Entry requirements

General entry requirements and English 6

Learning outcomes

Upon finishing the course, the student will be able to

• understand and apply relevant terminology in literary theory, particularly post-colonial perspectives;
• demonstrate knowledge of the global dimensions of Jane Austen's work, including the historical context and literary representations of empire, and global reception;
• demonstrate knowledge of selected critical material and ability to engage with critical arguments;
• demonstrate familiarity with and ability to use in critical argument a range of Jane Austen's writings, including novels, letters, and manuscript works;
• demonstrate knowledge of narrative techniques and strategies in the novels of Jane Austen;
• demonstrate awareness of current debate on the works of Jane Austen;
• demonstrate ability to engage in discussion of literary works using fluent and precise English.

Content

Until the end of the twentieth century the novels of Jane Austen were discussed as exemplars of domestic realism and parochial Englishness. Her own observation that "three or four families in a country village is the very thing to work on" was taken at face value. It would be difficult to overstate the impact, then, of Edward Said's vision of Mansfield Park "at the centre of an arc of interests and concerns spanning the hemisphere, two major seas and four continents" in his 1993 classic of postcolonial criticism, Culture and Imperialism. This course will familiarise you with Said's intervention and the resulting critical debate in Austen studies. It will also introduce important resources for understanding both the author's place in the history of empire, including East and West Indian connections, and her global reception today. Students will read two of the novels, extracts of others, letters, and her unfinished final work. These texts will be supplemented by key contextual and secondary material.

Instruction

Teaching takes place online and combines written assignments and virtual classes. English is the language of instruction.

Assessment

Continuous assessment based on written assignments and seminar participation. Grades used are either Fail, Pass, or Pass with Distinction. English is the language of examination.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Students who do not achieve a passing grade on the regular examination will have another opportunity to take the examination within a reasonable period of time after the regular examination.

A student who has failed a certain test twice is entitled to being assigned a new examiner upon request.

Other directives

If the syllabus or course reading for a component has been changed, students have a right to be examined under the original syllabus and course reading on three occasions during the following three semesters. Normally this right then expires. Otherwise there are no limitations on the number of examination opportunities.

The course may not be included in a degree if that degree includes a corresponding component.

Transitional provisions

For transitional regulations in the case of changes in the syllabus, please contact the student adviser.