ENGL 20900 - Postmodern Fiction

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

This course will explore some of the most playful and ingenious fiction of the late 20th century, drawing its inspiration from critic and author John Barth's influential essay, "The Literature of Exhaustion." We will first gain an understanding of the concept of postmodernism, before moving on to Barth's essays and short stories. Next, we will read stories from one of the earliest and most influential postmodern writers, Argentinean Jorge Luis Borges. We will read a deceptively simple short novel by Barth's ideal postmodern writer, Italian author Italo Calvino. We then move on to the predominantly French experimental fiction group, Oulipo, and will read a sample of the novels, stories, and poems they produced using inventive mathematical techniques and strict constraints. We will then consider the idea of self-conscious fiction, or metafiction, through a novel by Paul Auster. Lastly we turn to the short stories known as 'flash fiction' of Lydia Davis and Donald Barthelme. All foreign texts are translated into English. The course requirements include an in-class presentation on a topic related to the course materials, a midterm take home exam, one 5-6 page paper on common metaphoric themes, and one 5-6 page critical review. Students who have completed the University requirement in Italian may elect to register for a one credit Language Across the Curriculum discussion section. Students choosing this option will do approximately 10-15 pages of additional reading per week, in Italian, and complete brief reflection papers. The LAC discussion section will be graded on a pass/fail basis and credited to the student's transcript. Up to three LAC credits may be applied towards a major or minor in Italian.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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