| Unit name | Literature's Children |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL39015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Passey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one | |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit is an introduction to the figure of the child in English literature of the nineteenth and twentieth century. How and for what purposes has the child been deployed in literature, both as a character and as an implied reader? How is the child (reader or character) constructed as different from the adult, and how does the advent of psychoanalytic models of subjectivity at the turn of the century affect the construction of childhood? How are child characters used to explore concepts such as innocence, nature, knowledge, goodness and evil? How are implied child readers positioned in relation to adults, and in relation to ideology and the reproduction of cultural knowledge? What narrative and literary techniques are used to achieve this positioning?
Aims:
The unit aims to introduce students to some of the manifold narrative, ideological and conceptual purposes served in literature by the figure of the child since around 1850. Through readings of literary texts featuring child characters in conjunction with theoretical and historical studies of childhood and its cultural valences, students will be introduced to (1) the Rousseauist roots of the idea of childhood innocence, as well as to twentieth-century fantasies of the evil child or bad seed; (2) psychoanalytic theories of subjectivity, with their emphasis on the determining nature of childhood experiences for later life; and (3) the equivocal position of the child in relation to knowlege (do children see more clearly than acculturated adults, or does their lack of adult knowledge render them incapable of understanding?). Students will then move on to studying some key texts written for children: they will be introduced to the major debates in children's literature theory and criticism about (4) the position of narrator and implied reader; and (5) the ideological function of children's literature.
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.
On completing the course, students should be able to:
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.
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. ENGL39015).
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.
