Chapters from Theory of Literature 1

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Learning outcomes of the course unit

1. A good orientation in basic area and issues of general literary theory and in particuarly that for children and youth.
2. Development of abilities and skills in recognizing and analysing tools and procedures which are available to an author.
3. Devleopment of ability to interpret a work of literature, its structure and be able to orient oneself in all its layers.
4. Recognize the merits of a literary work and the potential offered to the creative instrutor in working with children and youth.
5. Opening roads for learning literary types, genre and genre variations particularly important for childrens' and youth literature.
6. Introduction to the roots of literature for children and youth and the origins of works intended for children.
7. Introduction to folklore as an important source of children's literature.
8. Introduction to the development of literature for children and youth from the 18th century to the present with an emphasis on contextual relations.
9. An understanding of the particulars of literature for children and youth and the place of creations for children and youth in a nationwide context.
10. Recognition of drama and the drama training potential of literature for children and youth.

Mode of study

Readings, discussion, text analyses, creative writing.

Prerequisites and co-requisites

1. Ability to notice various elements and values of an artistic text.
2. Bearing in the general history of Czech and world literature.
3. Creativity.
4. Systematic monitor of contemporary literature, particularly works for children.

Course contents

This course focuses on those areas of literary theory which are important for a drama training instructor. Part of the instruction is an introduction to the basic genre areas important for literature for children and youth. Futhermore the course provides students with the basic phases of the development of Czech and world literature for children and youth and changes in the genre composition. The development of literature for children and youth is set in the context of national and world literature, traces the development and basic phases of Czech literature for children and youth, presents verbal folklore issues with a consideration of literature for children and youth, offers a basic orientation in world literature for children and youth and introduces key persons and works.

1. Introduction, fundamental concepts and relationships

• Literature and drama training
• Three areas of literary research (theory, critique, history).
• Issues in the intentional and intentional readings by children and youth.
• The literary work as a structure.

1. Language - the gateway to a literary work.

> Non-illusion literature (literature discussing language) and addressing children.

1. The fundamental repertoire of topical vehicles.

> The folkloric enchantment of fairy tales. Morphology of fairy tales according to V. J. Propp. Fairy tale origin theory.

1. Event, narrative, plot, plot content - presentation of issues, introduction to various concepts and terminology.

> Detective stories and literature for children and youth.

1. The narrator and his function in a literary work.

> Story with a children's hero.

1. The Aesthetic function of a literary work. The aesthetic function and its place among other functions. The specificity of literature for children and youth.

> Periodicals for children and youth - the past and present.

1. Subject and theme in a literary work.

> Prehistoric and ancient history of literature for children (from the begining of the 18th cent.

1. Language vehicles in a literary work:

• Lexical tools.

> Basic folklore genre areas. The journey from folklore to literature, adaptation issues; the beginnings of the written fairy tale in the first half of the 19th century.

• Image terminology.

> Folklore creations.

> Poetry for children of the 19th cent. (from J.J. Ryba to after the first golden era of Czech poetry for children; world context).

> Birth of nonsense poetry for children in England.

• The sound and graphic aspects of verse (the main agents of poetry rhythm, adjunct agents of poetry rhythm, prosodic/vesologic systems).

> The first golden era of Czech poetry for children (J.V. Sládek generation); the avant garde and poetry for children (1930s and 40s).

• Syntactic tools and issues in free verse.

> M. Lukešová and poetrz from the 1960s.

1. The fictional world in creative literary works and its parts:

• Setting and function of the figures.

> Story with a child hero and its changes in the 19th cent and in the first half of the 20th cent.

• The narrator, Narrative situations - recapping to-date knowledge and other narrative issues in relation to working with a theatre text and internal drama training.

> Story with a child hero in the second half of the 20th cent. - particularly the Czech New Wave of the 60s, Norse stories with child heroes and issues of modern stories with child heroes.

• Setting and function of the surroundings in a literary work.

> Adventure literature and literature for children and youth, their potential and risks in theatre and drama training practice.

> Sci-fi and Fantasy.

• Motifs and Motive elements in literary works.

> Fairy-tales and fairy-tale prose in the 19th cent. and its changes in the 20th cent. Typology of fairy-tales and fairy-tale prose with consideration of theatre and drama training practice.

1. Composition:

• Composition principles and procedures.
• Dominant/semantic gestures.
• The title of a literary work and its function.

