Katedra anglického jazyka a literatúry, Institut anglistiky a amerikanistiky Filozofickej Fakulty Prešovskej Univerzity, 17. novembra 1, 081 16 Prešov, Slovakia
AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE
Summer Semester
2011/ 2012
Elective Course
Instructor: doc. PhDr. Jaroslav Kušnír, PhD.
Room No. 242
tel.: (051)7570232; (051)7570247
e-mail: jkusnir@fhpv.unipo.sk
Webpage for this syllabus: see the Moodle system, Australian Literature(everybody is required to sign up in the Moodle SYSTEM, and to create her/his profile there)
Course Description:
Australia and its culture seems to be both distant and exotic for most of you, although the cultures of the former British Empire started to be explored only recently. Especially literature of the former English-speaking colonies has proved its quality the evidence of which was awarding a Nobel Prize for Literature to some authors representing the ex-colonial cultures. We can mention a South African author Nadine Gordimer, a Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, or a Carribbean author Derek Walcott. But probably the first of them was an Australian author Patrick White who was awarded this prize as early as in 1973. Some of his books have also been translated into Slovak and Czech (Voss, The Tree of Man, The Eye of the Storm, Fringe of Leaves).
In our course we will focus on some Australian authors, namely on their short stories, and the main aim of the course is not only to analyze these short stories from the literary and aesthetic point of view, but also to see them in a broader context of Australian culture. The short story tradition is very strong in Australian literature. These short stories often reflect the basic problems of Australian society and its cultural identity.In our course we will try to explore the ways how these "myths of cultural identity" such as mateship, egalitarianism, or bush myth have been shaping the development of Australian Literature. This course is only an introduction to some main works and themes related to Australian culture and cannot be either comprehensive or fully deal with all relevant topics and themes.
The topics are divided according to style representing particular literary tendencies used by the particular authors and according to basic issues shaping the "the myths" of Australian cultural identity. The other goals of the course are:
- to help the students realize the importance of short story inAustralian literary tradition through their analysis
- to help the students realize the diversity of the Australianshort story and its position within the literatures of theEnglish-speaking world
- to familiarize the students with basic aspects of formation of Australian cultural identity through the short story
- to develop students’ understanding of broader aspects of Australian culture and its position among the cultures ofthe English-speaking world
SEMINARS/Reading:
I. BASIC MODULE (STUDENTS GRADUATING THIS YEAR-BACHELOR´S DEGREE)
Introduction, BackgroundWeeks 1-2
Ballads:
H.Lawson: The Ballad of the Drover
A.B. Paterson:Waltzing Matilda
Realism and the Bush :
Henry Lawson: The Drover´s Wife
B.Baynton : Squeaker´s Mate
Reading:
Introduction to the anthology of the Australian short story
(ed.L.Hergenhan,UQP,1993)Week 3
Convicts:
Price Warung: The Crime of Convict CunliffeWeek 4
Modern Writing:
P.White: Down at the DumpWeek 5
Aboriginal Issues:
B.Wongar : Winy-Winy, the Bat People
Postmodern Writing/Myths Reconsidered:Week 6
M.Bail: The Drover´s Wife
P. Carey:American Dreams
MODULE II- EXTENDED (NON-GRADUATING STUDENTS CONTINUING WITH A COURSE AFTER APRIL 11, 2009)
Aboriginal Issues:
A Weller: Pension Day
K.S.Prichard: Happinness
(supplementary reading, a film show:
T.Keneally:The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith- optional).Week 7
Multiculturalism/Immigration:
B.Farmer : Ismini
E.Jolley : Uncle Bernard´s ProposalWeek 8
F. Moorhouse: The Drover´s Wife
M.Wilding: The Words She TypesWeek 9
Identity -Antipodes:
D.Malouf: Southern Skies
The Only Speaker of HisTongueWeek 10
Women:
M. Barnard: The Persimmon Tree
Elisabeth Jolley: Winter Nelis
Helen Garner: What We SayWeek 11
Literature:
Hergenhan, L (ed.). The Australian Short Story, St. Lucia, 1992
Goldsworthy, K.(ed.). Australian Short Stories, Knoxfield, 1986
Whitlock,G.,Carter, D.(ed.): Images of Australia, St.Lucia, 1992
Hergenhan,L.(ed.): The Penguin New Literary History of Australia,
Ringwood,1988
White, R. Inventing Australia. North Sydney, 1981
Kocmanová, J. Overseas Literature in English, Brno, 1973
Kušnír, J. Australian Literature in Contexts. Banská Bystrica, Slovakia: Trian, 2004.
Kušnír, J. Austrálska literatúra po roku 1945. In: Kušnír, J., Malinovská,Z., Šimon, L.: Svetová literatúra po roku 1945, Prešov: Metodické centrum, 1997. 24-38.
Kušnír, J.: Reception of Australian Literature in Slovakia after 1945.
In: Studia Philologica, II, Prešov:PF UPJŠ, 1994.128-144.
