WANG Hongzhang, Fall 2016
Classroom: H6209
Meets: Wed. 13:30-15:10
Emailhzwang8@fudan.edu.cn
Office: HB 402-G
Office ‘phone: 6563105
Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30-14:30 and by appointment
British and American Short Stories (FORE130205.01)
Description
Students taking this course will read thirty-odd short stories, most of which were written by British and American writers in the 20th century. In order to enhance their ability in appreciating the short story as a separate genre of fictional writing and critically analyzing it, Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan’s Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics (Routledge, 2002) will also be covered one chapter after another in class, usually in the second class period. By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to provide brief definitions for some of the most important narratological terms explained in the book, a list of which will be given towards the end of the semester. Besides, throughout the course, each student will be given a chance to make at least one presentation on the materials from either the main text or Supplementary Readings. This requirement is intended not only to increase our students’ amount of reading but also to give them an opportunity to present in class their relevant critical ability.
Basic Texts
1. 汪洪章、宋梅选注：《英美名家名篇选读——短篇小说》，上海科学技术出版社，2009年。
2. Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith. Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics. Routledge, 2002.
3. Supplimentary Readings
References
1. Abcarian, Richard, and Marvin Klotz, eds. Literature: The Human Experience. Bedford/St. Martins, 2002.
2.Bradbury, Malcolm, ed. The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories. Penguin, 1988.
3.Crane, Milton, ed. Fifty Great American Short Stories. Bantam, 2008.
4.Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1978.
Website
Class Schedule, Readings and Assignments
Week 1
(1) Course Description;
(2) Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour”
Week 2
(1) Language: John Galsworthy, “Quality”;
(2) Rimmon-Kenan, Introduction to Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics (NF)
Week 3
(1) Fantasy: Saki, “Sredni Vashtar”;
(2) “Story: Events I” in NF
Week 4
(1) Dream Vision: Mark Twain, “My Platonic Sweetheart”;
(2) “Story: Events II” in NF
Week 5
(1) Magic Realism: Bernard Malamud, “Idiots First”;
(2)”Story: Characters” in NF
Week 6
(1) Stream of Consciousness (I): James Hilton, “Washington Is Situated…”;
(2) “Text: Time” (I) in NF
Week 7
(1) Stream of Consciousness (II): Katherine Ann Porter, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”;
(2) “Text: Time” (II) in NF
Week 8
(1) Characterization: W.Somerset Maugham, “The Verger”;
(2) “Text: Characterization” in NF
Week 9
(1) Points of View (I): Katherine Mansfield, “Miss Brill”, “The Singing Lesson”;
(2) “Text: Focalization” in NF
Week 10
(1) Points of View (II):William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”;
(2) “Narration: Levels and Voices” (I) in NF
Week 11
(1) Suspense: Kate Chopin, “Desiree's Baby”;
(2) “Narration: Levels and Voices” (II) in NF
Week 12
(1) Chronology and Reversement: Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever”;
(2) “Narration: Speech Representation” in NF
Week 13
(1) Disillusion (I): James Joyce, “Araby”;
(2) “The Text and Its Reading” in NF
Week 14
(1) Disillusion (II): Sherwood Anderson, “I Want to Know Why”;
(2) “Conclusion” in NF
Week 15
(1) Symbol and Irony: Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”;
(2) “Towards…: after thoughts, almost twenty years later” (I) in NF
Week 16
(1) The Feminist Voice: Virginia Woolf, “The Legacy”;
(2) “Towards…: after thoughts, almost twenty years later” (II) in NF
