Modern and Contemporary Literature (ENGL10001)

Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 2
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This subject explores modern and contemporary literature in English. Beginning with Anglophone modernism, it introduces students to key works from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries across genres such as poetry, drama, the novel, the short story, and memoir. Where modern writers strive for new modes of representation in an era of rapid social change, contemporary writers contend with which genres and actions are still meaningful even as they push us to imagine different ways of being in the world. Students will learn to read these texts closely and to situate them in relation to their cultural, political, and historical contexts. The subject will also introduce students to influential developments in literary criticism and critical theory.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Apply critical and analytical skills and methods to key texts and ideas in twentieth and twenty-first century literature
  • Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of some of the thematic and formal innovations as well as the controversies and contexts of literature in the twentieth century and beyond
  • Demonstrate a general understanding of the concepts and principles of recent innovations in literary-critical methodology
  • Apply an independent approach to knowledge that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate methodologies that are applied with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values
  • Articulate the relationship between diverse forms of knowledge and the social, historical and cultural contexts that produced them
  • Acquire relevant research skills including use of the library, referencing and presentation of written work
  • Communicate effectively in a variety of oral and written formats
  • Work creatively, independently and reflectively to meet goals and challenges.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • Be able to apply new research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry
  • Develop critical self-awareness and shape and strengthen persuasive arguments
  • Be able to communicate arguments and ideas effectively and articulately, both in writing and to others.

Last updated: 14 March 2025