Course coordinator
Dr Nick Lord
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
This course surveys some of the key literary texts and genres of postmodern literature in terms of their formal qualities and/or in their representation of the culture of late capitalism. We cover topics such as "From the modern to the postmodern", "Postmodern culture and the commodity form", "Gender, writing and the postmodern", "High and mass culture", "history and the postmodern", and "the simulacrum".
In the closing decades of the twentieth century theorists and practitioners in diverse fields, including literature, were using the labels "the postmodern" and "postmodernism" to describe their sense of profound changes in the ways in which society, the economy, politics, and culture were now operating.ﾠ For many, these changes could be linked in some ways to the emergence of consumer capitalism (or late capitalism) and/or a loss of belief in the grand narratives that underwrite Western culture.ﾠ Literature and literary theory were at the forefront of these debates.ﾠ This course surveys some of the key literary texts and genres of postmodern literature in terms of their formal qualities and/or in their representation of the culture of late capitalism.ﾠ We cover topics such as "From the modern to the postmodern", "Postmodern culture and the commodity form",ﾠ "Gender, writing and the postmodern", "High and mass culture", "History and the postmodern", and "The simulacrum". ﾠﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
This is an advanced level literature course with a challenging reading load. It assumes you have completed either ENGL1800 or ENGL1500, and are competent in academic English.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
ENGL1800 or ENGL1500
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LTCS3040, ENGL3630
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to:
- provide an advanced level experience for the English Literature major, by studying in detail a critical and theoretical field of importance.
- read a selection of literary texts intensively, and to offer interpretations based on close readings of them.
- discuss these texts in relation to critical and theoretical debates about literature, postmodernism, and writing.
- develop an understanding of the critical and theoretical issue of postmodernism and writing.
- read and analyse critical articles and theoretical writings, and to consider literary texts in relation to these.
- become familiar with relevant research materials and resources.
- enable students to develop and write an extended literary research project in essay form.
- communicate effectively in spoken and written form.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
demonstrate advanced skills in textual analysis
LO2.
display a knowledge of postmodern fictional texts and of theorisations of postmodern culture
LO3.
show a critical perspective on these theories and narratives
LO4.
consider what these aspects of fiction and theory say about contemporary Western culture
LO5.
demonstrate advanced research and writing skills
LO6.
practise analytical and critical thinking
LO7.
display good oral communication skills
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Tutorial Preparation and Participation
|
15% |
3/03/2025 - 23/05/2025 |
| Essay/ Critique | Critical Reflective Essay | 30% 1100-1300 words (incl. quotations) |
11/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Essay | 55% 2400-2600 words (incl. quotations) |
9/06/2025 4:00 pm |
Assessment details
Tutorial Preparation and Participation
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
3/03/2025 - 23/05/2025
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07
Task description
There are eleven tutorials in the semester, beginning in week two. Nine of these have Learning Management tasks to complete (weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12). See the marking schema below for full requirements.
For each of the Learning Management weeks you will be given 1 mark (1 mark = 1 per cent) for each weekly tutorial you are prepared for, and participate in.
Please note: students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal for this assessment item. Please contact your tutor/course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Criteria & Marking:
To gain the mark for each week students are required to do all of the following:
- arrive on time and stay for the entirety of the tutorial.
- bring copies (preferably print) of the novel and theoretical reading for that week. These will be checked.
- complete a writing task before your tutorial that covers the week's required readings. The writing task question will be made available on Blackboard at the relevant week's Learning Resources folder at 9am on the Sunday of each week. Your response should be submitted via the link in the week's "Resources" folder on Blackboard.before your tutorial.
- Your response will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. Responses that fail will be contacted by your tutor to check in with your progress in the course. Your response should be 80-120 words.
If one or more of these elements are not satisfactory, no marks are awarded for that week's tutorial.
If a student is absent from a tutorial they must notify their tutor before class, and then they can complete a catch up worksheet to gain the mark. This worksheet must be returned by the following week's seminar. You are only allowed two worksheets for the semester. You do not need to provide any documentation for your absence.
You must gain the weekly mark for 5 seminars, otherwise you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment item.
Marking Allocation:
- 0-4 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 0 marks.
- 5 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 5 marks.
- 6 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 6 marks
- 7 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 7 marks.
- 8 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 8 marks.
- 9 seminars passed in designated weeks 2-12: 15 marks.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
Submit via the link in the week's "Resources" folder on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Please note: students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal for this assessment item. Please contact your tutor/course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Critical Reflective Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30% 1100-1300 words (incl. quotations)
- Due date
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05, L06
Task description
Choose any two of the first five primary texts on the course (the novels by DeLillo, Ellis, Calvino, Carter, and Acker) to discuss the following topic:
“At its core, postmodernism challenges the conventional realist novel, forcing us to read literature and the world otherwise.”
Your essay should be a critical reflection on the ways in which your two chosen texts attempt to force you to “read otherwise”. This critical reflection should be in terms of the text’s style, techniques, or form, and the text’s subject matter and/or themes as impacting on your reading practice.
