ENG 5113 The Victorian Novel
This course will explore the variety in subject matter and style offered by British authors in what is often considered the "golden age" of the novel. We will begin by comparing "condition of England" novels from the middle of the nineteenth century, which attempts to balance a critique of industrialism with conventional sentimentalism and romance. We will next look at the development of detective and "sensation" fiction. Finally, we will consider fictional representations of the liberated "New Woman" in the 1890's. Throughout, we will attend to changes in literary techniques such as characterization and narrative, as well as in conceptions of the roles of authors and readers. Our authors will include Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and George Gissing.