انتساب_Fiction _LANE_342

King Abdulaziz University

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Department of European Languages and Literature

Fall 2012

Course Syllabus - Fiction - LANE 342 – Section 01

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is a three hour credit course that traces the development of fiction as a literary genre from its early beginnings to the Victorian, Modern and Contemporary periods.  The course examines major British and American writers and novels in the context of some of the key social, cultural movements and artistic issues of the periods.  Moreover, it introduces students to literary elements pertaining to fiction. It also sharpens their critical skills in reading, analyzing, and writing about fiction.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Become familiar with various British and American writers and novels that explore different cultures, times, and forms
  • Examine critical and analytical responses to novels
• Judge the history of the changing nature of the novel, and its interaction with Victorian, modern and contemporary issues
  • Develop the skills of close reading;
• Apply the elements of fiction in reading, observing, and interpreting the novels within their cultural and historical contexts
• Describe the development of fiction and identify representative British and American writers and novels
• Explain the textual meaning of the novels under discussion
• Identify/Explain the ways in which fiction responds, and/or constructs life in these centuries
• Write performance reviews, reports, journals, and/or a research paper on the literary and cultural implications of fiction.
• Show a deep response and appreciation to the experience of literature
• Criticize the human subject and its role in society
• Explore ideas through the use of journal-type writing
• Write reviews, and a research paper that should demonstrate correct usage of the English language
• Demonstrate the skills of critical thinking

COURSE OUTCOMES:

Description of the knowledge to be acquired:

This course will enable students to:

• Become familiar with various British writers and novels that explore different cultures, times, and forms
• Examine critical and analytical responses to novels
• Judge the history of the changing nature of the novel, and its interaction with Victorian issues
• Develop the skills of close reading; apply the elements of fiction in reading, observing, and interpreting the novels within their cultural and historical contexts
• Write performance reviews, reports, journals, and/or a research paper on the literary and cultural implications of fiction

Description of cognitive skills to be developed:

This course will enable students to:

• Develop critical thinking skills to analyze and synthesize ideas by applying the elements of fiction in reading, examining, judging, and interpreting novels within their cultural and historical contexts
• Demonstrate the skills of independent critical thinking
• Criticize the human subject and its role in society
• Explore ideas through the use of journal-type writing
• Develop maturity and self-growth in learning about themselves and others through the interpretation of novels
  COURSE CONTENT:

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

-          Charles Dickens “Hard Times’, York Classics - Edition 2002.

-          Jane Austen, “Emma”, York Classics - Edition 2002.

-          E.M. Forster, “A Room with A View”, York Classics - Edition 2002.

-          Ian Watt, ‘’The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson and Fielding’’. University of California Press (June 4, 2001) [Available in Khwarizm Bookstore in King Abdul-Aziz University; Girl’s campus ]

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTBOOK(S):

Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 2002.

 ---, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature: 1945 to Present. Vol. E. New York: Norton, 2007.

Cassill, R.V., and Richard Bausch, eds. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. London: Norton, 2006.

Hall, Oakley, and James Wood.  How Fiction Works. Cincinnati: Short Press, 2001.

Kennedy, X. Joseph, and Dana Gioia.  An Introduction to Fiction. London: Longman, 2007.

Lodge, David.  The Art of Fiction: Illustrated from Classic and Modern Texts. New York: Penguin, 1994.

GENERAL POLICIES:

• Mobile phones should be silent or switched off and put in the bag not looked at every now and then in class.
• Students should be polite and respect the instructor's rule (no food or drinks, no sun glasses or abayas, no side conversation or explanation to each other in class).
• Always bring your book to class, in addition to preparing and taking notes are the student's responsibility.