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BTAN32005BA-K3 11

GENRES IN BRITISH LITERATURE AND FILM:

THE BRONTË SISTERS IN THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXT

THIRD YEAR

BRITISH STUDIES TRACK

Time: Thu 10.00–11.40

Room: 109

SélleiNóra

Office: 116/4

Office hours

Time: Thu 13-14; Fri 10-11

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The course intends to explore the oeuvres of the three Brontë sisters almost in their entirety (except for Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights), ranging from the most widely discussed classic novels through the less known writings (Villette by Charlotte Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë, and Emily Brontë’s poetry) to the arts of the three sisters, including a comparative study of their brother, Branwell’s painting. The course will also include the analysis of some approaches to the myth and reality of the Brontës, and will discuss a Jane Eyre-intertext: Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea. The course forms an integral part of the series of courses that discusses women writers and issues of gender in their writings, thus the basic approach will be feminist literary theory and feminist critical practice.

Requirements

Presence at classes: no more than three absences are allowed. In the case of a longer absence (either due to illness, or official leave), the tutor and the student will come to an agreement of how to solve the problem.

Assigned reading: The seminar format and the reading requirements suppose that the assigned texts are read for the classes. Tests on the assigned readings can be expected at each seminar. The result of these tests contributes to the seminar grade (“minor tests”: 9%).You must pass at least 66% of these tests, otherwise your seminar is a failure (the grade is a one). You’ll be granted, though, one chance to make up for the failure of these minor tests at the end of the termas agreed with your course tutor.

Reader’s journal: the student is expected to keep a reader’s journal in a separate notebook, recording opinions, impressions, raising questions. The journals are to be in class, and to be used for facilitating discussions.

Participation in classroom discussion: the student is expected to take an active part in classroom discussions. This activity contributes to the seminar grade by 22% of the overall achievement. (The reader’s journal can be of great help in this respect.)

Endterm test: an objective test on the works discussed during the term (30%). The test must be written at the time scheduled in the syllabus. Failing to do so will count as course failure, and only one re-sit test will be scheduled to make up for the failure.

All the above components are obligatory: you cannot NOT complete all of them at least at a minimal level. Out of all the course components, only one re-sit will be granted; in case you fail in more than one component, the course is a failure.

Students must also be aware that their oral and written linguistic proficiency will contribute to their grade.

GRADING POLICY

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GRADING POLICY
minor tests / 14%
classroom work / 26%
objective test / 60%
total / 100%

Grades

Percentage / Grade
87–100 / 5
75–86 / 4
63–74 / 3
51–62 / 2
0–50 / 1

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TEXTS: available in the Institute Library, plus a handout material (Emily Brontë’s poetry).

Week / Date / Topic
1 / 15.02 / Introduction: the Brontës’ life: myth and reality
2 / 22.03. / The visual arts of the Brontës (ppt uploaded on a library computer in Rm 101) – team presentation(details TBA in class 1; part of classroom work)
3 / 01.03. / Emily Brontë’s poetry (handed out in either of the previous classes)
3 / 02.03.
10.00Rm 101 / Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: the hide-and-seek of narration
4 / 08.03 / Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: a female Künstlerroman
5 / 15.03. / NO CLASS – NATIONAL HOLIDAY
6 / 22.03 / Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey: a governess novel
7 / 29.03. / Charlotte Brontë’sVillette I: narration and self
8 / 05.04 / CONSULTATION WEEK – NO CLASS
9 / 12.04 / Charlotte Brontë’sVilletteII: spaces and resolutions
10 / 19.04. / NO CLASS DUE TO THE INSTRUCTOR’S OFFICIAL ABSENCE
11 / 26.05. / Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea: the unheard story of Bertha Mason
12 / 03.05. / End-term test

Evaluation: in any of my subsequent office hours