By Wagner Angelo and Marccela Alexandria
As Literature students, we believe that much useful information about this field could be given to Letters students before we actually study it. Based on our experience, however, we can say we knew almost nothing. Some information about the main literary works in each course can be very helpful. Whereas some people are interested in specific authors, others do not know them at all. In this sense, previous exposure to literary references would help students become more interested in reading/discovering different literary works. On thinking about this fact, we decided to write this short, but caring article. Every paragraph addresses our experiences and preferences about literature studies in order to inform you, current and future literature students, what you will probably encounter in this subject each semester along the program.
Literature studies are based on different socio-historical perspectives, and enriched with the knowledge and experience of the UFPB professionals. In other words, each professor´s different specialty makes the subject turn into a more interesting, and unique academic experience.
The various courses are delivered in a progressive way, starting with Introdução aos Estudos Literários. In this course, a general overview is given, so as to introduce students to the literature theories which will follow. This applies to all the modern foreign languages in the Letters program, such as English, French and Spanish. In class, poems are read, works are discussed, and authors are shown, such as King Oedipus by Sophocles, and The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde, for instance. The students gradually develop an increased awareness, as well as a more complex literary point of view.
“I will never forget the presentation on Oscar Wilde. Sometimes, I can still hear the professor’s voice talking about Oscar Wilde’s works, in especial The Picture of Dorian Gray”. (Wagner)
Concerning Teoria da Literatura I, we learned about theory with great authors, such as T.S. Eliot with The Social Function of the Poetry and Antônio Cândido with O direito à literatura, for instance. The course helped us develop our capacity of analyzing poems in a deeper manner. We could make a bridge between theory and practice, because the theory gave us the basis to understand and interpret Literature in a technical way.
“It is very interesting to discover the details in the poems. The author constructs the work in such a way so as to produce a specific effect. Discovering these effects is part of the gradual literary awareness process. So, the students are more able to produce meaning while interpreting texts.” (Marcela)
Regarding Teoria da Literatura II, the narrative and novel theories were the main focus in our studies. We read about Julio Cortázar, one of the most famous writers in Argentina, as well as a well-known author around the world for his works related to mythology and novel theories. Don Quixote was one of the works we studied, not the complete work, since a long time is required. We had the chance to present some stories in class, at the same time correlating theory and literary work. Alice in Wonderland was one of the chosen works to be discussed.
“Lewis Carroll presented his book Alice in Wonderland utilizing real people from his everyday life, and turned them into the nonsense characters in his work. Alice is one good example of that”. (Wagner)
In relation to Literatura Inglesa I, we could say that Virginia Woolf was a mirror of/for all women which reflected, to those who looked at it, their feelings hidden deep in their hearts. From pleasure to madness, the social treatment against the female sex by a sexist society clearly introduced us to the social perspectives of the 20th century. Other incredible authors were shown, namely, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and D.H. Lawrence, among others.
“Araby, written by James Joyce, is a rich example of detailed description in literature. It is amazing to read this short story because of the mental image we construct in our minds”. (Marcela)
So far, Literatura Inglesa II could be considered as the time of the Irony. Northanger Abbey is one of the novels written by Jane Austen. This book portrays a heroine responsible for dreaminess, magical and phantom stories, the well-behaved women in the Victorian age, as well as a beautiful and unusual love story. You are going to travel, going back to an old period between the end of the 18th century and the 19th century. Romantic, Pre-Victorian and Victorian Literature are the main points of this period. The highlighted authors that you are going to study in this term are: William Blake, Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.
“Dearest Catherine… - The superlative is of the literary characteristics used by Jane Austen in her novels. It is important to consider its effect in Irony”. (Wagner)
In Literatura Inglesa III, we looked at English Literature from its source until the 17th century. The main authors of this period are Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. The works of these authors are discussed and analyzed in class to show students the wealth of literary resources and mechanisms. Hamlet was amazingly studied in class. Poor man – his destiny was not so fair -and poor of us, audience, who needed to stop laughing at Hamlet’s insanity.
“To be or not to be, that’s the question – and that is Hamlet’s unrest in relation to existence, the fact of being”. (Marcela)
Finally, Literatura Americana I introduces the student to Literature in United States during the 17th–18th century. We had the opportunity to learn about the authors of this period and their main works. Although the patriotism of North America is not taken in its whole development, we study the first colonial literature produced in North America. The influences of religion and description of the country as blessed by God, among other written points, are shown to us. Our American studies focus on Jonathan Edwards, Anne Bradstreet, St. Jean Crevecoer and others.
“’Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’ From the Preface of Poor Richards’ Almanack, written by Franklin”. (Wagner)
Literature is a complex area that demands our time and effort, but studying it is a great habit that develops our imagination and humanity. Antônio Cândido, in his work named O direito à Literatura, calls our attention to the human necessity in having a “momento de fabulação” - a crucial necessity. According to him, no one can live without Literature because it develops all kinds of feelings, delighting people in an age where automatism directs human actions.
As we can see, Literature has a vital function because it produces different feelings, reminding readers of their human nature. We live in the world of globalization directed by capitalism, and its continued search for profit and advantage. In this context, Literature shows its importance, because it provokes “humanization”, as T.S. Eliot and Antônio Cândido have observed. Finally, Literature is an amazing world in which you can travel with patience and passion. The wealth of this area is infinite and it is your responsibility, as a Letters student, to explore it. We hope you have enjoyed our article. Thanks for reading and… have a good journey!!!
