English (ENGL) 401

Overview

This course uses selected literary texts to study the theme of mankind's search for spiritual and intellectual self-realization. Works of different genres by major authors from Canada, England, Germany, and Norway are examined. Through the study of these works, the symbolic figure of Faust is traced from the Renaissance to modern Canada via German Romanticism and nineteenth-century European drama. The course explores the changing image of Faust and examines the cultural and philosophical ideas that shaped each age's perception of the search for self.

Note: Since this is a senior course, we expect students to have good reading and writing skills as well as the basic critical tools and knowledge of literary forms and techniques that are acquired in an introductory university English literature course like Athabasca University's English 211 and 212. Students who do not have the recommended credits in an introductory English literature course may experience significant difficulty with the essay assignments and examinations.

Outline

Unit 1: The unit focuses on Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus.

Unit 2: This unit examines Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part I and II.

Unit 3: The third unit explores Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt.

Unit 4: Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano comprises the fourth unit.

Unit 5: The last unit examines Caterina Edwards' Becoming Emma.

Evaluation

To receive credit for ENGL 401, you must achieve a composite course grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.