ENGL201

The
first section of ENGL201 is Romanticism and its Legacy, which offers an
introduction to one of the major periods of creativity in English
literature: the time of Romanticism. We begin with the late eighteenth
century, reading selected poems by William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and
William Blake (1757-1827).

We then move on to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), a
novel influenced by much the same ‘Romantic spirit’ as the poetry,
although given a different, female treatment. Studying this text also
provides an opportunity to think about ways in which prose fiction of
the time was imbued with a ‘Romantic spirit’. Simultaneously, this
course introduces students to the experience, and the implications, of
poetic discourse as a crucial aspect of creative writing and reading.

The second section of ENGL201 is Reading/Writing/Editing. The aim is
to give students the opportunity to improve their communicative skills
in reading, writing and editing. The lectures cover composition, life
writing and ‘reading for writing’.

Overall, this section of ENGL201 encourages students to relate the
central practices of traditional English Studies – close reading and
critical analysis – to the concerns, at once analytic, imaginative and
expressive, of the practising writer.

Note: A student signing up for ENGL201 must take BOTH sections of the
course, namely, Romanticism and its Legacy AND Reading/Writing/Editing.

ENGL202

The
first section of ENGL202 is Narrative in the Victorian Period. Here, we
investigate basic components of narrative in relation to the
characteristics of the Victorian period in which the realist novel first
emerged. Students study three classic novels of the time: Emily
Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and Olive Schreiner’s The Story of an African Farm.

The second section of ENGL202 is Interpreting Texts. It, is at once
practical, analytical and imaginative. It aims to develop your
understanding of the production and reception of various written texts,
from poetry, to the classic African novel Mhudi by Sol T
Plaatje (1830) to the genre-busting meta-fictional short story. Overall,
students will enjoy context-based encounters with concepts such as
rhetorical device, character, voice, plot, and narrative
self-reflexivity. They will also have selected opportunities to produce
their own examples of creative writing.

In this manner, students will be better placed to understand the
wide-ranging methods through which literary-cultural materials are
structured and patterned.

Note: A student signing up for ENGL202 must take BOTH sections of the
course, namely, Narrative in the Victorian Period AND Interpreting
Texts.

However, ONE of the following two modules may be taken instead of
either ENGL201 or ENGL202 as part of the English Studies major on the
Howard College Campus:

Semester 1: CHTM210 Literary Tourism in KZN,

Using
KwaZulu-Natal as its focus, this module explores the links amongst
writers, writing, place, and identity. Through concepts such as
cognitive mapping, landscape, environment, and cultural tourism,
students are introduced to a range of local writers and many examples of
text – among them extracts from novels and stories, as well as travel
brochures and advertising copy.

Extensive use is made of the KZN Literary Tourism Website, and the associated tourism trails.
OR

Semester 2: Translation & Intercultural Communication TRIC202

Translation is communication across languages and cultures in a
variety of fields such as literature and art, the mass media, law and
labour relations, science and technology. In a global working
environment, translation involves not only language, but social and
cultural understanding. This is a course for all students who wish to
enhance their potential in the world of work. A good translator is a
good communicator.

In addition to gaining a credit-bearing course in your degree, you
may qualify for the self-standing Certificate of Proficiency in
Translation.