourpresentation should consist of an introduction (in which you tell your seminar group what yourpresentation will be about), a development of your argument, with references to the textsdiscussed, and a conclusion.

Organise the main points of your argument one after another and signpost the main pointsclearly. Illustrate your points by quotation from the texts. Use appropriate language for theoccasion. [Do not start by saying "I'm really nervous, but here goes/ I'm not very good at this/ Ihaven't got a lot to say."] Do not speak too fast or too slowly and do not use over-longsentences. In your conclusion you should emphasise the main points of your presentation to

make sure your audience has understood them.

Working in groupsAs with lectures, you need to reflect upon your listening skills to make full use of a seminar.You are not listening to a detailed argument that has already been formed by an expert. Youare participating in a discussion in which arguments are in the process of being formed, viewsexpressed and contested, judgements made and re-made. Remember that the text(s) you allhave read will provide you with the evidence you need to justify your own position or tochallenge the position advanced by your tutor or by other members of the seminar. You mayfind it useful to record insights and ideas as the seminar progresses; but try to assess thedifferent lines or kinds of argument that are being tested in discussion. Your own reading of a

text may be very different at the end of a seminar discussion from what it was at the outset andyou should at least have had the opportunity to make your own response more concrete anddefined.

The success of a seminar depends on the active and equal participation of all thosetaking part and you will not have made the best use of the seminar if you have remaineduninvolved during the discussion.Equally, if you have definite ideas about a text, use theseto stimulate and provoke rather than to dominate discussion.

Module Evaluations (Online)At the end of every module, you will be asked to give your views, anonymously, on theteaching, module content, organisation, etc., usually by questionnaire. Make sure you fill these

in! The answers are considered in School Committees and if they show that something is notquite right, we will do our best to fix it.


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First Year Module Outlines

The following pages give brief outlines and learning outcomes for Year One Modules inthe English Degree Course. The information is only a summary and will besupplemented by modulespecific materials.

Critical Approaches 1 Q3120, Autumn Term (15 credits)Critical Approaches 2 Q3123, Spring & Summer Terms (15 credits)

How do we go about reading and interpreting a literary text? What are we trying to do when weanalyse a work of literature: are we trying to establish one correct interpretation? How do wedecide that some interpretations are more valuable than others? Do we need to understand theoriginal intentions of the author to understand what something means? Is it necessary tounderstand the historical or political situation from which a work emerged? Do readers interprettexts differently at different historical moments? Could our interpretations of texts be affected byforces beyond our control, forces such as the workings of language, unconscious desires,class, race, gender, sexuality or nationality? How is it that some texts, Shakespeares plays, for

instance, are highly valued by our culture, while others have been lost or devalued? Who orwhat decides which literature will survive to be read and studied on English courses?

Critical Approaches will suggest some ways of answering these large and difficult questionsabout interpretation, and aims to make you think in new ways about the work you do for yourEnglish degree at Sussex. The course runs over the whole year, divided into two parts. In PartOne you will study two themes: The Author/Authority and The Word; in Part Two you willstudy Difference, Materialist History and Materialist Reading, and Desire and Pleasure.Throughout the course you will read critical and theoretical essays and literary works thatcontribute to your understanding of these themes. The course will examine many differentaspects of literary theory including new criticism, Marxism, structuralism, post-structuralism,deconstruction, feminism, post-colonial theory, psychoanalysis and queer theory. We will also

ask you to reflect on the relationship between the theoretical reading and literature throughsimultaneously reading several literary texts.

Most of the primary reading for the course will be available in The Norton Anthology of Theoryand Criticism (2nd edition) which will be available at a discounted price in the bookstore as partof a larger set of texts. You can also purchase it on-line; please be sure you have the correctedition. This is a collection that will be useful throughout your three years at Sussex; pleasebring it to all seminars and lectures for Approaches I & II. You will also need to download thecourse pack of additional material that will be available online through Study Direct. Full detailsof other required reading are given below, in the Course Reading List.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of Critical Approaches 1, a successful student will be able to

understand central issues in modern literary theory and criticism and put them into a widertheoretical and historical context close read and analyse critical essays and arguments understand the ways in which these different theoretical perspectives can contribute to his orher critical interpretation of fiction, poetry, plays, culture, the world


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research, design and write a well-structured essay

By the end of Critical Approaches 2, a successful student will be able to

extend her or his understanding of central issues in modern literary theory and criticism andput them into a wider theoretical and historical context

close read and analyse a wide range of critical essays and arguments from different timeperiods extend his or her understanding of the ways in which these different theoretical perspectivescan contribute to critical interpretation of fiction, poetry, plays, culture, the world research, design and write an even better essay

Core reading and viewing

Core ReadingThe books listed under Core reading are available at a specially discounted price from JohnSmiths book shop, in the University Library building. Staff in the book shop will be happy togive further details of the scheme.

