Nobel Prize Literature

Catalog description

Introduction to Nobel Prize winning literature and the culture of the prize in international and historical context. CMLIT 132 Novel Prize Literature (3) (GH;IL) (BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.This course will provide an introduction to Nobel prize-winning literature. Students will learn about the authors and their works in cultural and historical context. Readings will cover several genres (such as poetry, drama, short story, and novel) and will include authors from an array of linguistic and cultural traditions (such as African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, European, North American, and Asian). In addition to reading primary literature, students will enrich their understanding of literary history by exploring secondary material such as essays, short biographies, reviews of author's works, and the authors' Nobel Prize acceptance lectures. The course will begin by introducing Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize, and by surveying the parameters guiding how the prize has been awarded since its inauguration in 1901. Further readings may be organized temporally or thematically, but will be structured so that students develop a global perspective, allowing them to understand the variety of cultural contexts that have inspired the creative works under study. By examining the primary literature in connection with developing trends in prize culture, students will investigate such topics as pacifism and optimism in international prize culture, narrative and rhetorical techniques, the formation and expression of identity, changing gender roles and social expectations, the development of global Englishes, the emerging notion of world literature, and the changing climates of censorship and freedom of expression. The course is designed to be suitable for all students generally interested in literature and the globalization of culture. Prior study of literature is not required and all materials will be available in English.