Royal Holloway, U of London

The principal aim of this course is to examine the ‘dark’ side of late Victorian and Edwardian literature. Perhaps the most important cultural influence on the texts chosen for study is the negative possibility inherent in the discoveries of Charles Darwin: that is, the idea of ‘degeneration’, of racial and cultural reversal, explored in texts such as The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, and often associated with the decadent writings of Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater and others. Wilde’s infamous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), typically regarded by contemporary critics as symptomatic of a decadent consciousness, also provides a location for such pathologies in what became known as ‘darkest England’: in the borderland of the demi-monde and in the East End of London, with its fantasised criminal zones, opium dens, prostitutes and outcasts. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students will demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of a range of late nineteenth-century literary works, including poetry, prose and fiction Students will demonstrate a competent grasp of the main stylistic and thematic concerns of this literature Students will demonstrate a comprehension of the complex ways in which the set texts on the course relate to the broad cultural history of their times Students will demonstrate an ability to articulate and present, in both verbal and written form, a variety of arguments about the aims and achievements of fin de siècle literature Students will demonstrate an informed sense of how this literature relates, stylistically and thematically, to other literary works studied as part of the degree course
Required Materials: Click here for the reading list system
Technical Requirements: The total number of notional learning hours associated with this module are 150. These will normally be broken down as follows: 11 hour(s) of Lecture(s) across 11 week(s) 11 hour(s) of Seminar(s) across 11 week(s) 128 hours of Guided Independent Study Summative Assessment: Essay 1 (2000 words) - 50% Essay 2 (2000 words) - 50%