Use of Graded Readers in the Classroom

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray: Literary analysis

The following word document contains guiding questions to analyse Oscar Wilde's the Picture of Dorian Gray through different fields of study. Choose one field of study and one question to develop and write your name next to it so that nobody takes it! Then, go to the wall and type your ideas.
Afterwards, go to a different wall to expand on your partner's ideas. (Do this on at least 2 walls)

Link to the word document

1.  The Preface: The purpose of Art
2. Reinterpreting The Picture ofDorian Gray through Psychoanalytic Criticism.
3.  Reinterpreting The Picture ofDorian Gray through Gender Studies.
4. Reinterpreting The Picture of Dorian Gray through the Gothic tradition.
5. Reinterpreting The Picture of Dorian Gray through Postcolonial Studies.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, reinterpreted by a Gangster

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde Bio 3

Oscar Wilde Bio 4

Oscar Wilde Bio 5

Oscar Wilde Bio 6
Oscar Wilde Bio 7

Essays

Introduction

Almost all students will at some time be expected to write an essay, or some other kind of argument, e.g. a review or discussion section, in a longer piece of writing. In English, an essay is a piece of argumentative writing several paragraphs long written about one topic, usually based on your reading. The aim of the essay should be deduced strictly from the wording of the title or question (See Academic Writing: Understanding the Question), and needs to be defined at the beginning. The purpose of an essay is for you to say something for yourself using the ideas of the subject, for you to present ideas you have learned in your own way. The emphasis should be on working with other people's ideas, rather than reproducing their words, but your own voice should show clearly. The ideas and people that you refer to need to made explicit by a system of referencing.

According to Linda Flower (1990, p. v), "students are reading to create a text of their own, trying to integrate information from sources with ideas of their own, and attempting to do so under the guidance of a purpose."

Organisation

Your essay should have the following sections:

1. Preliminaries: Title

2. Main Text: a) Introduction, b) Main Body, c) Conclusion.

3. End matter: References

Visit this website for more on this. 

References:

Gillet, A. (2009). Genres in academic writing: Essays. Retrieved from: http://www.uefap.com/writing/writframgenre_essay.htm [22ns September, 2017)

Nominalization

In English grammar, nominalization is a type of word formation in which a verb or an adjective (or other part of speech) is used as (or transformed into) a noun. Verb: nominalize. Also called nouning.
In transformational grammar, nominalization refers to the derivation of a noun phrase from an underlying clause. In this sense, an "example of nominalization is the the destruction of the city, where the noun destruction corresponds to the main verb of a clause and the city to its object" (Geoffrey Leech, A Glossary of English Grammar, 2006, as cited by by Richard Nordquist, 2017).

Follow this link to learn more about this.

References:

Gillet, A. (2009) Features of academic writing. Retrieved from
http://www.uefap.com/writing/feature/complex_nom.htm [19th September, 2017]
Nordquist, R. (2017) Nominalization in Grammar. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/nominalization-in-grammar-1691430 [19th September, 2017]

Literary Essay II

Choose ONE of the following tasks and develop it thoroughly in an essay.

It should include an introduction, the main body and a conclusion.

Develop the corresponding theory, and account for it quoting from the novels “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” and “Frankenstein”.

1. How did writers and audiences in late Victorian England explore the idea of a hidden or double self (doppelganger)? In what ways did these representations express changing ideas about sexuality, gender, and class?

2. What Makes a Monster and What Makes a Man? Explore the Relationship between the Creator and the Creation in the Gothic Novel.

3. Compare and contrast the endings of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How do the similarities and differences reflect the views of the authors about human nature and the possibility of redemption? How is it applicable to the set of beliefs of the time (The Enlightenment, the Crisis of Faith, Darwinism)

4. Compare and contrast the motives that drive the protagonists to plumb the depths of science in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What do the differences in motivation indicate about the concerns of the respective authors with the plight of man and society?

5. Victorian Englishmen often took seriously the “science” of physiognomy - the idea that a person’s traits could be read by observing his bodily, and especially facial, features. To what extent is this concept central to the plot of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Does it also apply to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?

