Course Lecturer: A/P Ismail S Talib
Modular Credits: 4 MCs
Who can do this module? This module is intended as a general education module for students who are not English Language, English Literature or Theatre Studies majors.
Timetable: Lectures: Monday 2 pm (LT8); Tutorials: Tuesday, 9 am, 10 am, 12 pm & 1 pm (AS5 02-02).
Narrative as an idea is increasingly used in the humanities and the social sciences in general (some of the inter-disciplinary connections are mentioned in your textbook, and there are also some inter-disciplinary links that you may want to take a look). Students at the undergraduate level should be introduced to some concepts in narrative that will aid them in their use of the idea in their future studies and research.
The module will introduce students to some basic concepts of narrative. The analysis of literary and cinematic narratives will play an important part in the module. However, students will also be exposed to narrative as a basic idea that they encounter in everyday life, and not only in literature and cinema. In this regard, students should develop a finer awareness of how the word narrative is used, and how stories shape their perception of the world. Connections with disciplines outside of literary and cinematic studies will also be made.
The aim of this module is to introduce students to some basic ideas of narrative. Students will learn how to locate and analyse narrative and to appreciate its significance. They will be doing this not only in relation to sophisticated examples found in literature and film, but also in relation to simpler examples found elsewhere.
| Lecture hours per week | 2 |
| Tutorial hours per week | 1 |
| Hours per week for projects and assignments | 4 |
| Hours per week for preparatory work | 3 |
| Total hours per week | 10 |
| 1. | What is a story, and what are its main components? |
| 2. | The importance and omnipresence of narrative in everyday life |
| 3. | How stories begin and end |
| 4. | How a story is set |
| 5. | Persons and characters in stories |
| 6. | Events: linking them into a whole narrative |
| 7. | Plotting the story |
| 8. | Narrating the story |
| 9. | Genres of narrative |
| 10. | Literary narratives |
| 11. | Cinematic narratives |
| 12. | Making a story out of ‘real’ events: history and the news |
| 13. | Narrative and ethics |
| Tutorial participation | 5% |
| IVLE participation | 10% |
| Regular Class Quizzes | 15% |
| Regular Class Surveys | 5% |
| Assignment (essay) | 20% |
| Project or group work | 15% |
| Total for CA | 70% |
| Total for Final Examination | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
1) Lectures
2) Tutorials
3) IVLE
Web book: Ismail S Talib,
Narrative Theory (GEK1049 version,
with the selected readings of some of the chapters)
URL of main textbook:
http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ellibst/NarrativeTheory/
Bal, Mieke Narratology. 2nd Edition.Toronto: U of
Toronto P, 1997.
Rimmon-Kenan, Shlomith Narrative Fiction. 2nd Edition London: Routledge, 2002.
Toolan, Michael Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction. 2nd Edition.
London: Routledge, 2001.
Last revised: 15 August 2011