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Curricular information is subject to change
On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:-
Write a coherent essay which reflects a suitable level of research on one of the set topics. Your essay will combine analysis with reflection on some of the viewpoints found in your secondary reading. An important skill for postgraduate writing is how to negotiate positions in existing research while also developing an independent argument, and on successful completion of this module, you will have gained experience in this.
On the basis of your assessment work, essay, presentation and your Learning Journal, you will have gained some insight into aspects of literary Modernism, but also into the wider intellectual context (for example, psychoanalysis, philosophical impressionism).
- Introduction to Psychoanalysis and its relevance to Modernist writing (Freud extract will be read).
- Introduction to Stream of Consciousness Technique (extract read from William James's "The Principles
of Psychology)
- Arthur Schnitzler's "Der Sohn": novella reflects on the themes such as parental responsibility, the
distorting role of guilt, cruelty.
- Robert Walser's "Jakob von Gunten"; a novel in diary-form; the "I" (Jakob) rebels against the idea of
success and comes up with his own terms for encountering the world
- Robert Musil's "Die Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß"; boarding school setting a microcosm of the
social world, in particular of the upper- and military classes in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy:-themes
such as masculinity, homosexuality, bullying, but also the search for clarity and meaning feature here.
- Ernst Mach's "Analyse der Empfindungen" (excerpt). Mach, taking issue with major philosophical
traditions, said that we are what we experience, and our knowledge of the world is being formed at all
times by our impressions and perceptions (Mach an important thinker for Robert Musil).
| Student Effort Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 0 |
| Seminar (or Webinar) | 24 |
| Specified Learning Activities | 56 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 30 |
| Total | 110 |
Not applicable to this module.
| Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay: Essay, 4,000 words. | Coursework (End of Trimester) | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 65 |
| Presentation: You are required to give a presentation on a chosen topic. This should reflect careful engagement with the primary texts, some independent research, and should help stimulate class discussion. | Varies over the Trimester | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 25 |
| Journal: Reflective Journal entries (approx. 4). These can be structured around the Study Questions that will be set for most of the teaching weeks, although it is not essential that they follow this mould. | Varies over the Trimester | n/a | Pass/Fail Grade Scale | No | 10 |
| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
|---|---|
| Autumn | No |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
The feedback on the Book Review presentation (some may be individual, other presentations may be as a group) will give guidance as to (i) how clearly and effectively your ideas were communicated; (ii) whether your work showed evidence of suitable preparation including further reading and (iii) whether your review was able to stimulate discussion. Feedback on the Essay (70%) will be available for collection from the start of trimester 2. You are also very welcome to come to see the Module Coordinator during designated office hours (or by appointment) for advice on any aspect of the module.