LIT301: The Search for Meaning in Twentieth Century Literature
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Elective unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Semester 1 |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
The unit presents a study of major twentieth and twentieth-first-century literary works, from various national backgrounds, which explore fundamental questions of life’s meaning. Classes will focus on these works’ imaginative engagement with the problem of meaning, the search for meaning, and the apparent absence of meaning in the modern age. Writers studied may include William Faulkner, T. S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath and W. B. Yeats.
Learning outcomes
Students on completion of the unit should be able to:
- compare and contrast modern literature emanating from different national traditions;
- provide a critical analysis by identifying and describing, where appropriate, the inter-relationship between chosen texts and their social and political milieux;
- identify common themes that characterise these works and appraise their representation in chosen texts;
- undertake research, thoughtfully evaluate material and apply to new challenges;
- summarise information and communicate in a persuasive, logical and coherent manner;
- competently present clear written expression, logical essay structure and appropriate use of referencing and bibliography to comply with the strict conventions of academic writing;
- work constructively in groups and actively participate in class discussion.
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