ENH2050

The reader in history

H Love

8 points - 2.5 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton

Objectives Students successfully completing this subject should have achieved enhanced interpretative skills; a widened historical understanding of the Western literary tradition; and improved levels of oral and written argument.

Synopsis The premise of this subject is that an education in 'English' is about learning to use and understand a variety of reading practices and that these can be historically contextualised. The approach will be chronological, moving forwards from practices that still have a strong oral component to present-day models of interpretative reading.

Assessment Exercise (1500 words): 20% - Essay (2500 words): 30% - Examination (2 hours): 40% - Attendance and participation: 10%

Prescribed texts

King Solomon The song of songs any edn
Calvino I If on a winter's night a traveller Everyman
Cambridge A A woman's friendship UNSW Press
Leonard J (ed.) Seven centuries of poetry in English 2nd edn, OUP
James H The Aspern papers Penguin
Swift J 'The battle of the books' in A tale of a tub and other works World's Classics
Coursebook containing additional texts, from department

Recommended texts

Appleyard J Becoming a reader CUP
Eco U Interpretation and overinterpretation CUP
Manguel A A history of reading Harper-Collins
Ong W Orality and literacy Routledge

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