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  • ENG4473

ENG4473 - World Literatures in English

Course content

In the late 1820s Johann Wolfgang von Goethe prophesied that an age of world literature was at hand. Much more recently, this concept has received an increasing amount of attention, due no doubt to the fact that it is often connected with one of the key concepts of our times, globalization.

In this course you will make yourself familiar with a number of key theoretical contributions to the field of world literature, from Goethe to our own day. In addition to studying the emergence of a field, and a particular transformation of cultural space, you will be asked to consider the mechanisms regulating the circulation of texts in the world today. In addition to this, you will be reading novels by some of the writers associated with world literature in English, such as J.M. Coetzee, Toni Morrison, and Salman Rushdie.

Throughout the course you will be asked to reflect on how these texts express their perspectives on the world, on the tensions between their seemingly universal and culturally specific aspects, between similarity and difference. You will, among other things, address the larger questions of what is lost and what is gained when local, regional or national literatures become world literature, and what it may mean for world literature to appear in English, the dominant world language.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course you will have:

• acquired an overview of the central issues involved in reading
  world literature.
• developed your skills in literary interpretation through close
  engagement with a number of key novels from recent decades
• learned to identify theoretical developments in the field of world literature.
• developed your skills in historical and cultural analysis.

Admission

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.

Prerequisites

No obligatory prerequisites beyond the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway.

Teaching

Seminar, two hours per week for ten weeks, 20 hours in all.

A minimum of 80% attendance is required, as well as contributions in the form of one oral presentation (pass/fail).

Teaching takes place throughout the semester.

Criteria for access to teaching resources

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, contingent on available capacity.

Exam information

A term paper of 10 standard pages (topic to be decided between teacher and student)

All assignments handed in for evaluation must be accompanied by an obligatory statement concerning cheating

Exam resources

No special exam resources are allowed.

Language of examination

English

Assessment and grading

Course grades are awarded on a descending scale using alphabetic grades from A to E for passes and F for fail. Read more about the grading system .

Explanations and appeals

Students can request an explanation of their grades, and can also appeal against their grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals

Possibility of make-up exams and re-takes

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam .

Withdrawing from exams and limits on re-takes

A student can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit for the exam.

Exam options for students with special needs

Students may apply for access to alternative exam resources or exam forms on the basis of chronic illness and/or special needs that create a marked disadvantage to other students in the exam situation. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

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