Introduction to English Fiction

Course Coordinator: Dr Garfield Lau, BA, MPhil (CUHK); PhD (HKBU)

Course Developer: Prof. Andrew Parkin, Emeritus Professor of English (CUHK)

ENGL A131 introduces you to the critical reading of different kinds of fiction in English. The course will give you a reading knowledge of selected fiction texts, an understanding of critical approaches to the reading of these texts, and an indication of the variety of different kinds of fiction. It will also enhance your awareness of the use of verbal imagery in the texts.

Aims
The course aims to introduce you to methods of reading, understanding and appreciating the literary genre of fiction. This will be done by exploring different forms of fiction, from flash fiction to novels.

Contents
The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction to English fiction: Holst's 'The Zebra Storyteller'
• Characterization in Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily'
• Point of view in James's 'The Tone of Time'
• Gender and class in Lawrence's 'Odour of Chrysanthemums'
• Fable, feminism and 'history' in Lessing's The Cleft
• Feminist criticism in Woolf's To the Lighthouse
• Autobiographical writing in Coetzee's Boyhood

Learning support
There will be regular two-hour tutorials and a day school.

Assessment
There will be three assignments, one of them is an oral presentation to be submitted through the university’s online system (OLE) and a final examination. Students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Equipment
You will need access to a computer with a broadband connection to the Internet. Please note that you may also be required to download some free software to your computer and you will need a microphone for recording your oral presentation to be submitted online.

Set book(s)
Students are required to obtain and read all the set fiction texts listed above. Online versions of some of these texts may be downloaded from the Internet.

Students with disabilities or special educational needs
The audio components of the materials and assessment for this course may cause difficulties for students with impaired hearing or speech. You should seek advice from the Course Coordinator before enrolling on the course.