Undergraduate 

Comparative Literature MA

Transcultural Connections: 'Classic' Texts and their Adaptations across Cultures COMPLIT4033

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

Texts that have an enduring appeal have been translated, adapted or rewritten, and thus can be said to 'travel' across time, space, cultures and media. Such texts are often termed 'World Literature' due to their ability to cross all sorts of borders. The course will study a sample of 'travelling texts' alongside various adaptations of them. There will be an emphasis on adaptations into recent contexts, whether these are modern, postmodern, postcolonial or decolonial.

Timetable

20 x 1hr sessions or 10 x 2hr sessions over one semester as scheduled in MyCampus.

 

This is one of the honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ engage with classic texts and their adaptions, and to put these in context from a research-led perspective;

■ analyse a range of textual and cultural materials across a range of periods and genres, allowing students to build up specialist knowledge;

■ encourage students to compare, contrast and analyse the texts and other cultural materials;

■ engage with a range of methodological and theoretical approaches to adaptation and rewriting.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ compare and contrast set material by the authors/filmmakers and contexts studied;

■ assess the relationship between the films/texts and their social, historical and political contexts;

■ identify and discuss the major questions and features regarding the prescribed material, including developments across a range of representations;

■ contribute to seminar discussion, analysing material with regard to its broad themes, significant detail, and socio-cultural, historical and ideological contexts;

■ complete coherent, structured and focused written work on topics related to the set texts;

■ make competent use of secondary material and successfully integrate such material into an original argument.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.