COURSE UNIT TITLE

: POLITICS AND THE NOVEL

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
AKE 5006 POLITICS AND THE NOVEL ELECTIVE 3 0 0 7

Offered By

American Culture and Literature

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR NILSEN GÖKÇEN ULUK

Offered to

American Culture and Literature

Course Objective

This course aims at examining the age-old relationship between politics and literature, which are the two of the most ancient expressions of the human culture, and developing arguments as to when and under what conditions literature acts as part of the dominant ideology and when and under what conditions assumes the role of its opponent, as well as studying the interactions between literature and politics.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Evaluate the American novel from a political perspective,
2   Develop sensibilities towards the relations of cooperation and competition between the power and art, in general, and the novel, in particular, produce ideas on them,
3   Become aware of and decipher the overt or subtle political discourses,
4   Analyze how various forms of discrimination based on race, class, religion and gender are reproduced as elements that shape power relations,
5   Develop sensibilities and ethical behavior towards the political processes in their own social surroundings.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Uncle Tom's Cabin Student Presentation: Catherine H. Zuckert, Natural Right and the American Imagination Class Discussion
2 Uncle Tom s Cabin Student Presentation: Catherine H. Zuckert, Natural Right and the American Imagination Class Discussion
3 The Jungle Student Presentation: Isabel Allende, Paths of Resistance: The Art and Craft of the Political Novel Class Discussion
4 The Jungle and A Hazard of New Fortunes Student Presentation: George Goodin, The Poetics of Protest: Literary Form and Political Implication in the Victim-of-Society Novel Class Discussion
5 A Hazard of New Fortunes Student Presentation: George Goodin, The Poetics of Protest: Literary Form and Political Implication in the Victim-of-Society Novel Class Discussion
6 All the King's Men Student Presentation: Arnold Brecht, Political Theory: The Foundations of Twentieth Century Political Thought Class Discussion
7 The Human Stain Student Presentation: Cathy Moses, Dissenting Fictions: Identity and Resistance in the Contemporary Novel Class Discussion
8 Class Discussion Class Discussion
9 The Plot against America Student Presentation: Cathy Moses, Dissenting Fictions: Identity and Resistance in the Contemporary Novel Class Discussion
10 The Poisonwood Bible Student Presentation: Fidelma Ashe, Contemporary Social and Political Theory: An Introduction Class Discussion
11 The Blood Tie Student Presentation:Stephen Eric Bronner, Twentieth Century Political Theory: A Reader Class Discussion
12 Nineteen Eighty Four Student Presentation: Stephen Eric Bronner, Twentieth Century Political Theory: A Reader Class Discussion
13 The Handmaid's Tale Student Presentation: Robert Boyers, Atrocity and Amnesia: The Political Novel since 1945 Class Discussion
14 Wrap up Wrap Up

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbook(s):
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
Upton Sinclair, The Jungle
William Dean Howells, A Hazard of New Fortunes
Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men
Philip Roth, The Human Stain
---, The Plot against America
Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
Mary Lee Settle, Blood Tie
George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty Four
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale
Ursula K. LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness

Supplementary Book(s):
Theory on Political Novel:
Political Novel Theory
Catherine H. Zuckert, Natural Right and the American Imagination
Cathy Moses, Dissenting Fictions: Identity and Resistance in the Contemporary Novel Form
Isabel Allende, Paths of Resistance: The Art and Craft of the Political Novel
Nancy Armstrong, Desire and Domestic Fiction: A Political History of the Novel
Robert Boyers, Atrocity and Amnesia: The Political Novel since 1945
George Goodin, The Poetics of Protest: Literary Form and Political Implication in the Victim-of-Society Novel

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Text Analysis
Student Presentations

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.50 + FIN* 0.50
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.50 + RST* 0.50


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

Either the midterm or the final of this course will involve writing a research paper. The minimum criteria in the evaluation of this assignment will be the sensibleness and coherence of the argument, fluency of the development of ideas and thoughts, the quality and range of research, the intellectual level of the analyses and syntheses of the sources, their integration to the main idea, and the success in the accuracy, fluency in the idiomatic usage of language. The latest version of the MLA documentation style shall be employed in the research paper. The Wrks Cited must include at least ten secondary sources. Study aids such as Cliffsnotes, Sparksnotes will not be accepted as part of the Works Cited.
The minimum criteria for the in-class exam with essay type questions include the logical associations with the question, coherence and consistency in the unfolding and development of the idea(s), and the accurate and fluent usage of language.
In the presentations the minimum criteria for evaluation are an overall command of material, clarity and succinctness of verbal expression, organization of thoughts and ideas, timing, and the knowledgeableness of the presenting student in answering questions in the ensuing discussion.
In order to be able to follow class discussions and lectures, the students must read the required material for the week. Each student is thus expected to be ready to participate in an intellectually stimulating discussion of the texts. In addition, s/he is expected to establish ties between the present and previously introduced material in order to be able to develop a wider perspective on underlying issues.
In the quizzes, the questions are tailored to evaluate the student s class preparation for the day; therefore, they will be based on facts in rather than interpretations of the assigned materials.
In all sorts of exams, personal interpretations must be supported by facts and fact-based knowledge on the part of the student.
The grade from class participation will be earned based on the intellectual level of the student s class participation in discussions.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

Any attempt at plagiarism at research papers will result in failure in this course and start a legal process against the student.
The minimum attendance requirement for this class is 70 %.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Address:Faculty of Letters Building Office A 220
Phone: (232) 301 86 78
E-mail: gokcenils@yahoo.com

Office Hours

By appointment.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 3 39
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Preparation for final exam 1 11 11
Preparation for quiz etc. 3 1 3
Preparing assignments 1 11 11
Preparing presentations 1 11 11
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 13 7 91
Final 1 3 3
Midterm 1 3 3
Quiz etc. 3 1 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 185

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14PO.15PO.16
LO.155555555
LO.25555555555
LO.355555555
LO.4555555555
LO.5555555

CONTACT INFORMATION
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Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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