Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The intensive study of selected works of British literature written after 1945. May be organized by author, genre, or critical approach. Students with credit for ENGL 440 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

Asking Questions: the plays of Caryl Churchill

You are not alone if you don't recognize this playwright's name. Outside of theatrical and literary circles, Churchill's work is little-known. However, with her talent for formal experimentation, effecient dialogue, twists of chronology, and prophetic relevance, Caryl Churchill is one of the most important and influential living British playwrights. Since the 1960s, Churchill has explored wide-ranging subject matter, from real estate deals to postcolonial gender confusion, from witchcraft trials to environmental disaster. She has also employed wide-ranging dramatic modes, from from musical to experimental theatre, from kitchen-sink naturalism to Monty Python-like farce. Nevertheless, her works are consistent in several important respects: their challenge to the capacities and definitions of theatre, and their capacity to surprise and stimulate audiences. As Churchill has stated, “Playwrights don’t give answers; they ask questions.” With its scope, Churchill's oeuvre presents a lens through which to learn about drama generally and postwar British drama more specifically. After a quick grounding in the language of drama, this course presents a survey of Churchill's most significant works; each week we will encounter the questions raised by one play, with some supplementary critical reading.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR ENGLISH 440
Students will learn to apply principles of rhetorical and critical analysis in response to selected dramatic readings from Britain since 1945. They will develop their writing skills through exploratory writing, academic argument, and critical analyses of literary texts.  

A student who successfully completes the course will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Utilize an advanced university-level writing process employing pre-writing and proposal strategies
Plan, analyze, revise, and edit writing in response to instructor and/or peer feedback
Generate, organize, and synthesize ideas
Apply principles of unity, coherence, and emphasis in academic writing
Observe the grammatical and stylistic conventions of scholarly prose in English
Integrate textual evidence to support generalizations
Analyze, and interpret, and respond critically to literature through close reading
Evaluate relevance, purpose, and effectiveness of different approaches to literature
Use MLA documentation as appropriate with quotations and paraphrase
Examine structure, logic, style, and themes in dramatic texts
Respond critically to, analyze, and interpret dramatic texts
Discuss and debate dramatic texts

Creative thinking and problem-solving skills
analyzing and drawing inferences from language
evaluating relevance, purpose, and effectiveness of different approaches to literature
using arts-based inquiry methods to investigate topics of interest

Oral skills
asking questions in small and large groups
listening actively and giving feedback
participating in classroom discussions
presenting thoughts to others and leading groupwork  

Interpersonal and teamwork skills
working productively in large and small groups
offering, listening to, and responding appropriately to peer contributions

Personal management skills
scheduling and completing reading and writing tasks to deadline  

Writing skills
producing written work that is clear, logically ordered, and focused
producing unified and coherent paragraphs
producing grammatically correct and effective sentences
writing essays that use evidence to defend a thesis
gathering information from sources and presenting that information effectively
practicing editing strategies
revising work in response to feedback  

Reading & information skills
reading closely for information, argument, and rhetoric
drawing inferences from various texts
analyzing and responding critically to a variety of texts  

Technological skills
navigating and using the resources of a LMS (online learning management system)
navigating and using the library resources

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

We will read selected plays from the four collections of plays.

Links to required occasional critical readings will be placed on Canvas.

REQUIRED READING: