AJ24252 Twentieth Century Anglophone War Fiction

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 18:00–19:40 G32
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/10, only registered: 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course will look at aspects of British and American fiction which derive their principal creative focus from being situated in a time of war. In this case, the wars in question are the First and Second World Wars. This year's course will look at T.E. Lawrence's famous 'autobiographical' work, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom', the tetralogy by Ford Madox Ford, set during the time of the First World War, 'Parade's End',an trilogy set at the time of the Second World War, Sword of Honour' by Evelyn Waugh, each of them essentially contemporary with the wars themselves. In addition, a more recent British trilogy, written by a female author, Pat Barker, on the subject of the First World War and social and sexual issues related to it, plus Olivia Manning's 'Levant Triolgy' also set in World War II. The aim of the course will be to examine and compare the different approaches to war and wartime society each of these novels take. By the end of the course participants will have discussed and analysed the works in question and produced an essay focusing on specific aspects of issues raised.Materials are only available from the library in e-prezencka form, except for 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' and Ford's 'Parade's End' tetralogy, which can be found on the internet or in cheap Wordsworth Classics editions.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course the students will be expected to have gained a more thorough understanding of the social and cultural issues surrounding the two world wars as examined and dramatised in the works of fiction analysed.
Syllabus
  • Week 1.Sept.17th: INDUCTION WEEK: NO LESSON Week 2 Sept.24th:Introductory Week 3 Oct.1st:T.E. Lawrence: Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1; James Barr: A Line in the Sand. Ch.3 Week 4 Oct:8th:T.E. Lawrence: Seven Pillars of Wisdom (2); Barr: A Line in the Sand: Ch.4 Week 5.Oct 15th:Ford Madox Ford. 1.Some Do Not; David Stevenson: A History of the First World War; Maps & Ch.1.: The Destruction of Peace Week 6 Oct 22nd: Ford: 2.No More Parades; Stevenson: Ch.5. War Aims and Peace Week 7 Oct 29th: READING WEEK: NO LESSON Week 8 Nov. 5th:Ford: 3.A Man Could Stand Up; 4.Last Post; Stevenson Ch.7:Technology, Logistics and Tactics Week 9.Nov.12th: Pat Barker: Regeneration; The Eye in the Door (1);Ch.9 Armaments and Economics Week 10 Nov.19th:Pat Barker: The Ghost Road; Evelyn Waugh: Men at Arms; Week 11:Nov.26th: Evelyn Waugh: Officers and Gentlemen;Unconditional Surrender: AJP Taylor: The Origins of the Second World War: Chs.8 (The Crisis over Czechoslovakia) and 9 (Peace for Six Months) Week 12: Dec.3rd:Olivia Manning: The Levant Trilogy (1; Peter Calvocoressi et al: Total War: The Courses and Courses of the Second World War:Chs.8&9 Week 13: Dec 10th:Olivia Manning: The Levant Trilogy (2); Calvocoressi et al: Ch.20
Literature
  • Barker, Pat Regeneration (1992) London Penguin
  • Calvocoressi, Peter et al Total War: The Causes and the Courses of the Second World War London Penguin 1972,1989
  • Taylor, A.J.P The Origins of the Second World War London Penguin 1964
  • Stevenson, David 1914-1918: The History of the First World War London Penguin 2004
  • FORD, Ford Madox. Parade's end. Edited by Robert Hampson - Andrew Purssell. 1st pub. Ware: Wordsworth Editions, 2013, xxiv, 744. ISBN 9781840227192. info
  • BARKER, Pat. The ghost road. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1996, 277 s. ISBN 0-14-023628-7. info
  • PYNCHON, Thomas. Gravity's rainbow. New York: Penguin Books, 1995, 760 s. ISBN 0140188592. info
  • BARKER, Pat. The eye in the door. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1994, 280 s. ISBN 0-14-016878-8. info
  • BARKER, Pat. Regeneration. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1992, 251 s. ISBN 0-14-012308-3. info
  • LAWRENCE, T. E. Seven Pillars of Wisdom. V. Británie: Penguin, 1978, 700 s. ISBN 0140016961. info
  • WAUGH, Evelyn. Men at arms. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1964, 245 s. info
  • WAUGH, Evelyn. Officers and gentlemen. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1964, 248 s. info
  • WAUGH, Evelyn. Unconditional surrender. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1964, 239 s. info
Teaching methods
The course will be taught through a combination of close reading and discussion and participants will be further required to submit an essay analysing specific elements covered in relation to the course.
Assessment methods
The course will be assessed in terms of oral contribution (40%) and an essay of 6-8 pages (60%). Essays should be submitted to my IS e-mail address.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2014, Spring 2016.
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