MRes Children's Literature

Title:

Twentieth Century Children's Literature

Code:

ENMCH2

Convenor:

DR Sue Walsh

Summary:

This module aims to explore a selection of children's fiction, poetry and picture-books, and introduce students to a wide range of twentieth century children's literature.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Nineteenth Century Children's Literature

Code:

ENMCH9

Convenor:

DR Neil Cocks

Summary:

This module serves two main functions: firstly, to familiarise students with important children's fiction from the 19th century, including works by Charles Kingsley, Catherine Sinclair, Lewis Carroll, Charlotte Yonge, and Mrs. Ewing. Secondly, the module addresses theoretical questions to do, for instance, with genre, gender, and class, as well with literary history and period-definitions. The module therefore aims not just to discuss texts, but also to ask: why these texts? and what is 'history'? and, perhaps most importantly, what (if any) are the relationships between 'history' and the reading of texts?

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Dissertation

Code:

ENMCHD

Convenor:

PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein

Summary:

This module aims to enable students to conceive and select an appropriate topic on which to write a dissertation; and to read and analyse their selected texts closely in terms of the critical ideas and problems to which they have been introduced throughout the MA. This module also therefore aims to enable students to reconsider the formulations of their critical arguments further, in terms of how and why they may present their analyses in their dissertations.

Assessment Method:

Dissertation 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Theory of Children's Literature

Code:

ENMCHT

Convenor:

PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein

Summary:

This module is taken by all students (in the case of part-timers alternately in their first or second year of attendance) to develop an ability to think through ideas which motivate and define 'children's literature criticism', and to analyse the assumptions on which these, and ultimately all, critical approaches rest.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Commonwealth Children’s Literature (Colonial and Post-colonial writing)

Code:

ENMCHCW

Convenor:

DR Sue Walsh

Summary:

This module aims to examine a range of texts from, or set in, selected Commonwealth countries (India, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and an Anglophone African country such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or Uganda) by authors writing in both colonial and post-colonial contexts in order to consider issues such as: how far can these texts be related to one another through their use of generic conventions (for example, in realistic fiction or fantasy)? How far can the literature be related to national cultures and what constitutes national and cultural identity? How do critics define this, and how do they relate it to the reading of texts, or to notions of ‘literary history’ or genre? What issues are thrown up by the presentation of different languages and cultures in these texts? How are ideas of ‘society’, ‘culture’, or ‘history’ used in criticism to produce ideas of identity and ‘read’ texts as relevant to such identities? How useful is post-colonial literary criticism and theory for reading these texts? What are the implications of debates about ‘authenticity’ in relation to the representation of indigenous peoples and cultures in these texts? Note: the final choice of authors and works will depend upon the availability of texts in Britain.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Children's Film, Television, and Radio

Code:

ENMCHF

Convenor:

DR Neil Cocks

Summary:

This module aims to examine a range of texts from electronic media - film, radio, and television, while raising questions about how to interpret and analyse such texts. Further, critical works are examined critically to see how they define and approach these texts, and assumptions they make about differences in approach to film, radio, and television, and 'book texts'.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Myth and Folktale in Children's Literature

Code:

ENMCHM

Convenor:

PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein

Summary:

This module begins with the discussion of the oral tradition for children and the place of myth and folktale within it. The first part of the module will concentrate on the folktale and fairy-tale. Topics for discussion will include: the main theories of folktales and fairytales; the work of Perrault and the Grimms; nineteenth century fairytales; folktale and women; the way European folktales have been reworked for children in different forms (including the animated film of Disney and others) in this century; and folktales from different parts of the world. The module will conclude with discussion of different theories of myth and the influence of certain mythical stories or collections of myth on contemporary children's literature.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

North American Children's Literature

Code:

ENMCHN

Convenor:

DR Sue Walsh

Summary:

This module aims to raise questions about the 'Americanness' of 'American children's literature' through the reading of a wide range of texts labelled 'American children's literature': what constitutes national and cultural identity? How do critics define this, and how do they relate it to the reading of texts, or to notions of 'literary history' or genre? How are ideas of 'society', 'culture', or 'history' used in criticism to produce ideas of identity and 'read' texts as relevant to such identities?

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Title:

Popular Forms of Children's Fiction

Code:

ENMCHP

Convenor:

DR Neil Cocks

Summary:

This module aims to examine texts that may, in a variety of ways, be seen as 'popular'. This will include books published in series (Goosebumps, Babysitters); books marketed by genre (Point Horror); comics, magazines and media. Through these texts, important questions of critical approach will be raised. These will include questions of value and hierarchy, the construction of 'authors' and authority, notions of originality and repetition, ideas of the 'contemporary'. Above all, the very idea of the 'popular' will be carefully considered. How does it function in existing critical languages? Is it thought of a part of, or as apart from, children's literature? Where would one place Enid Blyton or Roald Dahl? Disputed cases such as these will help to mark out the frontiers of debate. This suggested outline may be modified to take into account specific interests of the students.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.