Selected Fiction is an elective for second-year students and above. This course builds on Introduction in Literature 1 (fiction). This course will take into account several aspects of Narrative Fiction Studies and story telling by way of major writers (in English) over the past two centuries, including: 1: Narrative – the story itself and History of the novel 2: Narration – how the story is told 3: Narrator – the story teller 4: Narratology – the art of story telling. 5: Criticism - the different genres of fiction writing and criticism Students will first examine narrative elements of fiction—the story itself—and will examine such structural elements as characterization, plot structures (i.e. linear, episodic, etc.) and dramatic conflict. In addition students will explore a major school of critical thought aligned to the assigned reading such as selections from Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forester. Next, students will explore aspects of fictional narration and narrator and study voice, tone, narrator reliability, denouement and the sense of an ending. Finally, narratology will be investigated in relation to what students have read up to this point.

This course introduces students to the literary works of two contemporary, award-winning authors: Jhumpa Lahiri and Yann Martel. The former, born in England, is a daughter of two Indian immigrants to the U.S., and the latter is a Canadian born in Spain and grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and Canada. Their cultural backgrounds and keen observations of human nature give a unique touch to their works, which explore big questions of life. Upon completion of this course, students are expected to develop an appreciation for fiction produced in different cultures and to enjoy wrestling with difficult questions posed by literature.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.