6. Near the beginning of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Utterson says, “I incline to Cain’s heresy; I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.” Discuss the extent to which the Victorian values of minding one’s own business and keeping silent about anything embarrassing or controversial contribute to the progress of the plot and the development of its themes. Does Stevenson approve of these values or find them ultimately damaging? Support your argument with details from the story. How is it shown in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?

7. Victorian society is often thought to have been repressive, with the implication that such repression of man’s natural drives is harmful. Discuss the idea of the repressiveness of Victorian society in the light of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How is repression portrayed in Frankenstein? Did the authors think the society in which they lived was repressive? Did they think this was good or bad? Support your arguments with quotes from the texts.

8. Some critics have seen in both novels a parable of British colonialism, with civilized man seeking to control the savagery of uncultured man, but instead being fascinated by and eventually drawn into the savagery that he outwardly deplores. Which aspects of the story fit this reading and which do not? Support your answer with quotes from the stories.

9. The theories of Freud about the makeup of the human psyche could be applied to the interpretation of both texts. To what extent do Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein reflect Freud’s views of the id, the ego, and the superego? Is man hopelessly divided against himself? Do the authors see any hope for one who seeks to keep the savage within under control? Use quotes from the texts to support your answer.

10. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, could one interpret Frankenstein and his monster as two aspects of the same person? In other words, does the monster represent the evil side of the good doctor? Compare this interpretation with the more obvious use of the same idea in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

11. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde may be read as a cautionary tale against the possible dangers of scientific advances, and as such contains many parallels with Mary Shelley’s famous Gothic novel Frankenstein. Do the two books view science and its dangers in the same way? If so, what are the important points the two have in common? If not, what are the most significant differences you see in the two treatments?

12. Any other: ____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud

Film Session: Analysis

Film Session (Online Class Sept 1st)

From Hell

Choose ONE task to carry out while watching the film and select a scene to analyse. Add your still to the presentation so  as to share your analysis next wednesday (September 6th)

1. Define what eurocentrism is and mention its characteristics in form of binary oppositions. How is it made manifest in the film?
2. How is ethnicity presented in the film? Select a scene where the topic of conversation is ethnic differences. Analyse the dialogue using Foucault’s approach taking into consideration the definitions of power, discourse and the gaze.
3. How is femininity presented in this text? Using gender studies select a scene where the life of the prostitutes is depicted in relation to patriarchal ideology.
4. Analyse the context of culture presented in the movie. In order to do so you need to work on the following concept: imperialism. How is imperialism depicted in the film? Pay attentio to symbols carrying Queen Vicoria's image.
5. From Hell may be considered a hybrid from the perspective of genre classification. On the one hand, this text may be considered as a horror film. On the other hand, it may be considered as crime fiction/detective fiction. Taking genre theory into consideration elaborate two lists of what you consider are the textual characteristics of both genres.
6. How is the medical profession presented in this film? What kind of power do doctors exert on the female body? Use gender studies and Foucaut’s approach to analyse one scene where the manipulation of the female body at the hands of science is shown.

Composed upon Westminster Bridge

By William Wordsworth

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;


And all that mighty heart is lying still!

The Chimney Sweeper

By William Blake

When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.

There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved, so I said,
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare,
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."

And so he was quiet, & that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, & Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black;

And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he opened the coffins & set them all free;
Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run,
And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.

Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.
And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father & never want joy.

And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark
And got with our bags & our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;
So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.

A lego stop-motion animation of William Blake's poem, "The Chimney Sweeper".

Victorian Times

Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Short Stories

Rudyard Kipling
Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) - An English novelist, short-story writer, and poet who spent most of his youth in India, and is best known for his children’s classics. In 1907, Kipling was the first English writer ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
Lispeth (1888) 
Miss Youghal's Sais (1888)
Thrown Away (1888)

Metrical Feet: a lesson for a boy

Metrical Feet: a lesson for a boy

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1806)

Trochee trips from long to short;
From long to long in solemn sort
Slow Spondee stalks, strong foot!, yet ill able
Ever to come up with Dactyl's trisyllable.
Iambics march from short to long.
With a leap and a bound the swift Anapests throng.
One syllable long, with one short at each side,
Amphibrachys hastes with a stately stride --
First and last being long, middle short, Amphimacer
Strikes his thundering hoofs like a proud high-bred Racer.

