Objectives and competences
The objective of this course is to introduce the periods of English literature between 1800 and 1900, to enable students to connect high and low culture through the study of verbal and visual texts and to ensure that students can identify the major historical events of the 19th century and connect these to the relevant literary movements.
Content (Syllabus outline)
• The Age of revolution
• Romanticism and Gothic
• Victorian aesthetics
• Dickens and the Serialized novel
• The New Woman, Fin-de-Siecle and Decadence
• Formation of the Literary Canon
Learning and teaching methods
• lectures,
• seminars,
• short writing assignments.
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
• Recognize the literary period of 19th-century texts in English
• Differentiate Romantic from Classical aesthetics
• Compare style and theme of texts from different genres
• Use 19th-century historical context in interpreting the literature of the age
• Understand the increasing role of women in literary and cultural production
• Analyze and critically evaluate audio and video materials (recordings and films), and include them in textual analysis
• Write short analyses, reports and essays about literature and culture
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes:
• Ability to organize data and express it in written presentations
• Ability to relate visual art to verbal art in a particular era
• Ability to use both print and electronic media for extending and deepening knowledge
Readings
• Greenblatt, S. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2012.
• Paxman, J. The Victorians: Britain through the Paintings of the Age. London: BBC Books, 2010.
Prerequisits
Attendance of 80% and regular completion of coursework are required for taking the exam.
Additional information on implementation and assessment • written exam,
• short written assignments.
