Login Create Account

Back to Course Catalog

ENG882Arts3 Unitsintermediate

Comparative Studies In Fiction

This course provides a comparative study of fiction, exploring literary movements, periods, genres, and themes in world literature. It examines the relationship between literatures and other spheres of human activity like history, politics, philosophy, art, and science. The course is divided into five parts: Traditions, Conflict, Encounters, Gender, and Exile & Alienation. Select texts from different regions underscore key engagements of socio-political and cultural dynamics.

Generate AI Study Notes

Transform this course into personalized study materials with AI

208h

Study Time

13

Weeks

16h

Per Week

none

Math Level

Course Keywords

Comparative LiteratureFictionConflictEncountersGender

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level

Builds on foundational knowledge

65%

intermediate

📚

Math Level

No Math

📖

Learning Type

Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Conflict in Literature

2

Encounters and Colonialism

3

Exile and Alienation

4

Gender Studies

5

Postcolonial Theory

6

Cultural Identity

7

Migration and Diaspora

8

Comparative Analysis of Fiction

Total Topics8 topics

Requirements

Knowledge and skills recommended for success

Basic knowledge of literary concepts

Familiarity with canonical works of Western and non-Western literatures

💡 Don't have all requirements? Don't worry! Many students successfully complete this course with basic preparation and dedication.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Literary Critic

Apply your skills in this growing field

Editor

Apply your skills in this growing field

Content Writer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Cultural Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Teacher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

PublishingEducationJournalismCultural ResearchMedia

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week

1

Module 1: Conflict

3h

Unit 1: Conceptual Clarifications: Conflict As A Device Of Plot Development, Types Of Conflict, Determinism

3 study hours

•Define conflict as a literary device and as a theme.
•Identify the five types of conflict in literature with examples from the texts.
•Explain the concept of determinism and its relationship to conflict.

Week

2

Module 1: Conflict

3h

Unit 2: Precursors to Empire Re-Narration: Humanity as a Prerequisite to Discourse on Conflict in Literature

3 study hours

•Compare and contrast Eurocentric and Afrocentric representations of the African identity.
•Analyze the historical context and the precursors to empire re-narration.
•Discuss the relationship between conflict and humanity in literature.

Week

3

Module 1: Conflict

3h

Unit 3: Aesthetics of Conflict and the Beginnings of Modern African Prose Fiction: the Empire Writes Back

3 study hours

•Discuss the impetus behind texts regarded as Empire writings.
•Compare and contrast Eurocentric and Afrocentric texts on African identity.
•Examine the aesthetics of conflict in the beginnings of modern African prose fiction.

Week

4

Module 1: Conflict

3h

Unit 4: Cultural Conflict: Assimilation Versus Association And Modern African Prose Fiction

3 study hours

•Compare the British policy of association and the French policy of assimilation in West Africa.
•Articulate the tragedy which was borne of cultural conflict in Africa.
•Analyze cultural conflict as experienced by West Africans under colonial policies.

Week

5

Module 1: Conflict

3h

Unit 5: Conjectures And Prescriptions On Neocolonial Ruptures: Comparing El Nathan's Born On A Tuesday And Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen

3 study hours

•Analyze the chain reaction triggered off by the colonial intrusion into Africa.
•Explain neo-colonial conflicts in postcolonial Nigerian texts.
•Compare El Nathan's Born on a Tuesday and Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen.

Week

6

Module 2: Encounters

3h

Unit 1: Literature of Discovery: Encounter as Motif in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim

3 study hours

•Explain the place of European travelogue in the discourse between the coloniser and colonised.
•Elaborate on the racism inherent in the portrait of the benign white ruler in European travelogue.
•Compare Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim.

Week

7

Module 2: Encounters

3h

Unit 2: Post-colonialism: Theorising Encounters and Its Aftermath in Literature of Encounter

3 study hours

•Discuss the origin and tenets of the postcolonial literary theory.
•Apply the postcolonial literary theory to narratives representing colonialist and anti-colonialist ideologies.
•Compare E.M Forster's A Passage to India and Ferdinand Oyono's Old Man and the Medal.