If Derwent be innocent, steady, and wise,
And delight in the things of earth, water, and skies;
Tender warmth at his heart, with these meters to show it,
WIth sound sense in his brains, may make Derwent a poet --
May crown him with fame, and must win him the love
Of his father on earth and his father above.
My dear, dear child!
Could you stand upon Skiddaw, you would not from its whole ridge
See a man who so loves you as your fond S.T. Colerige. 

Poetry

Virtual Class

Darkness, by Lord Byron

The Gothic

Frankenstein

Graveyard Poetry

During the 18th century there was an exploraation in poetry of new themes, handled in more low-key language and forms, without the bite of satire and without the wit and humour of the poems from the previous age. The most important one is Gray's Elegy (1751) and it has been associated with the rather earlier 'Graveyard school' of poetry. These poets revel at great length in death- 'that dread moment'- and morbidity, creating an atmosphere of delightful gloom. This poem shows a genlty humanist melancholy. It is a life affirming reconsideration of rural values, finding meaning in life lived rather than in death feared. This poem unites nature, emotion, simplicity and eternity.

Carter, R, and McRae, J. (1997). The Routledge  History of Literature in English: Britain and Ireland. Routledge: London

French Revolution

Binary Oppositions

Claude Levi Strauss

All cultures, according to Structuralism, are organized around binary oppositions: animal/human, good/bad, rich/poor, man/woman. His theory of binary opposition suggests that all narratives progress due to conflict caused by a series of opposing forces. (He believed that the way we understand certain concepts depend not so much on their meaning but on the opposite word.)

·         Good vs Evil

·         Rational vs irrational

·         Protagonist vs Antagonist

Vladimir Propp

·         Vladimir Propp identified seven character types, or, “spheres of action”:

1. The villain: individual whose task is to disrupt equilibrium
2. The donor: individual who gives the hero something (advice, help, information, an object)
3. The helper: individual who helps the hero in the task
4. The princess (or ‘sought-for-person’): individual who needs help, protecting and/or saving.
5. The dispatcher: individual who sends the hero in his/her quest
6. The hero (seeker or victim): individual who’s quest is to restore equilibrium
7. The false hero: individual who pretends to aid the hero in the quest, but is usually unmasked in the end.

·         Propp's 31 Narratemes

1st Sphere: Introduction: Steps 1 to 7 introduces the situation and most of the main characters, setting the scene for subsequent adventure.

1. Absentation: Someone goes missing

2. Interdiction: Hero is warned

3. Violation of interdiction

4. Reconnaissance: Villain seeks something

5. Delivery: The villain gains information

6. Trickery: Villain attempts to deceive victim

7. Complicity: Unwitting helping of the enemy

2nd Sphere: The Body of the story: The main story starts here and extends to the departure of the hero on the main quest.

8. Villainy and lack: The need is identified

9. Mediation: Hero discovers the lack

10. Counteraction: Hero chooses positive action

11. Departure: Hero leave on mission

3rd Sphere: The Donor Sequence: In the third sphere, the hero goes in search of a method by which the solution may be reached, gaining the magical agent from the Donor. Note that this in itself may be a complete story.

12. Testing: Hero is challenged to prove heroic qualities

13. Reaction: Hero responds to test

14. Acquisition: Hero gains magical item

15. Guidance: Hero reaches destination

16. Struggle: Hero and villain do battle

17. Branding: Hero is branded

18. Victory: Villain is defeated

19. Resolution: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved

4th Sphere: The Hero’s return: In the final (and often optional) phase of the storyline, the hero returns home, hopefully uneventfully and to a hero's welcome, although this may not always be the case.

