COURSE UNIT TITLE

: CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN NOVEL AND POSTMODERNISM

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
AKE 5057 CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN NOVEL AND POSTMODERNISM ELECTIVE 3 0 0 5

Offered By

American Culture and Literature

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR LEMAN GIRESUNLU

Offered to

American Culture and Literature

Course Objective

This course focuses on American literary works and trends from the years 1960-70s onwards.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Students will acquire knowledge regarding contemporary readings in American Literature and Theory.
2   Students will acquire skills of writing book reports.
3   Students will acquire skills in engaging in class discussions, and presentations in an advanced academic setting.
4   Students will acquire skills of critical thinking.
5   Students will acquire/add to their skills in advanced academic research.
6   Students will acquire skills in synthesizing current issues in the area of American Literature along theoretical positions.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction contemporary literature and theory Lecture
2 Introduction contemporary literature and theory continued Lecture
3 Introduction review on research writing skills book report Lecture
4 Paul Auster, Sunset Park Lecture book presentation Class discussion
5 Paul Auster, Invisible Lecture book presentation Class discussion
6 Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice Lecture book presentation Class discussion
7 Thomas Pynchon Inherent Vice continued Lecture book presentation Class discussion
8 Paper proposal due. Class presentations Paper proposal due. Class presentations
9 Jonathan Franzen, Freedom Lecture book presentation Class discussion
10 Utopias Dystopias/ Margret Atwood, The Handmaid s Tale Lecture
11 Marge Piercy, Woman on the edge of Time/ Marge Piercy, He, She, It Lecture book presentation Class discussion
12 Ursula le Guin, Left Hand of Darkness/ Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower Lecture book presentation Class discussion
13 Ursula le Guin, Left Hand of Darkness/ Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower continued Lecture book presentation Class discussion
14 Jonathan Lethem, As She Climbed Acrosss the Table Lecture book presentation Class discussion

Recomended or Required Reading

John Mullan, How Novels Work / Jane Smiley, 13Ways of Looking at the Novel/ Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49 / Paul Auster The New York Trilogy/ Paul Auster, Invisible/ Paul Auster, Sunset Park/ Jonathan Franzen, Freedom/ Marge Piercy, Woman on the edge of Time/ Margret Atwood, The Handmaid s Tale/ Marge Piercy, He, She, It/ Ursula le Guin, Left Hand of Darkness/ Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower/ Jonathan Lethem, As She Climbed Acrosss the Table
Supplementary Book(s):
References:
Materials: All supplementary books and references in various formats are to be added and updated in the Course Blog

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1) All selected teaching material; written and visual are to be notified prior to the semester. Syllabi maybe altered with due notice.
2) Students are expected to attend class prepared for a rigorous class discussion.
3) All assigned homework and book reports are due prior to the start of the class to the instructor.
4) Grades are to be deducted from late papers.
5) Students are expected to adhere with the academic code of ethics.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 STT TERM WORK (SEMESTER)
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.35 + STT * 0.25 + FIN* 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.35 + STT * 0.25 + RST* 0.40


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

Assignments: Students will be expected to prepare two book reports. There will be two in class examinations (midterm and final) in addition to which a final research paper (ten pages minimum) will be due during the finals week. Midterm in class exam: will cover material studied in-class, and will expect responses to major discussions in the area. Book reports : Students will be expected to elucidate upon major arguments of their assigned books; offer a critical examination of the text, and place the work within contemporary debates. Book reports will be presented in class as well as submitted in print format . Two book reports will constitute of the total grade which will add up to the in class exam counting towards the Midterm grade.Research paper : (10 pages minimum MLA style) Final paper should focus upon a major issue in American culture displaying an understanding of past, and present methodologies in the area of American Studies contributing to the process of meaning making. The topic of analysis should display thorough and proper scholarship, abiding by academic standards of research and ethics. Final in-class exam : will cover material studied in-class, and will expect responses to major discussions in the area.weekly book presentations and subsequent class discussion comprise of active participation to class. Prior to the submission of the final paper students will submit their proposal , and paper drafts at due times indicated in the syllabus.

Assessment Criteria

Book reports are expected to display accurate understanding of reading assignments; and to display rigorous academic research placing the work into critical perspective.
2) Book reports are submitted in written to the class instructor prior to due class discussions/presentations
3) Paper proposals should display the aim and scope of the research to be conducted.
4) Paper proposals should be inclusive of an annotated bibliography.
5) Paper proposals are submitted in written to the class instructor at due date.
6) Paper draft assessment monitors student progress during research, and offers guidance.
7) Final paper projects are expected to display genuine synthesis of theoretical material along issues proposed.
8) Final paper projects should be inclusive of a bibliography page.
9) Final paper projects should be submitted in MLA format.
10) Final paper projects, all class assignments, and conduct should abide by academic rules of ethics.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1) Class attendance is compulsory (%70)
2) Students who have already fulfilled attendance but have failed the course on an earlier year, and are regarded by university rule and regulations exempt from participation to the class, are still expected to be informed of the current years course content, as it may be subject to alteration.
3) All student conduct, projects, class assignments, should adhere with academic rules of ethics.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Faculty of Letters

Office Hours

to be anounced

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 3 39
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 1 10 10
Preparation for final exam 1 27 27
Preparing assignments 1 10 10
Preparing presentations 1 27 27
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Quiz etc. 1 7 7
Midterm 1 3 3
Final 1 3 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 136

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.135555355555355
LO.25555555
LO.3555555555555555
LO.455555555555555
LO.555555
LO.65555445