CW914-20 Seven Basic Plots
Introductory description
CW914-20 - Seven Basic Plots
Module aims
The module will be exploratory and practical, using structured exercises, published texts, handouts, class discussion and homework to stimulate the production of new work. Each week students will study one text in particular in relation to an aspect of plot.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1 Plot: An Introduction (Poetics, fairy tales, Joseph Campbell, Robert McKee,
complex patterns in nature and art)
Week 2 Heroes/Heroines (Conan, Don Quixote, The Bourne Identity)
Week 3 Monsters/Others (The Bible, Frankenstein, Stephen King, Homer)
Week 4 Tragedy (Oedipus Rex, Ibsen, Chekhov, revenge)
Week 5 Comedy (Chaplin, Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Emma, P.G.Wodehouse, slapstick, stand-
up, and Henri Bergson)
Week 6 The Quest (Heart of Darkness, Dan Brown, Super Mario)
Week 7 Voyage and Return (Islands, Lord of the Flies, The Beach)
Week 8 Transformation (Dostoevsky, Great Expectations, A Star Is Born, the
Bildungsroman)
Week 9 Anti-Plots (Clarice Lispector, Christine Brooke-Rose, Slaughterhouse-Five,
Adaptation)
Week 10 Plots: A Summary
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Display a practical understanding of plot types and techniques and to have developed a critical understanding of some of the central ideas and principles of plot and plotting in fiction.
- Demonstrate a practical and critical knowledge of the construction of literary fiction in terms of language, genre, form, narrative, character, dialogue and description, and of representative examples by published writers.
- Analyse prose sentence by sentence in terms of how each works in terms of structure, music and voice, reflect on the relation between theory and practice
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Subject specific skills
No subject specific skills defined for this module.
Transferable skills
No transferable skills defined for this module.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 10 sessions of 3 hours (15%) |
| Private study | 170 hours (85%) |
| Total | 200 hours |
Private study description
No private study requirements defined for this module.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Portfolio assignment | 100% | Yes (extension) | |
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Philosophy and Literature students can choose to either submit a portfolio of 30% creative work and 70% essay OR 100% essay. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Written and oral feedback.
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.