You will need to research your texts, using critics who’ve analysed them to help your interpretation of the texts and to inform your reflection. A comparative analysis is encouraged, so consider how your two texts differ in the ways they want you to read otherwise. A critical reflection means you must be analytical in thinking about your reading practice—including your subjective response, and includes evaluating the texts—namely, which is the more effective and why. You will need to quote from the texts and include secondary sources (using a minimum of four scholarly sources) as evidence. You should use conventional essay style: so ideas organised logically into paragraphs, with an introduction with a thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion.
Length: 1100-1300 words, including quotations.
Rationale: This essay allows you to critically reflect on two of the first four primary texts in relation to some of the key concepts of postmodernism so far covered. Being a relatively short essay, it enables you to try out some of your ideas, and to practice your research, analysis, and writing skills before the longer essay.
Please note that any primary texts you choose for this essay can't be used for your final essay.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Research Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 55% 2400-2600 words (incl. quotations)
- Due date
9/06/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Choose one of the questions (to be provided on the course Blackboard site) to write a clearly argued and researched academic essay of 2400-2600 words in length (including quotations). Two novels or memoirs from the course (excluding ones discussed in your first essay) must be analysed in detail. At least six scholarly secondary sources must be quoted or paraphrased in your answer, and must be integral to your argument. A correctly formatted bibliography using MLA 9th edition style should be included. Wikipedia, lecture notes, and websites are not acceptable references.
Rationale
This task allows you to apply your research, writing, and analytical abilities to texts studied on the course, so as to demonstrate your understanding of issues raised throughout the course, and of the primary texts themselves.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The School Locker has difficulty sourcing texts each year. I advise purchasing required readings from alternative sources.
Lectures will be delivered live and recorded.
As the above list of Required Readings suggests, you will be reading both novels and critical essays for the course. See Learning Activities 4.2 for a weekly summary of readings. Please bring copies of both the novel and the critical reading to the relevant seminar. Print copies of primary texts are the preferred editions due to pagination issues.
Critical readings are available on the Library's website under Course Learning Resources.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Course Introduction Starting Points: From the Modern to the Postmodern |
Tutorial |
Week 1 Course Introduction No tutorial. |
|
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 2 The Society of the Spectacle, the Society of the Simulacrum |
Tutorial |
Week 2 DeLillo, White Noise Weekes, "Consuming and Dying: Meaning and the Marketplace in Don DeLillo's White Noise" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Postmodernism as the Logic of Late Capitalism: Subjectivity, Language, and the Commodity Form |
Tutorial |
Week 3 Ellis, American Psycho Allué, "Serial Murder, Serial Consumerism: Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho (1991)" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 4 Metafiction and the Novel |
Tutorial |
Week 4 Calvino, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler Finke, "The Power behind the Pronoun: Narrative Games in Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Feminism and Postmodernism I: The Novel after the Great Divide |
Tutorial |
Week 5 Carter, Nights at the Circus Douglas, "Freak Show Femininities: Intersectional Spectacles In Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 6 Feminism and Postmodernism II: Gender, Language, and Culture |
Tutorial |
Week 6 Acker, Blood and Guts in High School Brennan, "The Geography of Enunciation: Hysterical Pastiche in Kathy Acker's Fiction" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 7 The End of Grand Narratives: The Novel of Politics |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Pynchon, Vineland (1st week) Booker, "America and its Discontents: The Failure of Leftist Politics in Pynchon's Vineland" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 8 - No Lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
Tutorial |
Week 8 Pynchon, Vineland (2nd week) |
|
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break - No Classes |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Week 9 Reading week. No lecture. |
Tutorial |
Week 9 Reading week. No tutorial. |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Reimagining the Past: Historiographic Metafiction |
Tutorial |
Week 10 Rushdie, Shame Hassan, "Hyphenated Identity: Nationalistic Discourse, History, and the Anxiety of Criticism in Salman Rushdie's Shame " Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Writing Lives in the Postmodern |
Tutorial |
Week 11 Steedman, Landscape for a Good Woman: A Story of Two Lives Harries, "The Mirror Broken: Women's Autobiography and Fairy Tales" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Queer, Fabulation, and the Postmodern |
Tutorial |
Week 12 Winterson, The Passion Coperías-Aguila, "Following the Lead of Fairy Tales: Storytelling in Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion" Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Week 13 - No Class No lecture. |
Tutorial |
Week 13 Essay-writing workshop. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
Course guidelines
Communication Expectations
While you are a student at UQ, all communication must be conducted according to the UQ Student Code of Conduct. The UQ Library has a helpful Communicate and collaborate online module.
- Email is the primary way for you to send messages to, and receive information from, the School and our staff.
- You must use your UQ email address (not a private address) to communicate with staff.
- You should add a clear subject line, including course code, and a 2-3 word statement.
- You can send email at any time, however please do not expect responses outside normal working hours (Monday to Friday from ~8am to ~5pm).
- Emails that constitute bullying, harassment or discrimination against staff contravene the Student Code of Conduct. Emails like this will be reported to the University, and the matter will be pursued as misconduct.