| Unit name | The Spanish Civil War in British and American Writing |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL30058 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Kennedy-Epstein |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit enables detailed study of the British and American literature of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), a pivotal moment in 20th-century political and cultural history. The war was the last battleground against the rise of fascism in Europe, and the defense of the Spanish Republic was a fight for progressive and left-wing ideals: it became an international war. 35,000 international volunteers joined the fight against fascism in Spain, including many prominent artists, critics, and writers. As a testing ground for modern warfare and for the technologies that documented its destructiveness (such as the 35mm camera), the battle for Spain defined a generation, as writers harnessed modernist avant-garde, documentary, and narrative techniques to respond to their time’s most urgent political crisis. We will consider novels, poetry, journalism, memoirs, and plays, exploring the shifting relationships between art and propaganda, witness and documentation, transnational solidarity and political exile that defined the period’s writings.
On successful completion of this unit students will have
(1) developed a detailed knowledge of British and American writing on the Spanish Civil War;
(2) developed a critical understanding of the historical and political contexts of the civil war in Spain;
(3) acquired an understanding of major critical approaches to war studies, modernist studies, and textual analysis;
(4) demonstrated their ability to analyse and compare primary texts and critical sources;
(5) strengthened their skills in academic writing, argumentation, and evaluation of evidence from primary texts and critical literature.
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation.
Students will be given the opportunity to submit a draft or outline of their final, summative essay of up to 1,500 words and to receive feedback on this.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL30058).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
