TERM PAPER

TERM PAPER (BASED ON MODULES ONE AND TWO)

Deadline: 7 pm, November 1, 2001 (Late submissions will be penalised)

Length: 1,500 - 2,000 words. (I will not read anything that exceeds this limit)

Answer One (1) of the following questions:

1. One branch of the mimetic approach to criticism, M. H. Abrams points out in The Mirror and the Lamp, is concerned with what may be termed ‘literary realism.’ This is basically an "empirical theory of the artistic ideal, of which the Poetics of Aristotle was the prototype" (36), which "maintains that the models and forms for artistic imitation are selected . . . from the objects of sense-perception" (36) to be found in the everyday world.

Either: Drawing upon the work of two relevant theorists studied, discuss what you understand by the term ‘realism.’ Illustrate your answer with reference to a suitable literary or dramatic text of your choice.

Or: Illustrating your answer with reference to a suitable literary or dramatic work of your choice, outline some of the most important elements which a realist critic would look for in a literary work as well as the characteristic steps which s/he would take to these ends.

2. M. H. Abrams argues in The Mirror and the Lamp that the other branch of the mimetic approach to criticism is concerned with what might be termed ‘literary symbolism.’ This is basically a "transcendental theory, deriving from Plato" (36) which

specifies the proper objects of art to be Ideas or Forms which are perhaps approachable by way of the world of sense, but are ultimately trans-empirical . . . and available only to the mind of the eye. (36)

The forms or ideas which are the ultimate realities beyond the concrete objects of the temporal world are said to be ‘symbolised’ by some literary texts.

Either: Drawing upon the work of two relevant theorists studied, discuss what you understand by the term ‘symbolism.’ Illustrate your answer with reference to a suitable literary or dramatic text of your choice.

Or: Illustrating your answer with reference to a suitable literary or dramatic work of your choice, outline the most important elements which a symbolist critic would look for in a literary work as well as the characteristic steps which s/he would take to these ends.

3. Compare the views of TWO (2) of the following theorists on the formative effect which literature has upon the reader:

Plato

Sir Philip Sidney

William Wordsworth

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Matthew Arnold

I. A. Richards

Mary Wollstonecraft

Judith Fetterley

Ken Ramchand

Chinua Achebe

4. Carefully defining the terms ‘literary history’ and ‘canon,’ compare the models of literary history advanced by TWO (2) of the following theorists: Ian Watt, Elaine Showalter, Ken Ramchand, and Matthew Arnold.
CAUTION

Essays must be written on a computer and according to the guidelines laid out in The MLA Handbook. These guidelines are summarised in the Faculty of Humanities Essay-Writing Guidelines pamphlet available from the Faculty Office and in my own Essay Writing Guide. Poorly presented and documented essays will be penalised.
Please do not submit your paper in any plastic folder or the like: the paper itself is sufficient.
For advice on writing a 'Theory' essay, see my handout Writing 'Theory' Essays.
Students should keep a copy of their term paper for themselves in case the one submitted gets lost.
Students should not merely regurgitate material drawn from my handouts: essays should demonstrate evidence of engagement with the primary texts listed as required reading.
You are reminded that since Modules One (Representation) and Two (The Reader) are tested by this assignment, the final exam will test your knowledge of modules three (The Author) and four (Literary Form).