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An Introduction to Literature in English (2)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:02:05
Abstract
The power that stories have over the audience's imagination has always proved one of the main pleasures of reading. In this course we will be considering some of the highlights of English Literature dealing with storytelling. The course develops out of work we have done in WS 04/05, but forms an entirely self-contained unit. New students are welcome to attend!
Content
This course develops out of Part I, held in the Winter Semester 2004-05, but forms a completely self-contained unit. New students will be welcome! Our topic will be "story telling". A fundamental element in many kinds of literature is the story, an organisation of experience into one or more narrative lines. We will consider some of the ways in which narratives are structured, discuss the relationship between form and function, between structure and meaning and explore how story-tellers control the reading experience. We will start with extracts from Homer's 'Odyssey', and continue with major works of English literature in which story-telling is a central issue: G. Chaucer, 'The Canterbury Tales', S.T. Coleridge, 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', Joseph Conrad, 'Heart of Darkness' and Salman Rushdie, 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories'. In addition, we will also be working with extracts from Vladimir Propp's 'Morphology of the Folktale'.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | An Introduction to Literature in English (2) |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Geistes-, Sozial- und Staatswissenschaften (Die Sprachkurse sind nicht mehr im Angebot des D-GESS, sondern im Angebot des Sprachenzentrums der Universität und der ETH Zürich enthalten. Adresse: Predigergasse 9, 8001 Zürich, Tel. 01 632 2958, Fax 01 632 1221 Mail: )
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