As Literature students, we believe that much useful information about this field could be given to Letters students before we actually study it. Based on our experience, however, we can say we knew almost nothing. Some information about the main literary works in each course can be very helpful. Whereas some people are interested in specific authors, others do not know them at all. In this sense, previous exposure to literary references would help students become more interested in reading/discovering different literary works. On thinking about this fact, we decided to write this short, but caring article. Every paragraph addresses our experiences and preferences about literature studies in order to inform you, current and future literature students, what you will probably encounter in this subject each semester along the program.
Literature studies are based on different socio-historical perspectives, and enriched with the knowledge and experience of the UFPB professionals. In other words, each professor´s different specialty makes the subject turn into a more interesting, and unique academic experience.
The various courses are delivered in a progressive way, starting with Introdução aos Estudos Literários. In this course, a general overview is given, so as to introduce students to the literature theories which will follow. This applies to all the modern foreign languages in the Letters program, such as English, French and Spanish. In class, poems are read, works are discussed, and authors are shown, such as King Oedipus by Sophocles, and The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde, for instance. The students gradually develop an increased awareness, as well as a more complex literary point of view.
“I will never forget the presentation on Oscar Wilde. Sometimes, I can still hear the professor’s voice talking about Oscar Wilde’s works, in especial The Picture of Dorian Gray”. (Wagner)
Concerning Teoria da Literatura I, we learned about theory with great authors, such as T.S. Eliot with The Social Function of the Poetry and Antônio Cândido with O direito à literatura, for instance. The course helped us develop our capacity of analyzing poems in a deeper manner. We could make a bridge between theory and practice, because the theory gave us the basis to understand and interpret Literature in a technical way.
“It is very interesting to discover the details in the poems. The author constructs the work in such a way so as to produce a specific effect. Discovering these effects is part of the gradual literary awareness process. So, the students are more able to produce meaning while interpreting texts.” (Marcela)
Regarding Teoria da Literatura II, the narrative and novel theories were the main focus in our studies. We read about Julio Cortázar, one of the most famous writers in Argentina, as well as a well-known author around the world for his works related to mythology and novel theories. Don Quixote was one of the works we studied, not the complete work, since a long time is required. We had the chance to present some stories in class, at the same time correlating theory and literary work. Alice in Wonderland was one of the chosen works to be discussed.
“Lewis Carroll presented his book Alice in Wonderland utilizing real people from his everyday life, and turned them into the nonsense characters in his work. Alice is one good example of that”. (Wagner)
In relation to Literatura Inglesa I, we could say that Virginia Woolf was a mirror of/for all women which reflected, to those who looked at it, their feelings hidden deep in their hearts. From pleasure to madness, the social treatment against the female sex by a sexist society clearly introduced us to the social perspectives of the 20th century. Other incredible authors were shown, namely, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and D.H. Lawrence, among others.
“Araby, written by James Joyce, is a rich example of detailed description in literature. It is amazing to read this short story because of the mental image we construct in our minds”. (Marcela)
So far, Literatura Inglesa II could be considered as the time of the Irony. Northanger Abbey is one of the novels written by Jane Austen. This book portrays a heroine responsible for dreaminess, magical and phantom stories, the well-behaved women in the Victorian age, as well as a beautiful and unusual love story. You are going to travel, going back to an old period between the end of the 18th century and the 19th century. Romantic, Pre-Victorian and Victorian Literature are the main points of this period. The highlighted authors that you are going to study in this term are: William Blake, Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.
“Dearest Catherine… - The superlative is of the literary characteristics used by Jane Austen in her novels. It is important to consider its effect in Irony”. (Wagner)
In Literatura Inglesa III, we looked at English Literature from its source until the 17th century. The main authors of this period are Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. The works of these authors are discussed and analyzed in class to show students the wealth of literary resources and mechanisms. Hamlet was amazingly studied in class. Poor man – his destiny was not so fair -and poor of us, audience, who needed to stop laughing at Hamlet’s insanity.
“To be or not to be, that’s the question – and that is Hamlet’s unrest in relation to existence, the fact of being”. (Marcela)
Finally, Literatura Americana I introduces the student to Literature in United States during the 17th–18th century. We had the opportunity to learn about the authors of this period and their main works. Although the patriotism of North America is not taken in its whole development, we study the first colonial literature produced in North America. The influences of religion and description of the country as blessed by God, among other written points, are shown to us. Our American studies focus on Jonathan Edwards, Anne Bradstreet, St. Jean Crevecoer and others.
“’Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’ From the Preface of Poor Richards’ Almanack, written by Franklin”. (Wagner)
Literature is a complex area that demands our time and effort, but studying it is a great habit that develops our imagination and humanity. Antônio Cândido, in his work named O direito à Literatura, calls our attention to the human necessity in having a “momento de fabulação” - a crucial necessity. According to him, no one can live without Literature because it develops all kinds of feelings, delighting people in an age where automatism directs human actions.
As we can see, Literature has a vital function because it produces different feelings, reminding readers of their human nature. We live in the world of globalization directed by capitalism, and its continued search for profit and advantage. In this context, Literature shows its importance, because it provokes “humanization”, as T.S. Eliot and Antônio Cândido have observed. Finally, Literature is an amazing world in which you can travel with patience and passion. The wealth of this area is infinite and it is your responsibility, as a Letters student, to explore it. We hope you have enjoyed our article. Thanks for reading and… have a good journey!!!
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