20. Return: Hero sets out for home

21. Pursuit: Hero is chased

22. Rescue: pursuit ends

23. Arrival: Hero arrives unrecognized

24. Claim: False hero makes unfounded claims

25. Task: Difficult task proposed to the hero

26. Solution: Task is resolved

27. Recognition: Hero is recognised

28. Exposure: False hero is exposed

29. Transfiguration: Hero is given a new appearance

30. Punishment: Villain is punished

31. Wedding: Hero marries and ascends the throne

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/propp/31_narratemes.htm

Story vs Plot

For a definition of a story we turn to British literary scholar Richard Bradford who defines a story by citing the work of the Russian theorist Viktor Shklovsky:

Shklovsky (1917) reduced fictional structures to two opposing and interactive dimensions: sjuzhet and fabula.  Fabula refers to the actuality and the chronological sequence of the events that make up a narrative; and the sjuzhet to the order, manner, and style in which they are presented in the novel in question. The fabula of Dickens's Great Expectations (1861) concerns the experiences, in and around London, from the early childhood to adulthood of Pip.  Its sjuzhet involves the presentation of these events in Pip's first-person account [...].  In Dickens's novel, the first-person manner of the sjuzhet has the effect of personalizing the fabula; Pip's description of Miss Havisham and of his relationship with Estella is...influenced by factors such as his own emotion[...] his...habits and his...perspective. [Richard Bradford, Stylistics (London 1997), p. 52.]

A narrative text contains a fabula, also known as story; and a sjuzhet, known as plot. 

·         Fabula (story: what)– the raw materials (such as the literal events and their chronological sequence). 

A text must have some kind of logic, some kind of recognizable sequence and that's what a fabula provides.

In fact some theorists argue that if a story doesn't mirror human behavior in a way a reader can recognize then they won't understand it, and your story is useless.  

·         Sjuzhet (plot: how) The narrator gives the story its sjuzhet when they filter the events through their perspective.  So the sjuzhet encompasses all of the devices that a narrator has at their disposal when they tell the fabula to the reader. 

Narratology

Narratology looks at what narratives have in common and what makes one different from another. (Term coined by Tzvetan Todorov). It is part of a larger discipline called Narrative Theory: it looks at how a narrative is put together, what tropes are a part of narrative, the philosophical underpinnings of narrative, and how readers respond to narrative.

Narratology refers to both the theory and the study of narrative and narrative structure and the ways that these affect our perception. Narrative, from latin narre, which means to make known.

A narrative is a text which tells a story.  According to the Dutch literary theorist Mieke Bal:

“A narrative text is a text in which an agent or subject conveys to an addressee ('tells' the reader) a story in a particular medium, such as language, imagery, sound, buildings, or a combination thereof. A story is the content of that text”.

 [Mieke Bal, Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative (Toronto 2009), p. 5.]

Bal expands the definition of narrative to include a story told in any genre or art form (literature, visual art, music, architecture).  What a narrative must have is a teller and a listener, a performer and an audience. According to reader response theory, a story doesn't actually exist until there's someone to tell it to.

 A story is what is being told within a narrative. 

·         Bal, M. (2009) Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. Toronto: University of Toronto Press

Assignment # 1: Topic

Language and Culture III – Literary Essay

Choose ONE of the following tasks and develop it thoroughly in an essay.

It should include an introduction, the main body and a conclusion.

Develop the corresponding theory, and account for it quoting from the novel.

1. “Pride and Prejudice” is a novel about women who feel they have to marry to be happy. Taking Charlotte Lucas as an example, do you think the author is making a social criticism of her era’s view of marriage?

2. Define what power is according to the theory of Michel Foucault. Describe the struggle for power between two characters throughout the play.

3. Explain how social class determines the decisions that people make in “Pride and Prejudice”.

4. Explore Austen's portrayal of the women in the novel

5. Explore Austen's portrayal of the women in the novel. In what ways does she sympathize with their plight, and in what ways is she unsympathetic?

6. How are gender roles represented in the novel within Patriarchal Society?

7. How can characters' behaviour or narrative events be explained in terms of psychoanalytic concepts (Id, ego, superego)?