Week

8

Module 2: Encounters

3h

Unit 3: Modern African Prose Fiction and Tell-Tale Signs of Encounters

3 study hours

•Identify traces of the imprints of the encounter with the West in the plot and style of Modern African Prose fiction.
•Discuss the characteristics of Modern African prose fiction, with consciousness of its double heritage.
•Compare Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God.

Week

9

Module 2: Encounters

3h

Unit 4: Prose Fiction and The Black Diaspora: Cultural Survivals and Double Consciousness

3 study hours

•Discuss the impact of cultural encounters on African-American and Caribbean Prose fiction.
•Compare the impact of the encounter with the West on the psyche of the African-American and Caribbean subject.
•Articulate the significance of cultural survivals in analysing African-American and Caribbean prose fiction.

Week

10

Module 2: Encounters

3h

Unit 5: Migrant Prose Fiction And Encounters

3 study hours

•Compare and contrast the sensibilities underlying Migrant Prose fiction in African and in Diaspora.
•Appreciate perspectives of women writings from African and the Caribbean, their similarities and differences.
•Compare Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Sefi Atta's A Bit of Difference.

Week

11

Module 3: Exile and Alienation

6h

Unit 1: Societal Context: Migration as Catalyst of Alienation & Crisis of Identity

3 study hours

•Understand how the themes of alienation and exile re-enact the socio-cultural experience of Migrant Literature and Literature of the Diaspora.
•Understand the themes of Crises of Identity in migrant literature of Africa and Caribbean Literature.
•Understand the psychological and socio-political under-pinning that informs migration and exile.

Unit 2: Narrative Point of View as Tool: Themes of Race, Immigration & Alienation in Americanah & The Lonely Londoners

3 study hours

•Understand how the writers deploy the Narrative Point of View to depict the concepts of the quest for self-identity and validation.
•Identify the differences and similarities in thematic intent and narrative approach.
•Analyze the themes of race, immigration, and alienation in Americanah & The Lonely Londoners.

Week

12

Module 3: Exile and Alienation

6h

Unit 3: Psychological Alienation: Comparison of Characterization & Plot in The Lonely Londoners & Americanah

3 study hours

•Effect an in-depth analysis of how character evolves and is deployed in each text to reflect the complexities of alienation and disillusionment.
•Study and understand the role of plot and structure in unveiling thematic preoccupation in each narrative.
•Carry out a comparative analysis of the similarities and points of divergence in the deployment of characterization and plot by the two writers.

Unit 4: Creolization and Engli-Igbo: Language as Identity in Exile, a Comparison of Americanah & The Lonely Londoners

3 study hours

•Understand each writer's re-crafting of English in order to depict the peculiarity of the collective experience of the immigrant in his search for cultural identity in exile.
•Understand how the deployment of this form of language impacts on the themes of disillusionment and the quest for self-identity.
•Compare creolization and Engli-Igbo in Americanah and The Lonely Londoners.

Week

13

Module 3: Exile and Alienation

3h

Unit 5: Critical Evaluation and Comparison of Cross-Cultural and Inter-racial Relationships

3 study hours

•Enable a comprehensive understanding of how each writer reflects the psychological challenges of cross-cultural and inter-racial relationships.
•Recognize the similarities and differences between each writers' depiction and exploration of the theme of inter-racial relationships.
•Deploy feminist theory in the analysis of inter-racial and cross-cultural relationships.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

Read the complete course material as provided by NOUN.

Access PDF Material

Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create detailed outlines for each module, focusing on key themes and concepts.

2

Compare and contrast the primary texts within each module, noting similarities and differences in thematic treatment.

3

Practice essay writing, focusing on clear articulation of arguments and effective use of textual evidence.

4

Review tutor-marked assignments and feedback to identify areas for improvement.

5

Develop a timeline of key historical and literary events to contextualize the course material.

6

Form study groups to discuss complex concepts and share insights.

7

Focus on understanding the theoretical frameworks discussed in the course, such as postcolonial theory and feminism.

8

Create concept maps linking different modules and units to identify overarching themes and connections.

Related Courses

Other courses in Arts that complement your learning

Studies In African Fiction

Sociology of Religion

Basic French Grammar & Composition

View All Arts Courses