English 133 - Spring, 2011

19th C. British Literature

Class Information

Instructor: Miller, Elizabeth
CRN: 32369
Time: MWF 1:10-2:00
Location: 194 Young

Description

This class will survey British literature of the nineteenth century, focusing on major literary developments of the Romantic and Victorian periods and their interrelation with key historical and cultural events. We will read fiction, poetry, drama, criticism, and journalism, focusing on literary genres and movements such as realism, Romanticism, the dramatic monologue, and the dramatic revival. We will also examine the historical and cultural context for these literary developments, such as the industrial revolution, the rise of a mass print readership, imperialism, feminism, secularism, science, Darwinism, and changes in the economic and political bases of British society. Our goals will be: 1) to develop a solid understanding of nineteenth-century British literature and culture; 2) to recognize how nineteenth-century literary and historical developments helped create the world and culture we experience today; 3) to enhance your close-reading skills and your capacity for interpreting a text within a historical context; 4) to build on your abilities as a critical reader and writer.

Grading

Will be based on pop quizzes, papers, a final exam, participation, and attendance.

Texts

David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
The Cenci, Percy Bysshe Shelley
Course Reader w/ poetry and short works
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
The Romance of a Shop, Amy Levy
Mrs Warren's Profession, George Bernard Shaw