“Perhaps instead of thinking of identity as an already accomplished fact […] we should think, instead, of identity as a 'production', which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation”. (Stuart Hall)

How and when is identity formed? How is identity constructed through a narrator / protagonist / setting? Must identity always be constructed, or is identity a natural byproduct of context?

This course provides the opportunity for students to develop their analytical, argumentative and close-reading skills in English through exploring the ways in which identities manifest themselves as objects for study in fiction, biography and film. We will be investigating the concept of identity formation and representation in the context of various Anglophone countries such as Jamaica, Northern Ireland, and India/the USA. Active participation will involve in-class writing, peer review and preparing secondary readings. Your final grade will be determined by a portfolio comprising one 1,500 word essay and one in-class written test.


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For students studying MEd (Gym) and MA (English Studies), this course forms half of the compulsory module ang900: Language Skills for Proficiency, and is graded