“Literature”
http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/lit.html
Requirements:
Course requirements:
This course will have two time modules – one for graduating (from week 7) and one for other students (all course from Week 1 to week 11). You will have to sign up for the course in the Moodle system for which you need 1) a password. You will create your password according to instructions I have sent you. Then you will have 2) to create a profile in the Moodle system, that is basically your identity so that I could send you messages and evaluate your activity during this part of the course. Then you will enter the course by 3) clicking the icon Australian Literature 2011/2012course. When you click on the icon, you will need what is called 4) enrollment key, which is basically another password. This is created by me. The enrollment key for this course is—AUSTRALIA. You will have the tasks, assignments, questions and other activities along with deadlines to be done each week in the Moodle system. In addition to creation your profile, it is compulsory to check the Moodle system during the week for further instructions and all deadlines must be kept. You will find the syllabus, my lecture notes and bibliography for this course in the Moodle system as well.
- to sign up for the course in the Moodle system, create a profile and fulfill all course requirements
- to do all oral and written assignments on a sufficient level and on time
- if you have two and more excused absences, an extra work will be required from you, usually an extra test or essay
- most of the reading materials can be found in our departmental library, on internet, or at Faculty of Arts Library-Resource Center at FF PU in Prešov. I addition, you will get an extra anthology with these texts to be xeroxed and used.
- to get credits, in addition to reading and other assignments during the course, youwill be required to fulfill one of the following assignments:
1) you can write an essay (see guidelines in American literature course) or
2) a test
3) review of a book or film, or
4) to present a project on aparticular Australian literature topic: A deadline to submit these assignments is:
For graduating students (3rd year single major and Culture), March 30th, 2012
Other students: April 30th, 2012
These are also the dates when the test will be written if you choose this option to recieve credits (to write a test). The structure of the project (if you choose this project) will be specified during the lessons.
Project (Option 4 to receive credits): Instead of writing a test, you can be graded for one of the projects you can choose from:
Option 1:
Step 1) Study three scholarly articles on Australian realistic writing of the 19th century – one must be from the bibliography research study room (databázová študovňa) of the university library
2) another one must be from internet resources which you can google (not Wikipedia) or, alternatively, print bibliography you can possibly find in the library (Heath Anthology or other anthologies include useful introductory and summarizing articles as well as study materials)
3) one material on Australian realistic writing of the 19th century and its naturefrom You Tube
Step 2: Print and leave bibliographical links to these materials in my box
Step 3: Summarize these ideas on Australian realistic writing of the 19th century, point out the most important aspects of this kind of literature you find in these materials and emphasize the most surprising and the most contradictory ideas you find in these materials during your presentation
Step 4) Now you have become a class expert in Australian realistic writing of the 19th century —chooseone Australian realistic short story of the 19th century and, based on your theoretical knowledge on Australian realistic writing of the 19th century analyze this story and the manifestation of the elements of Australian realistic writing of the 19th century during your presentation -it must not be a summary of a plot or author´s autobiography
Option 2:)
You can do the same with Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime, steps are the same as above
Step 1) Study three scholarly articles on Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime – one from the bibliography research study room (databázová študovňa) of the university library, University of Prešov
2) one from internet resources which you can google (not Wikipedia) or, alternatively, print bibliography you can possibly find in the library (Heath Anthology or other anthologies include useful introductory and summarizing articles as well as study materials)
3) one material on Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime from You Tube
Step 3: Print and leave exact bibliographical information on these materials in my box
Step 4: Summarize these ideas on Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime, point out the most important aspects of Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime you find in these materials and emphasize the most surprising and the most contradictory ideas you find in these materials during your presentation
Step 4) Now you have become a class expert in Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime – chose one short story or novel by Australian Aboriginal author and, based on your theoritical knowledge on these issues analyze Australian Aboriginal literature and the concept of Dreamtime dutiny your presentation- it must not be a summary of a plot or author´s autobiography
Option 3:)
Single Author Study: Choose one 20th or 21st century Australian author writing in English
Step 1) Study three scholarly articles on this author and her/his work– one from the bibliography research study room (databázová študovňa) of the university library, University of Prešov
2) one from internet resources which you can google (not Wikipedia) or, alternatively, print bibliography you can possibly find in the library (Heath Anthology or other antholgoies include useful introductory and summarizing articles as well as study materials)
3) one material from You Tube (not particular trickster narratives)
Step 2: Print and leave exact bibliographical information on these materials in my box
Step 3: Summarize these ideas on the author you have chosen, point out the most important points you find in these materials and emphasize the most surprising and the most contradictory ideas you find in these materials during your presentation
Step 4) Now you have become a class expert in this author —chooseone short story, play, novel, or a poem by this author and, based on your knowledge on this author and his work analyze one work by this author (a short story, play, poem, a novel)- it must not be a summary of a plot or author´s autobiography
Option 4)
Native Australian Film – the same steps as above, just you will be dealing with film
Option 5)
Essay on any theme related toAustralian, the essay should be 4-6 pages long, spacing 1,5
Your final grade will be a summary of your partial assignment/s and this main assignment/test/project grades
Prešov, February, 2012doc. PhDr. Jaroslav Kušnír, PhD.
- Učiteľ: Kusnir Jaroslav