Victorian Literature and Social Crisis
ENGL 358-90 - Prof. Bilston
The nineteenth century was a period of rapid social change. The industrial revolution fundamentally transformed how people lived and worked. To some it was an age of possibility, when social mobility was possible at last. To millions it was a period of suffering, when much was promised, but delivered to just a few. This course examines socially-engaged literatures. Some writers look to the past for solace; others hope for a better future. Some see the home as a site of comfort; others see it as a prison. Some celebrate the individual, while others argue that community forms the bedrock of a fairer world. As we gain a firm foothold in these conversations, we will debate the part literature can play in times of intense upheaval.
Course Texts:
Longman Anthology of British Literature 2B (4th Edition) – from the Bookstore
Eliot, George. The Mill on the Floss (OUP) – from the Bookstore
Tennyson, In Memorian (THIRD Norton critical edition, ed. Erik Gray) – from the Bookstore
H.G. Wells, The Time Machine (Norton edition, ed. Stephen Arata)
Additional readings available on Moodle
