| Unit name | Beats & Crazies |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20034 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Karlin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
On this unit we will examine a selection of 20th-century American texts in different media and genres focused on extreme experiences and mental states, and exploring both the artistic opportunities offered by such phenomena, and the ways in which their representation might constitute a criticism of established social and political norms. The unit begins with the poetry and fiction of the ‘Beat Generation’, and takes in the work of poets and songwriters such as Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, and Bob Dylan, together with films such as Monte Hellman’s ‘Two-Lane Blacktop’. The unit will have a strong element of historical context, including McCarthyism, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, the social history of drugs, and the history of psychiatric medicine. Students will also be made aware of the broader literary-historical context (the opposition between individual and community in constructions of the American hero, for example, or the versions of pastoral represented by the West, or by Mexico).
On successful completion of this unit students will have (1) developed a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of a significant type of American literature in the second half of the 20th century; (2) in-depth knowledge of some of the literary and historical contexts in which this literature was produced; (3) demonstrated the ability to analyse and evaluate differing critical accounts of the primary literature; (4) demonstrated the ability to identify and evaluate pertinent evidence in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument; (5) strengthened their skills in argumentation and academic writing.
1 x 2-hour seminar per week.
Both summative essays assess ILOs 1-5.
Allen Ginsberg, Howl
Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Robert Lowell, Life Studies
Sylvia Plath, Ariel and The Bell Jar
Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde
Monte Helman (dir.), Two-Lane Blacktop