Leitch, Vincent and others (eds). The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism (2nded).New York: W. W. Norton, 2010

Carroll, Lewis. Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Ed. HughHaughton. Penguin Books, 2009. ISBN-10: 0143117734

Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. (any edition)

Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo (film, 1958)

Recommended ReadingThe best preparation for the module is reading widely in the Norton Anthology of Theory andCriticism, but you may also want to make yourself familiar with a few of these useful overviewsbefore the module begins.

The best preparation for the course is reading widely in the Norton Anthology of Theory andCriticism, but you may also want to make yourself familiar with a few of these useful overviewsbefore the course begins.Bennett, Andrew. The Author. Oxford: Routledge, 2005.Bennett, Andrew and Royle, Nicholas (eds). An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory.(4th ed.) Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2009.Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press,1997.Eagleton,Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,1983.Lodge, David (ed). Twentieth Century Literary Criticism: A Reader. London: Longman, 1972.

Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan (eds) Literary Theory: An Anthology. Oxford: Blackwell,1998.


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Reading Genre 1 Q3122, Autumn Term (15 credits)Reading Genre 2 Q3125, Spring & Summer Terms (30 credits)

How do texts locate themselves in literary conventions to develop their own expression and

meaning? How do other media such as film transform literary genre? How does genre act toshape a text and a readers understanding of it? How do we identify and understand ge nre?These are some of the questions that we shall approach in these two interlinked modules byfocussing on five genres: epic and comedy in Teaching Block 1, and lyric, tragedy, and film noirin Teaching Block 2. For each genre, we shall concentrate on either one or a small number ofrepresentative examples, allowing us to widen our understanding of the genre while we deepenour acquaintance with key illustrations from it.

A crucial aim of Reading Genres is to help you to develop your close reading skills, soseminars and lectures will combine larger ideas about genre (for instance, ideas of imitation,the politics of genre, and tragic theory, among other topics) with detailed explorations ofspecific examples.

The two modules of Reading Genre may be taken consecutively or independently of one

another.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of Reading Genres 1 and 2, a successful student will be able to:

Identify selected literary genres and critically apply them in textual analysis.

Identify the main genres of lyric poetry and critically apply them in addressing issues ofpoetic meaning.

Demonstrate some understanding of Chaucerian Middle English.

Identify and critically apply Chaucers use of comic forms in selected Canterbury Tales. Show some understanding of genre theory across a broad historic range.

Understand how literary form influences writing and reading practices.

Show developed critical thinking and methods for literary analysis.

Primary reading

The books listed here (also listed above, in the module outline) are available at a speciallydiscounted price from John Smiths book shop, in the University Library

For Reading Genr e 1

Chaucer, Geoffrey (ed. Larry D. Benson) The Riverside Chaucer(Oxford: Oxford University

Press, 1988; third edition, reissued 2008).

Milton, John (ed. Stephen Orgel and Jonathan Goldberg). Paradise Lost (Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, 2008; revised edition). (For other suitable editions, see the information inthe module outline).

For Reading Genr e 2


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Beckett, Samuel Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts (Faber and Faber, 2006).

Ibsen, Henrik.An Enemy of the People. In Henrik Ibsen,An Enemy of the People, The WildDuck, Rosmersholm, James McFarlane, Editor and Translator (Oxford World's Classics,Reissued edition 2009).

Shakespeare, William Othello ed. E.A.J. Honigmann (Arden Shakespeare. Third Series2001).

Sophocles Oedipus the King In The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles, Pt.1, transl.David Grene, in the series The Complete Greek Tragedies, edited David Grene andRichmond Lattimore, (Chicago University Press; 2nd Revised edition 1991).

Wu, Duncan (ed.) Romanticism: An Anthology (Blackwell, 2005; third edition).

Texts in Time 1 Q3121, Autumn (30 credits)

Texts in Time 2 Q3124, Spring & Summer Terms (30 credits)

What is literature? How has it changed over time? What is the relationship between writing andthe historical moment in which it was produced? How can we read texts to understand theways in which they comment on and intervene in their particular cultural contexts? How doliterary and other kinds of cultural artefacts enable us to reinterpret history and culture? Howdoes the study of texts from other historical periods better enable us to understand our own?

These are some of the questions which we will be exploring during these modules.Texts in Time 1 will introduce you to the study of many different kinds of texts poetry, plays,letters, prose fiction, a novel, as well as visual texts - in their historical and cultural contexts.Following an introductory week, the module is divided into two blocks: the first (weeks 2-6)

focusing on the early modern period, and the second (weeks 7-10) on the eighteenth centuryand Romantic period, from 1700-1830. Each week brings a new text or texts into consideration,but all are connected to the overarching theme of the module: Citizens and Strangers.

