19th Century Novel

Course Description

This course is a sequel to Eng 251 and the student of Eng 351should have benefited from the mechanics of Eng 251. The course will examine in detail two representative English novels from the classic period of the novel to come to an understanding of the difference between 18th and 19thcentury novels.  The question the course continually entertains is why the novel managed to hold such a dominant place in British culture and how various techniques and topics it introduced in the 18th century still persisted in the 19th century. 

Course Aims

1. Interpret ''realism'' as a theory, cultural practice, and literary debate in the Victorianera.
2. Identify and Discuss the social context in which Victorian novels were produced,  and  read Recognize and Discuss the key novel genres such as historical, sensation,
3. bildungsroman, social problem, provincial and imperial adventure How novels are built, what they are made of, and how they work, in order to become better readers of
4. modernity’s most characteristic literary form.

Learning Outcome

1. The intellectual and social issues relevant to the understanding of the 19th  century   novel.    
2. Understanding of the characteristics of the novel as a literary genre.
3. Ability to do research and to make use of information from primary and secondary  sources in support of a valid thesis and argument
4. The ability to think critically and analytically 
5. Ability to make sound analogies and comparisons between different novels and different  writers
6. Ability to apply different critical approaches to the study of fiction