Popular Literature in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ENGL4293 | English | 4 | 20 | Spring Malaysia |
- Code
- ENGL4293
- School
- English
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring Malaysia
Summary
This module examines popular literature written in Britain during the late-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Students can expect to encounter works from a variety of different genres such as the Gothic, Detective Fiction, early Science Fiction and/or Fantasy. In addition to exploring a range of literary forms (which may include poetry, short and long prose fiction and/or drama), the module will relate these to other media and cultural activities of the period, including stage spectacle and the visual arts. In addition to considering key works in their cultural and historical contexts, students will also be encouraged to relate module material to social, political and theoretical issues of continued relevance in the twenty-first century (e.g. colonialism and Postcolonialism, power and authority, gender and sexuality, as well as attitudes and anxieties over science and technology). In this way, the module will introduce a range of interesting and influential works in a context that encourages critical engagement from different perspectives and that highlights the ongoing social relevance of the material under consideration.
Target Students
Students in the MA English Studies (UNMC). Also open to students studying the MA English and Creative Writing (UNMC).
Classes
- One 2-hour seminar each week for 12 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: 4000 word essay
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
To introduce students to the historical and cultural contexts of popular literature in the 'long nineteenth-century' from a multidisciplinary perspectiveTo engage critically with key issues and debates from the period and to explore the ways these intersect with contemporary concerns in the world todayTo study a diverse range of genres and literary forms from the period under discussionTo prepare and equip students for independent research in this areaLearning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding of:
- the literature, history and popular culture from the long nineteenth century as well as its longstanding impact upon global culture
- changes in the political and material conditions of literary production during the long nineteenth century
- competing models of social structure, representations of power and cultural value
Intellectual skills:
- the ability to carry out detailed textual analysis of a range of literary texts in theoretical, historical and cultural contexts
- the ability to use a variety of different kinds of source materials;
- the ability to understand and evaluate current critical thinking
- the ability to conduct self-directed study.
Professional Skills:
- the ability to conduct accurate independent research
- the ability to discuss and present ideas clearly in group situations
- the ability to produce written assignments to a high standard
Transferable skills:
- a developed understanding of a range of research approaches
- skills in problem-solving
Conveners
- Dr Mohammad Safaei