Great Narrative Literature

Many famous stories might contend for the title of "the greatest story ever told". Certain stories in the Western tradition seem to get told time and time again, in a variety of formats.

The focus of the Great Narrative Literature course is on biblical narratives, both from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament, and their influence on contemporary Western fiction.

Many would argue that the Bible is probably the most influential literature in Western culture, with its plots, literary forms and characters still speaking to us some two and a half thousand years later. While biblical narratives in both narrative prose and poetic forms were an obvious source of material for ancient, medieval and modern writers in the West (largely for political and/or religious reasons), they have also been a source of literary inspiration for many twentieth century Western writers.

The biblical texts students will examine include parts of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 2 Samuel, Ecclesiastes/Qohelet, Job, the Gospels and Revelation/Apocalypse of John. These will be read in light of their influence on important contemporary literary works such as John Steinbeck's East of Eden, Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon and Beloved, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Franz Kafka's The Trial, Primo Levi's If This is a Man, Dan Brown's DaVinci Code and Gore Vidal's Messiah. The subject is designed to alert students to the rich diversity of cultural, ethical, political, religious and other issues raised in these narratives and to remind ourselves of the richness of literary allusion these stories have afforded contemporary writers.

Studying Great Narrative Literature At Bond

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences course in Great Narrative Literature provides students with an understanding and ability to express orally and in writing alternative points of view about literature and how we might interpret it.

Great Narrative Literature is an elective course that can be undertaken to enhance any degree from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Graduating students have an enhanced appreciation of the most influential historical positions on the understanding of biblical texts and their influences on contemporary literature, along with improved skills in aural and written presentation of discourse about literary and philosophical issues.