Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 09:07:57 +0000 From: Professor Kevin Hart <Kevin.Hart-AT-arts.monash.edu.au> Subject: Re: MB: re: Blanchot Before and After 28 July, 1997 Irene Sime, `Holly Bank', 1 Murrayfield Gardens, Murrayfield Loan, CRIEFF, Perthshire PH7 3EE, Scotland. Dear Irene, Thanks for your letter of 27 June and the revised copy of the thesis. The package arrived last week: I've read the thesis twice and annotated it extensively. Your revisions have improved the thesis very considerably, and it is almost ready to be submitted. It still strikes me as being a little on the short side, and I am trying to determine if there is indeed a minumum number of words that is required for a Centre PhD. There is a maximum, I know, but is there a minumum? The English Department requires at least 60, 000 words, and on a very quick reckoning your dissertation would fall three or four thousand words short of that. I'll check out this important detail and email you the minumum length. There's no point in adding material simply for the sake of it. However, I think the thesis needs to be expanded in a couple of areas; and I suspect that if you do this properly you will have 60 000-70 000 words by the time you have finished. The areas are as follows: (1) There are several places in the thesis where questions need to be clarified and/or examined in greater deail, both conceptually and historically. I've marked these on your typescript, and it should be clear what has to be done. In particular, you need to make it very plain what your argument is: you reveal it in your opening, but in a rather shy way. Once you declare your thesis boldly, it is required for you to account for why the post-romantic critics you admire (Blanchot and Nancy in particular) are needed to help us read Hill in a convincing manner. This is your opportunity to flesh out the theory behind your thesis and your readings of Hill. (2) The consideration of Canaan still seems to lack the solidity of the other sections of your thesis. Is there a dimension of this material that could be explored in more detail? Is there a theoretical issue that you haven't raised in the thesis that could be examined in this final chapter? Am I right to think that you are still happy to have Professor Paul Kane and Professor Chris Wallace-Crabbe as examiners of the thesis? They still strike me as being very good choices. Be of stout heart: the end is at hand! With all good wishes, Kevin Hart Professor of English and Comparative Literature Professor Kevin Hart, Department of English, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3168, Australia. Fax: 61-3-9905 5593 Ph: 61-3-9905 2145 Email: Kevin.Hart-AT-arts.monash.edu.au
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005