Objectives and competences
To familiarize students with historical and contemporary writing in Canada and by Canadians.
To build on the definitions and explorations of genre acquired in previous year and to extend these to an intensive study of a national body of writing.
To become familiar with the literary and social history of Canada, from the beginnings of literary effort in the 19th century, through Confederation, the formation of a national consciousness, to the literary renaissance following the Centenary, and finally to postmodern, multicultural
To explore the potential use of Canadian material in the classroom.
Content (Syllabus outline)
• Writing in a colonial space (Aboriginal stories, Explorer and settler writing)
• Writing in an emergent space (Nationalist writing, Local colour writing, The modernist poem, Prairie realism in fiction, Defining Canadian-ness)
• Writing in a postmodern era (Fiction by new Canadians, Theories of Canadian cultural identity, Writing in a multicultural environment)
Learning and teaching methods
• lectures,
• seminars.
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
Know the general social, political and cultural history of Canada
Recognize and distinguish among works by Canadian writers
Distinguish eras and movements in Canadian literature
Explicate the meaning of a short story or short poem
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Ability to do research and to present before a group
General knowledge of a foreign culture
Teamwork, negotiation and cooperation skills
Ability to formulate a pedagogical approach to Canadian cultural themes and literature
Readings
Starnino, C, ed. The New Canon: An Anthology of Canadian Poetry. Vehicule Press, 2006.
Brown, Bennett and Cooke, eds. An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English. Oxford, 1990.
Gadpaille, M. The Canadian Short Story. Toronto: Oxford, 1989.
Lane, R. 2011. The Routledge Concise History of Canadian Literature, Routledge.
A selection of novels, e.g., Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables; Atwood, Surfacing; MacLennan, Two Solitudes; Davies, Fifth Business; Laurence, A Bird in the House; Leacock, Sunshine Sketches; MacLeod, The Lost Salt Gift of Blood; Shields, The Stone Diaries; Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion; Wiebe, A Discovery of Strangers; O'Neill, Lullabies for Little Criminals.
Prerequisits
Competence in English language.
Additional information on implementation and assessment • Oral presentations
• Written work
• Final examination and/or project
