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Cover |
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Half Title |
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Title Page |
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Copyright Page |
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Dedication Page |
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Table of Contents |
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List of Illustrations |
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Acknowledgements |
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A note for students |
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A note for teachers and academics |
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Part 1 How We Read |
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Chapter 1 Studying English |
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Who is this book for? |
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1: Reading is active |
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2: English is a discipline |
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3: English is controversial |
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4: English is constantly changing |
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How to use this book |
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Summary |
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Chapter 2 Where did English come from? |
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Beginning the conversation |
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Before English: The nineteenth century |
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How modern English began |
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The 'Leavis method' |
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Chapter 3 Studying English today |
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Changing world, changing English |
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Using theory |
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Chapter 4 The discipline of English |
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What is a discipline, anyway? |
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Problems in English and 'disciplinary consciousness' |
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Conclusion |
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Chapter 5 Critical attitudes |
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Intrinsic attitudes: Into the text |
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Extrinsic attitudes: Out of the text |
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Contrasting these two attitudes |
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Part 2 What We Read |
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Chapter 6 Literature, value and the canon |
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Can literature be defined? |
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What is the canon? |
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How does the canon affect you? |
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Canons tomorrow? |
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Chapter 7 Castle Shakespeare |
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Shakespeare the Star: The traditionalists' argument |
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Shakespeare the Black Hole: The cultural materialists' argument |
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Traditionalists and iconoclasts in other debates |
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Is Shakespeare 'simply the best'? |
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Does Shakespeare teach values? |
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The effects of this debate on studying Shakespeare |
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Part 3 Reading, writing and meaning |
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Chapter 8 The author is dead? |
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How important is the author in deciding what awork of literature means? |
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For authorial intention: The authority of the author |
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1. Meaning |
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2. Biographical evidence |
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3. Authorial presence. |
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4. Simple evaluation |
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Against authorial intention: The death of the author |
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1. Meaning: Is literature a code? |
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3. Authorial presence |
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So why has the author always seemed so important? |
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Consequences of the death of the author |
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Chapter 9 Metaphors and figures of speech |
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Figures of speech everywhere |
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Metaphors in literature |
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Metaphors in everyday speech |
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Basic conceptual metaphors |
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What metaphors mean and how they shape the world |
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Chapter 10 Narrative and closure |
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How are narratives made? |
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Narrators |
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Closure |
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Chapter 11 Creative writing and critical rewriting |
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What is creative writing? |
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Nuts and Bolts Assessment |
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Creative English? |
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Part 4 English and you |
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Chapter 12 English, politics and identity |
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English and the polis |
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Critical attitudes and politics |
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The extrinsic attitude: Literature as politics? |
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The intrinsic attitude: Literature versus politics? |
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Where does your communal identity come from? |
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English as cultural heritage |
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Why has English been a political battleground? |
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Chapter 13 Why study English? |
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What's the use of 'use'? |
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The values of English |
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'My degree taught me skills?' |
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Conclusion: The importance of English |
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Further reading |
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1 Studying English |
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2 Where did English come from? |
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3 Studying English today |
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5 Critical attitudes |
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6 Literature, value and the canon |
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7 Castle Shakespeare |
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8 The author is dead? |
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9 Metaphors and figures of speech |
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10 Narrative and closure |
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12 English, politics and identity |
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13 Why study English? |
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Index. |
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