Παρουσίαση/Προβολή

(ENL640) -  Χρυσή Μαρίνου

Περιγραφή Μαθήματος

Spring 2025

Twentieth-Century Political Novel (ΛΕ 170, Εαρινό, 6^ο εξάμηνο, Επιλογής) 

 

Course Description and Objectives

This course explores the twentieth century political novel, focusing on authors of different origin (England, Canada, Scotland), various ideological perspectives, and pertinent political issues. The century of ideology, revolutionary movements, and the two World Wars produced writing that transcended the nineteenth century social novel, exploring and critiquing the essence of modernity. The first two weeks of the course offer the theoretical and conceptual background that guides the exploration of the novels. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) introduces the genre of utopia/dystopia through its exploration of social engineering and population control. Huxley’s emphasis on biopolitics is also sustained in Margaret Atwood’s text. The distortion of the idea of progress and the rise of totalitarianism challenge Enlightenment tenets of emancipation, demonstrating the omnipotence of propaganda. The power of the state over the individual (biopolitics, surveillance, police state, and militarism) is a recurrent theme in The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) that paints the picture of a repressive totalitarian regime governed by a Christian fundamentalist elite. Here, the testimony/narration of the main female character becomes an expression of immanent resistance. The final novel in this course, Poor Things (1992) by Alasdair Gray, with its double interpretative context of self and nation (Bella as Scotland) reflects on the country’s postmodern struggle for national identity echoing contemporary concerns of national identity and national sovereignty. In scrutinizing modern and contemporary society, contesting Enlightenment and challenging the power-monopoly of the state, all literary texts and theoretical works resonate with contemporary audiences.

 

 

The course aims at:

• Enriching the students’ critical reading skills by co-relating the literary form, thematic content,and historical context.
• Deepen their understanding by connecting their personal readings of literary works to secondary critical/theoretical works.

• Engaging students in critical discussion by drawing on literary and critical texts.
• Boost their understanding of social/cultural issues by articulating the ways in which literature helps readers critically examine the world around us.

• Familiarize students with academic and critical discourse.

 

Ημερομηνία δημιουργίας

Κυριακή 3 Μαρτίου 2024