8. How do Elizabeth Bennet's ideas on marriage differ from social ideas? Which characters in the novel share Elizabeth's views of marriage and which characters reflect society's perspective? Expand on this theme.

9. How do Elizabeth's simplicity and independence represent an attack on the conservatism of characters like Lady Catherine De Bourgh?

10. How do the characters in the text mirror the archetypal figures? (Great Mother or nurturing Mother, Whore, destroying Crone, Lover, Destroying Angel)

11. How does “Pride and Prejudice” criticize customs of the period?

12. How is patriarchal society represented through discourse in “Pride and Prejudice”? Choose two characters from the play to illustrate your point.

13. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?

14. In what ways does Austen show that family and community are responsible for its members?

15. What conflict can be seen between the values the novel champions and those it portrays?

16. What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy?

17. What elements of the text can be perceived as being masculine (active, powerful) and feminine (passive, marginalized) and how do the characters support these traditional roles?

18. Which social class does the novel “Pride and Prejudice” claim to represent?

19. Any other: ____________________________________________________________

Assignment # 1

Objective: write a response to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Criteria:

• Evidence of understanding of the chosen topic. 
• Evidence of critical and independent thinking.
• Evidence of careful reading of the novel and investigation on the topic.
• Overall coherence of your writing.

Assessment Rubric: (See link)

Recommendations:

• Avoid using "I, we": use passive constructions whenever is possible.
• Avoid short forms/contractions
• Avoid using biased language
• Direct quotations should be accurate: write what the author wrote. You can omit parts of the quotation using (...).
• Use formal language: whatever is traditionally used in spoken language should NOT be used in an academic paper.
• Use "hedging" language (cautions language) it seems that..., it appears to be.... may...might....could...

Power Relations by Michel Foucault

Literary Devices in P&P

Literary Theories and Schools of Criticism

Kings and Queens of England - Part II

A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed

Literary Essay

Kings and Queens of England - Part 1

A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General

A satire is a genre which "can be described as the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn, or indignation". (Abrams: 2012)

A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General

By Jonathan Swift

(1722)

His Grace! impossible! what dead! 

Of old age too, and in his bed! 

And could that mighty warrior fall? 

And so inglorious, after all! 

Well, since he’s gone, no matter how, 

The last loud trump must wake him now: 

And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger, 

He’d wish to sleep a little longer. 

And could he be indeed so old 

As by the newspapers we’re told? 

Threescore, I think, is pretty high; 

’Twas time in conscience he should die 

This world he cumbered long enough; 

He burnt his candle to the snuff; 

And that’s the reason, some folks think, 

He left behind so great a stink. 

Behold his funeral appears, 

Nor widow’s sighs, nor orphan’s tears, 

Wont at such times each heart to pierce, 

Attend the progress of his hearse.

But what of that, his friends may say, 

He had those honours in his day. 

True to his profit and his pride, 

He made them weep before he died. 

Come hither, all ye empty things, 

Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings; 

Who float upon the tide of state, 

Come hither, and behold your fate. 

Let pride be taught by this rebuke, 

How very mean a thing’s a Duke; 

From all his ill-got honours flung, 

Turned to that dirt from whence he sprung.

™Abrams, M. (2012) A Glossary of Literary terms. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage learning.

Regency England, key concepts

Created with Padlet

Patriarchal Society

What is a Patriarchal System?

A patriarchal social system can be defined as a system where men are in authority over women in all aspects of society. In the past, men were often the established gender of authority and exhibited control in all situations.

The etymology of the word patriarchy allows us to understand the meaning of the term. The term patriarchy comes from the Latin words pater, which means “father”, and archein, “to rule”. Also, patriarchy derives from the Greek terms patriarches (“chief or head of family”) and patria (“family, clan”) Therefore, it refers to male political power within society and the father’s authority within his family.

