WiSe 23/24: PS-Surveying English Literatures: Non-standard Novels
Jordan Schnee
Comments
In this course we will look at contemporary (post-1945) English fiction that is not written in standard English. These works employ dialect or other special registers not only in dialogue but also narration. We will additionally see that some of these works employ non-standard narrative techniques to heighten their effect.
After an overview of the linguistic features of standard English and novelistic writing, we will look at several excerpts and a couple of full novels that are examples of the trend. Intermediality and adaptation of the novels (into film/TV/music) will also be addressed. Examining non-standard novels will allow us to ask and address questions of power, difference, (post)colonial reception, and what we bring to the table as readers.
Students should read A Clockwork Orange (Burgess, 1962) before the lecture begins. Other novels we will study include The Palm-Wine Drinkard (Tutola, 1952), and The Lonely Londoners (Selvon, 1956).
close16 Class schedule
Regular appointments