> Perspectives in the latest literature for children and youth.

1. Genology:

• Types and genres of literature with consideration of literature for children and youth and it changes.

Recommended or required reading

BRUKNER, Josef; FILIP, Jiří. Poetický slovník. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1997. 368 s. ISBN 80-204-0650-6.

HAMAN, Aleš. Úvod do studia literatury a interpretace díla. Praha: H & H, 1999. 180 s. ISBN 80-86022-57-9 .

HRABÁK, Josef. Úvod do teorie verše. 4., rozš. vyd. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1970. 260 s.

CHALOUPKA, Otakar; NEZKUSIL, Vladimír. Vybrané kapitoly z teorie dětské literatury I. Praha: Albatros, 1973. 116 s.

--. 1976. Vybrané kapitoly z teorie dětské literatury II. Praha: Albatros. 132 s.

--. 1979. Vybrané kapitoly z teorie dětské literatury III. Praha: Albatros. 152 s.

JAKOBSON, Roman. Poetická funkce. Praha: H & H, 1995. 748 s. ISBN 80-85787-83-0.

MOCNÁ, Dagmar aj. Encyklopedie literárních žánrů. Praha-Litomyšl: Paseka, 2004. 704 s. ISBN 80-7185-669-X.

MUKAŘOVSKÝ, Jan. Studie I. Brno: Host, 2000. 556 s. Ed. Strukturalistická knihovna, sv. 4. ISBN 80-86055-91-4

---. Studie II. Brno: Host, 2001. 598 s. Ed. Strukturalistická knihovna, sv. 5. ISBN 978-80-7294-240-4.

NOVÁK, J. V.; NOVÁK, Arne. Přehledné dějiny literatury české od nejstarších dob až po naše dny. 4., přepr. a rozš. vyd. Olomouc: R. Promberger, 1936-1939. 1804 s.

PROPP, Vladimir Jakovlevič. Morfologie pohádky a jiné studie. Přel. Miroslav Červenka, Marcela Pittermannová a Hana Šmahelová. Praha: H & H, 1999. 364 s. ISBN 80-86022-16-1.

PROVAZNÍK, Jaroslav. 2002. Literatura pro české děti v posledním desetiletí. Duha. 2002, roč. 16, č. 1. ISSN 0862-1985.

RIMMON-KENAN(OVÁ), Shlomith. Poetika vyprávění. Přel. Vanda Pickettová. Brno: Host, 2001. 174 s. Přel. z: Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics [1983] . ISBN 80-7294-004-X.

SEDLÁK, Ján. Epické žánre v literatúre pre mládež. Bratislava : Slovenské pedagogické nakladateľstvo, 1972. 272 s.

SIROVÁTKA, Oldřich. Česká pohádka a pověst v lidové tradici a dětské literatuře. Praha: Ústav pro etnografii a folkloristiku AV ČR, 1998. 184 s. ISBN 80-85010-06-2.

ŠMAHELOVÁ, Hana. Návraty a proměny: Literární adaptace lidových pohádek. 2., upr. vyd. Praha: Albatros, 1989. 240 s.

ŠUBRTOVÁ, Milena. 1998. Kapitoly ze světové literatury pro mládež I, II. Brno : CERM. 16, 16 s. ISBN 80-7204-072-3, ISBN 80-7204-093-6.

URBANOVÁ, Svatava. Meandry a metamorfózy dětské literatury. Olomouc : Votobia, 2003. 368 s. ISBN 80-7198-548-1

VLAŠÍN, Štěpán (ed.). Slovník literární teorie. Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1977. 472 s.

VORÁČEK, Jaroslav; CHALOUPKA, Otakar. Kontury české literatury pro mládež: od začátku 19. století po současnost. 2., revid. vyd. Praha: Albatros, 1984. 540 s.

WELLEK, René; WARREN, Austin. Teorie literatury. Přel. Miloš Calda. Olomouc: Votobia, 1996. 560 s. Přel. z: Theory of Literature. ISBN 80-7198-150-8.

Assessment methods and criteria

Credit is awarded based on:

• lecture and class participation,
• completion of the course paper.

During the semester independent readings and participation in class discussions are required.

Conditions for successfull completion of the course: class participation, completion of the course paper.

Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans

• Drama in Education - full-time 3 years (B. A.) (required subject)