ENGL2648 - Travellers' Tales

Semester 1, 2013  |  Credit Points: 6

Coordinator: Vanessa Smith
Phone: +61 2 9351 2857
Email: vanessa.smith@sydney.edu.au

Description

This unit explores a range of texts, from the Ancient world to the twentieth century, encompassing real and imaginary voyages of travel and exploration. We examine both the narrative structure and imagery of the voyage, and the contexts of encounter or empire that these reflect or disguise. The unit considers the ways in which generic themes and literary structures find articulation in particular cultural and political contexts. Students will sample a broad spectrum of narrative modes, complemented by visual resources.

Assessments

1x500wd equivalent class presentation (10%), 1x1500wd close-reading exercise (40%), 1x2500wd take-home exercise (50%)

Textbooks

Homer: 'The Odyssey';
Swift: 'Gulliver's Travels';
Montagu: 'Letters';
Lamb, Thomas and Smith (eds) 'Exploration and Exchange: A South Seas Anthology';
Theroux, 'Happy Isles of Oceania';
Davidson, 'Tracks'.
Additional material may be included in a Course Reader.

Classes

2x1-hr lectures/week,
1x1-hr tutorial/week

Prerequisites

12 Junior credit points from English

Prohibitions

ENGL2048

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