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| Semester | fall semester 2008 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Regula Hohl Trillini (r.hohl@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Henry Fieldings "Tom Jones" marks an important step in the development of the English novel; in contrast to the detailed psychological realism of Samuel Richardsons epistolary novels, Fielding famously developed an omniscient narrator figure who directs and oversees the fate of his figures, implicates the reader and alludes ironically to many other ways of storytelling from Homer to contemporary popular novels. Narrativity in prose fiction will therefore be an important focus of the course, with aspects such as distancing, reader address, irony, the use of paratexts etc. Also in terms of content, the book initiates a novelistic tradition quite different from Richardsons model: in its own day, Tom Jones was accused of being "a motley history of bastardism, fornication, and adultery", and Samuel Johnson held the book responsible for two earthquakes that hit London shortly after publication. Modern readers are unlikely to subscribe to such a view for them, Tom Jones it is one of the great comic novels in the English language. |
| Learning objectives | The general aim of the course is to exercise and expand the range of skills acquired in the Introduction, to enable students to write their first (shorter) seminar paper at the end of the summer term and to make an informed decision regarding their further course of studies. |
| Bibliography | Henry Fielding: "Tom Jones": The Authoritative Text, Contemporary Reactions, Criticism. Norton & Company 1995 (Second edition). ISBN: 0393965945; EAN: 9780393965940. Copies will be available at the "Labyrinth" bookshop at a 10% discount. Additional materials will be available on the BSW server. |
| Admission requirements | For students who have successfully completed their 1st year courses in Literature and Culture Studies. Participants must have read the complete novel by the beginning of the semester. Start now! |
| Course application | Places in the courses will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. Please register until July 31st (email to alex.van-lierde@unibas.ch), stating your first and second choices of course. You will be informed which course you have been assigned to within a fortnight. Choice of course cannot be guaranteed for registrations that arrive after July 31st. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Refining Skills in Literature and Culture (Bachelor's degree subject: Englisch) Modul Refining Skills in Literature and Culture for SLA teachers (Ausbildung zur Lehrperson für die Sekundarstufe I) Modul Refining Skills in Literature and Culture for SLA teachers (Sek-I-Fach: Englisch) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | ● regular attendance and active participation incl. short group presentation ● format of further assignments / assessments t.b.a. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Englisches Seminar |