Malpas and Wake (2006) claim that:

Patriarchy is a term used – especially but not exclusively in feminist theory – to analyse male dominance as a conventional or institutionalized form. Literally the ‘rule of the father’, patriarchy historically describes systems in which the male has absolute legal and economic control over the family. The patriarch is the male head of a tribe, religion or church hierarchy. (...)

Patriarchy was stablished as a system, defeating the ‘mother right’ and controlling women’s sexuality in order to establish paternity and protect private property. (Malpas and Wake, 2006: 237)

Characteristics of a Patriarchal System 

(male dominance, male centeredness, obsession with control, male identification)

Firslty, a patriarchal society is male dominated, which does not mean that all women are powerless, but the most powerful roles in most sectors of society are held by men,whereas the least powerful roles are held by women. 

Secondly, it is organized with men at the center, while women occupy the margins. This is so because of the assumption that women need men's supervision, protection, or control because they are fragile or vulnerable. 

This takes us to the thrid characteristic, which is the obsession with control. Men living in a patriarchal system or society must be in control at all times. They have a desire to control all social and family situations and must make all decisions regarding finances and education.

Finally, it is important to mention those aspects of society and personal attributes that are highly valued and which are generally associated with men, while devalued attributes and social activities are associated with women. Men are concerned with identification that includes qualities of control, strength, forcefulness, rationality, strong work ethic, and competitiveness.

Reference:

Malpas, S. and Wake, P. (eds.) (2006) The Routledge Companion To Critical Theory. London: Routledge

Patriarchy. (2016, June 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:16, June 12, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Patriarchy&oldid=724372009

Retrieved from blog "Language & Culture II"

A Satyr agains Reason and Mankind

For those interested in the poem by John Wilmot, I'm sharing this analysis I found on the net.

Report Verbs

You can download material here.

Transmedia Storytelling: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story.

By Henry Jenkins

See more at his webpage

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is an American single-frame web series which has been adapted from Jan Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The story is conveyed in the form of vlogs (video blogs). It was created by Hank Green and Bernie Su. It also has Twitter and Tumblr accounts.

The Enlightenment

Vocabulary: ways of.....

Scientific Revolution

Language Change - Diachronic View

Timeline

A brief introduction to the history of England and the literary periods.

Contenidos

Eje Temático # 1

1.    Revolución Científica e Ilustración (1650- 1790)

Precursores de la Revolución Científica: Newton. La Ilustración: nuevas ideas económicas. Pensadores políticos.

2. 1ra Revolución Industrial (Fines S. XVIII y XIX)

Progresos técnicos. Nuevas fuentes de energía. Mejoras en vías de comunicación. Cambios en la agricultura y en el trabajo. Consecuencias sociales, políticas y económicas.

3. El texto realista, el surgimiento de la novela y su relación con la consolidación de las clases sociales. La emergencia de lo gótico y su ambigüedad: entre la denuncia y la reproducción de la sociedad.

Recursos

Texto: “Pride and Prejudice” de Jane Austen.

“Pride, Prejudice and Zombies”, de Jane Austen y Seth Grahame-Smith

Poema: “A Satyr against Reason and Mankind” de John Wilmot, “A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General” de Jonathan Swift, “A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed” de Jonathan Swift, “The Chimney Sweeper” (en Songs of Innocence), “The Chimney” (en Songs of Experience), de William Blake.

Película: “Pride, Prejudice and Zombies” dirigida por Burr Steers. Análisis del “mashup”.

Eje temático # 2

1.    La revolución Francesa (1789-1815)

La Revolución Francesa: causas y etapas. Cambios en el gobierno. Resultados y trascendencia. Napoleón. El Imperio. La restauración. El Congreso de Viena.

2.    Inglaterra durante la Revolución Francesa

Participación inglesa contra Napoleón. El  “Sistema Metternich”. El imperio británico y el balance de poder en el siglo XIX.

3.    Romanticismo: la imaginación atravesada por la naturaleza, la re-evaluación romántica de lo sublime. La vida industrial como objeto repulsivo. Recuperación de lo medieval, oposición al neoclasicismo y recomposición de lo gótico.

Recursos

Texto: “Frankenstein”, de Mary Shelley.

