ATS3421 Literature and modernism
Faculty of Arts
ATS3421 Literature and modernism is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS3421
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS3421
No unit lists ATS3421 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Overview
In this unit you will examine some of the major writers and texts of modernist literature from the Anglophone world from 1900 to 1940. You will discuss the famous works of 'High' modernism (e.g. Mrs Dalloway, The Waste Land), the literature produced by expatriate writers (e.g. Ernest Hemingway, Jean Rhys) as well as modernism's afterlife in contemporary literature. Our focus will be on the way modernist experiments revolutionised the depiction of character, rejected formal and stylistic literary conventions and responded to the various crises of the time (e.g. World War I, the 1929 stock market crash).
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Analytical exerciseExercise30%
- EssayWritten50%
- In-Class Participation ActivityExercise20%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
identify and analyse modernist techniques and themes;
- 2
interpret the relationship between modernist literary texts and their historical context;
- 3
apply and evaluate key theoretical and critical approaches to modernist literature;
- 4
produce high-level oral and written responses to modernist literature across multiple genres.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit will provide you with opportunities to work with peers in groups and pairs in class. You will have interactive discussions to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the topic, and reinforce your learning.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Learning resources
Required resources
There are required texts for this unit. Required texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore (https://www.monash.edu/retail/books-and-merchandise-store/Textbooks) and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library (https://www.monash.edu/library).
Where it fits
ATS3421 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Melinda Harvey
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Melinda Harvey
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS3421?
ATS3421 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS3421 offered?
In 2026, ATS3421 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS3421?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS3421 have an exam?
No. ATS3421 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS3421?
ATS3421 is part of Literary studies.