Texts in Time 2 also explores many different kinds of writing (poetry, autobiography, essays,novels) as well as visual texts (film, photography, the graphic novel) in their historical andcultural contexts. For those of you who have already taken Texts in Time 1, this modulecontinues the chronological movement already begun on that module. Texts in Time 2 isdivided into three blocks, delivered over the spring and summer terms. The first block (spring,weeks 3-6) addresses texts from the nineteenth century, the second block (weeks 7-10)focuses on 1922, a key moment in Modernism. The final block (summer term, weeks 1-4) looksat contemporary writing and culture. Each week brings a new text or texts into consideration,

but all are connected within each block to an overarching theme.

Both modules are taught via 1 x 1hr lecture, 1 x 2hr seminar, and 1 x 2hr workshop per week.The description below offers an outline of the topics for the lecture and seminar discussioneach week; the workshop will continue these discussions, but will also address academic,writing and study skills.

You should be sure to do the core reading (including core secondary reading, usually one ortwo chapters or articles) in advance of your lecture and seminar each week. In many cases, we


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hope to make copies of the core secondary reading available online, either via the Library orvia the module Study Direct site. You should acquire your own copies of the core primaryreading: all the relevant books are listed separately at the end of this document, as well asbeing given in the detailed module outline below. The week-by-week recommended secondaryreading offers some suggestions for further reading. Remember, there are further resourcesavailable in the librarymore than we can list here. There will also be a Study Direct site for

both modules, where further resources (including some core secondary reading) will beavailable.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of Texts in Time 1, a successful student will be able to:

Demonstrate a developed understanding of relationships between literary texts and theirhistorical contexts.

Display an ability to discuss relationships between literary texts of a shared historicalperiod.

Participate in group work to produce a project on themes addressed by the module.

Participate in seminar discussion on themes addressed by the module.

By the end of Texts in Time 2, a successful student will be able to:

Demonstrate a developed understanding of relationships between literary texts and theirhistorical contexts.

Offer sustained analysis of literary texts from a number of historical periods.

Show developed critical and close reading skills in written responses to module material.

Primary reading

The books listed here (also listed above, in the module outline) are available at a specially

discounted price from John Smiths book shop, in the University Library

Where no particular edition is specified, you are welcome to buy any good-quality scholarlyedition (but avoid cheap editions, which may be abridged and will lack scholarly notes).

Where a core text appears in the module outline above but is not included in the lists below,copies of required material will be made available and/or further details will be given of how thetext can be located or accessed online.

For Texts in Time 1

Norbrook, David (ed.). The Penguin Book of Renaissance Verse. London: Penguin, 1993

etc.

Middleton, Thomas and Thomas Dekker (ed. Elizabeth Cook). The Roaring Girl. London: A& C Black, 2003.

Shakespeare, William (ed. J.W.Lever). Measure for Measure. London: Arden, 2008.

Shapiro, James. 1599 : a year in the life of William Shakespeare.London: Faber, 2005.


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Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. (Various suitable editions, e.g. OUP and Penguin)

Swift, Jonathan. Gullivers Travels. (Various suitable editions, e.g. OUP and Penguin)

For Texts in Time 2

Bechdel, Alison.Fun Home:A Family Tragicomic. London: Jonathan Cape, 2006.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. (Various suitable editions, e.g. OUP and Penguin)

Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass (1871), in Lewis Carroll (ed. Hugh Haughton)Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. London: Penguin, 1997.

De Quincey, Thomas (ed. G. Lindop). Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Oxford:OUP, 1985 etc.

Eliot, T.S. The Waste Land. (Available in various suitable editions)

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. (Available in various suitable editions)

OHara, Frank. Lunch Poems.San Francisco: City Lights Books, in print.

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. London: Flamingo, 1997.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. (Available in various suitable editions)

Second and Final Year Modules

The tables on pages 15-16 of this handbook show you which English modules you will take inthe second and final years of your degree course. Where you have a choice of options in yoursecond and final years you will be sent information and module outlines in advance to help youmake an informed choice regarding what options you would like to study.

