Module Specifications
Academic Year 2026 - 2027
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Description This module offers an examination of how literary value is generated and disseminated throughout the history of Western culture, and will show how the idea of a literary canon has become increasingly problematic. How do “Great” Books come to be called Great? Why do some books or writers come out of fashion? What role do critics and other interpreters (like teachers) play in the generation of canonicity? How has the idea of a classic evolved over time? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Discuss knowledgeably the phenomenon of the western canon 2. Show an analytical awareness of the various ways in which canonicity can be communicated 3. Express an aptly complicated sense of the perceived “greatness” of a writer of work 4. Perform readings of classic texts that open them up to a range of interpretative approaches 5. Form an understanding of the political implications of literary taste-making | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
What is a Classic? Exploring key terms and ideas related to the canon Sappho Assessing the longevity and changing reputation of the work of Sappho Alice Walker Dramatizing issues of cultural property and heritage in relation to the story 'Everyday Use' Ovid’s Metamorphoses Exploring Ovid's Metamorphoses as a canon in itself, and as an abiding influencer from the Renaissance to present-day Jane Eyre popular and academic canonicity; navigating cultural expectations of women writers and women's fiction Moby Dick Moby Dick's place in culture as a text that is widely known but little read Huckleberry Finn Censorship and controversy in canonical texts A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man What is the relationship between classics and periodicity? - Portrait as a modernist classic Citizen Kane and The Hitchhiker Why do some classic films endure while others disappear? The Handmaid's Tale How canonical texts can become relevant for different reasons with new generations of readers Future Canonicity What might the canon look like in the future? What might be added and what might have disappeared? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List Books:
Articles: None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other Resources None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||