Issues in Contemporary Fiction: Gender, Race, Ecology

Overview

This module examines a broad sample of recent fiction. In doing so, it raises a set of related questions: 1) whose contemporary experience does this literature address? 2) what economic or political factors lead to a shared sense of the contemporary? 3) how does modern fiction relate to these broader social forces?

The module has a three-part structure. Part 1 examines the ways in which contemporary fiction responds to and in turn shapes debates about gender and gender difference. Section 2 analyses literary treatments of race and the aftermaths of colonialism. The final section of the module explores the ways in which recent fiction speculates on our collective future especially in the context of climate change and the threat of ecological catastrophe and asks what if anything can be done in the face of this threat.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module students will have gained a general understanding of the theoretical and methodological issues that surround the study of contemporary literature. Students will have learned to subject a range of recent fiction to a technical or formal analysis. They will also be able to read texts in context and will have a basic understanding of the social, economic, and political forces that shape these contexts.

Skills

Students will learn to develop a) analytical skills b) methods of textual analysis c) an understanding of meta-critical issues d) a clear and succinct writing style e) oral presentation skills f) a capacity for independent inquiry g) an ability to collaborate and work in groups h) computer skills.

Assessment

None