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An Introduction to Literature in English (Part II)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:02:05
Abstract
"Story telling". Discussion of the ways in which narratives are structured, as well as the relationship between form and function, exploring how story-tellers control our reading experience.Reading samples include excerpts from the works of Homer, Geoffrey Chaucer, S.T. Coleridge, Joseph Conrad and Salman Rushdie.
Objective
The aim of this course is to sharpen students' awareness of literary conventions and methods and to help them become discerning readers, hence to increase enjoyment and benefit derived from reading English literature.
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 excerpts from Homer's "Odyssey", and continue with other major works of literature in which story-telling is a central issue: Geoffrey 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".
Resources
Lecture Notes
No script.
Literature
Recommended reading: Vladimir Propp, "Morphology of the Folktale"; Wayne C. Booth, "The Rhetoric of Fiction"; H. Porter, "The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative" (2002).
General Information
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- end-of-semester examination
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | An Introduction to Literature in English (Part II) |
|
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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