You can view details of all the modules run by the School of English, as well as the structure ofeach degree course, on the website:http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses


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English Faculty Contact Details

English School Office: Arts B133, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QNTel: (01273)877 303

E-mail: [email protected]

Name Room Ext. E-mail (@sussex.ac.uk)

Dr Richard Adelman B241 (87) 3460

Dr Gavin Ashenden B262 (87) 7123 [email protected]

Prof Jenny Bourne Taylor B333 (87) 7982 [email protected]

Prof Peter Boxall B263 (67) 8719 [email protected]

Dr Ruth Charnock B226 2454 r.n.e.charnock.ac.uk

Dr Sam Cooper B329

Dr Sara Crangle B239 (67) 8064 [email protected] Dr Alistair Davies B331 (87) 7353 [email protected]

Dr Christina Davidson B223

Dr Denise de Caires Narain B268 (87) 7112 [email protected]

Dr Matthew Dimmock B349 (87) 7663 [email protected]

Prof Andrew Hadfield B350 (87) 7627 [email protected]

Dr Margaret Healy B233 (67) 8992 [email protected]

Prof Tom Healy B255 (67) 8099 [email protected]

Dr Michael Jonick B327 (87) 3044Dr Vicky Lebeau B323 (60) 2215 [email protected]

Dr Stephanie Newell B324 (67) 8900 [email protected]

Dr Rachel O'Connell B327 (87) 7375 [email protected]

Dr Catherine Packham B244 (87) 3953 [email protected]

Dr Vincent Quinn B322 7354 [email protected]

Dr Chloe Porter B229 (87) 7126

Dr John David Rhodes B272 (67) 8966 [email protected]

Prof Nick Royle

B338

(87) 7396

[email protected]

Dr Martin Ryle B251 (87) 2516 [email protected]

Dr Liz Sage B329

Dr Minoli Salgdo B225 (60) 2300 [email protected]

Prof Lindsay Smith B238 (67) 8831 [email protected]

Dr Keston Sutherland B260 (87) 6628 [email protected]


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Dr Pam Thurschwell B222 (67) 8721 [email protected]

Prof Norman Vance B341 (67) 8631 [email protected]

Dr Katie Walter B231 (87) 7349

Prof Marcus Wood B320 (60) 2136 [email protected]

Dr Tom Wright B340 (60) 2649

N.B.Office hours will be confirmed at the start of each term and will be noted on the facultymembers office door.

Teaching Faculty and their Research Interests

Gavin Ashenden, LL.B. (Bristol) B.A, M.Th, (London), D.Phil (Sussex)20th-century myth and metaphysics; psychology, psychoanalysis and belief - C.G. Jung,S. Freud, William James; Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis and the Oxford Inklings.

Jenny Bourne Taylor, BA (York), MA, PhD (Warwick)19th century literature; feminist epistemology and criticism; contemporary women's writing;19th century psychology; science and literature; literature and legal narrative.

Peter Boxall, BA, MA (Southampton), DPhil (Sussex)Modernist fiction and drama; aesthetics and cultural politics, particularly in the work of SamuelBeckett; contemporary literature, especially the work of Don DeLillo; the utopian function intwentieth century writing.

Sara Crangle, BA, MA (Dalhousie University), PhD (Cambridge)Nineteenth and twentieth-century Anglo-Irish fiction; contemporary poetry and poetics;continental philosophy, subjectivity and otherness; everydayness and emotion (particularly

laughter); bathos.

Alistair Davies, BA, MA, PhD (Cantab)British modernism and postmodernism; 20th-century British literature; questions of literaryhistory.

Denise DeCaires Narain, BA, DPhil (Kent)Postcolonial writing, particularly that of Africa and the Caribbean; feminist cultural theory;contemporary women's writing in English, particularly poetry.

Matthew Dimmock, BA, MA (Leeds), PhD (Royal Holloway, London)Early Modern English Literature and History. Also Humanism; the works of Shakespeare,

Marlowe, Kyd, Peele and Greene; literature of discovery, travel and colonialism; Restorationculture and the Glorious Revolution; the English and Dutch East India Companies and scientificadvancement; early English Antiquarianism.

Andrew Hadfield, B. A. (Leeds), D. Phil. (Ulster). FEA (Fellow of the English Association)Literature and Politics in the English Renaissance, especially Republicanism; Spenser andsixteenth-century poetry; Shakespeare; Early Modern Ireland; Travel Writing; National Identity;Colonialism; Britain and Britishness.


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Appendix: Guidance on Essay Referencing

The English Manual: Guide to Writ ing Essays and Dissertat ionshas been prepared to giveyou basic information on the planning and writing of your essays and dissertations, on using

the styles of reference and of citation preferred by the School of English and on avoiding themost common errors in undergraduate writing. This manual is available on-line on the School ofEnglish website(http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks)

NOTES on REFERENCING

For further information on referencing, please refer to the following web-site:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/infosuss/referencing/index.shtml

English Lit final.pdf

Documents

Transcript of English Lit final.pdf