Undergraduate - UnitATS3510 - Australian literature: Imagining the community

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Notes

Synopsis

This unit is concerned with the contribution of literature to forming and interrogating national identity. Texts range from the colonial period to the present, and include short fiction, novels, genre fiction and non-fiction. We will consider how these texts examine racial, gender and generational relations, their attempts to rewrite the romance and pastoral traditions, and their engagement with genre.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will have:

1. A critical understanding of the role of literature in the formation and maintenance of national identity;
2. The ability to assess and interpret the dynamic relationship between literature and national identity;
3. An informed understanding of some key critical and theoretical approaches to the relationship between literature and national identity;
4. Critical perspectives on the production and consumption of literature in the national context;
5. Solid advanced undergraduate-level competence in the reading and interpretation of literary texts.

Assessment

Written work (3150 words): 70%
In class test (1-hour): 30%

Contact hours

One 1-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

English
Literary studies (Literatures in English)
Australian studies

Prerequisites

A first-year sequence in English, Literary Studies or Cultural Studies or permission

Prohibitions

ATS2510, WMN2690/WMN3690