Poema: “Written Upon Westminster Bridge”, “The Daffodils” de William Wordsworth.

Cuento: Comparación con “La casa de Asterión”, de Jorge Luis Borges

Película: “Frankenstein”, dirigida por Kenneth Branagh (versión de 1994)

Eje Temático # 3

1. Absolutismo y liberalismo 1815-1870. Nacionalismo 1850-1870

La reacción conservadora 1815-1830. El liberalismo: la revolución de 1830. El movimiento de 1848 en Francia y otros países. Nacionalismo y liberalismo: Prusia, Austria e Italia. Formación de nuevos estados nacionales: unificación de Italia y de Alemania.

2.    Inglaterra Victoriana y 2da Revolución Industrial

Disturbios laborales. La reforma parlamentaria de 1832. El movimiento cartista, 1838-1848. Legislación reformista. Las organizaciones obreras. La reforma de 1867. El reinado de Victoria (1837-1901). Desarrollo político y económico. Orígenes y desarrollo del socialismo. Robert Owen. Karl Marx. Características y consecuencias sociales y políticas de la segunda revolución industrial. El nuevo capitalismo y el nuevo imperialismo.

3.    Exploración de la relación entre la dimensión literaria y la social retratada en la novela gótica y victoriana. La crisis de Fé: Marxismo, Darwinismo y Psicoanálisis en la Literatura.

Recursos

Textos: “Wuthering Heights”, de Emily Brontë.

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, de Robert Louis Setevenson.

Película: “Mary Reilly”, dirigida por Stephen Frears (1996).

Short Stories: “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Masque of the Red Death” de Edgar Allan Poe (Gothic).

“The Outsider”, “The Terrible old man” De H.P. Lovecraft (Cosmic Horror).

Poema: “Dover Beach” de Matthew Arnold.

Fundamentación

El espacio de Lengua y Cultura III corresponde al tercer año de estudios, es correlativo a Lengua y Cultura II y es pre-requisito para cursar Lengua y Cultura IV.

El propósito de esta cátedra, como herramienta instrumental y formativa, es ofrecer a los futuros docentes la posibilidad de estimular una sensibilidad estética, adquirir un bagaje cultural, y de desarrollar estrategias de lectura crítica y de análisis discursivo que les permitan lograr un entendimiento más acabado sobre la estilística, la cultura y el uso de la lengua en cada uno de los textos a trabajar. Se propone entregar al alumno herramientas para la (re)construcción y (re)creación de significados, tanto en el contexto de producción como recepción, inmediata y posterior. Lengua y Cultura III apunta a la creación de un perfil profesional crítico y reflexivo no solo a través del lenguaje, sino en él.

De esta manera, esta asignatura tiene como objetivo acercar a los futuros docentes al ámbito de las expresiones artísticas, los acontecimientos históricos, los fenómenos culturales y literarios acaecidos durante los siglos XVIII y XIX. Para ello, se proveerán redes referenciales, un marco crítico y técnicas de análisis que hagan más accesible la cosmovisión de la relación entre el sujeto, el mundo y el lenguaje.

Lengua y Cultura III tiene como finalidad seguir desarrollando las múltiples habilidades adquiridas por los futuros docentes mediante el enfoque de los fenómenos históricos y literarios por estudiar, para así contribuir a sus propias prácticas críticas y reflexivas como lectores, escritores, comunicadores y futuros formadores.

El estudio de la lengua y la cultura será abordado desde dos perspectivas diferentes pero integradas: por un lado se analizarán los principales eventos, ideas y movimientos que tuvieron lugar durante los siglos XVIII y XIX. Por otro, se analizarán manifestaciones y fenómenos literarios y fílmicos contextualizados en período a estudiar. Estas piezas ofrecerán a los alumnos la posibilidad de apreciar la belleza de las mismas así como también de tener una exposición intensiva y extensiva del idioma inglés Además, la discusión de las problemáticas, los argumentos, los personajes y los hechos apuntan a ejercitar la lengua oral.

Welcome to Language & Culture 3