Western Fictions (U01395)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U01395

This course is a study of literary texts that depict the American frontier experience; it is an examination of how the American west has been represented, and of the ways in which it is integral to ideas about American national identity. The course uses 9 literary texts to interrogate western stereotypes (particularly of masculinity and violence), to scrutinise the western myth, and to understand western literature's relation to the phenomenon of `New Western History'.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Passes in English or Scottish Literature 1 and English or Scottish or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt in the second year course

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the Head of English Literature

? Costs : Essential course texts

Variants

? This course has variants for part year visiting students, as follows

Western Fictions (VS1) (Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2))

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Friday	09:00	10:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course the successful student will have a good close textual knowledge of nine works of fiction that represent the American west from a variety of different perspectives; the student will also be able to contextualise each of these works in terms of western historiography, and understand how depictions of the American frontier are bound up with political and aesthetic issues that impact upon myths of national identity.