Introduction To The Study Of Literature

This module investigates some of the ways in which literary works not only express, but also foster our sense of modernity. It looks in turn at works from a number of major genres, including three very different short stories, a classic 'existential' novel, a selection of modern poems (with a focus on poetry written by women), a film (an ambivalent romantic comedy), and a landmark play that transformed the nature of modern drama. There will also be a session on critical writing. In an age in which traditional literary categories are being challenged and reshaped, in which social values and cultural identities are being invented and reinvented, we will consider ways in which some of the most important writers of the last one hundred and fifty years have challenged tradition, and produced works that have shaped contemporary consciousness.