Module Code and Title:       LIT209 The Social and Literary Context: 18th to 20th Century Literature

Programme:                          BA in English Studies

Credit Value:                         12

Module Tutor:                       Vanlallawmkimi, Sonam Deki, Yesodha Chauhan

Module Coordinator:            Vanlallawmkimi

General objective: As part of the second survey module, students will trace the development of Literature from 18^th Century to 20^th Century in Britain. Students will read about the different literary genres set against historical events such as the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Romantic Revival, the Ascension of Queen Victoria, and the First World War. A sample of representational texts of the literary genres like Romantic poetry, gothic novel, and dramatic monologue will be studied closely.

Learning Outcomes - On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Connect major historical events to the literary periods discussed herein.
2. Distinguish the different periods of literature according to stylistic features.
3. Write critical responses on the prescribed texts
4. Evaluate the literary movements and their importance.
5. Discuss the works and styles of the major authors prescribed in the module.
6. Make inter-textual connections among the prescribed texts.
7. Demonstrate how text generates the ideology, and how ideology dictates the text in a given literary period.

Learning and Teaching Approach:

Assessment Approach:

A. Written assignment: Portion of Final Marks: 20%

A short critical response of 500 – 600 words on literary periods. The first draft will be marked out of 5%, and the final submission out of 15%, of which 5% percent will be allotted to specific improvements made on the feedback received on the first draft. Assessment will be based on the ‘Analytical Writing’ rubric.

B. Presentation: Portion of Final Mark: 20%

Students will be assigned topics in groups of approximately 4 members on Wuthering Heights. Each individual student will present a part of the work. Each group will be assigned a group mark (10%) and an individual mark (10%). The duration of each individual presentation will be 5-7 minutes. Assessment will be based on the ‘Oral Tasks’ rubric.

C. Class Test: Portion of Final Marks: 10%

A written test will be conducted worth 10%, and will be for 45 min duration and cover 2-3 weeks of material.

D. Class participation and preparedness: Portion of Final Mark: 10%

Students will be expected to participate substantially in class discussions, with contributions reflecting adequate preparation for topics under discussion. 5% of class participation and preparedness will be graded before mid-term, and the remaining 5% post midterm. Assessment will be based on the ‘Participation and Preparedness’ rubric.

E. Midterm Examination: Portion of Final Mark: 10%

Students will take a written exam of 1.5 hr duration covering topics up to the mid-point of the semester. 

Pre-requisites: LIT104: The Social and Literary Context: Anglo-Saxon to Restoration Period

Subject matter:

1. Eighteenth Century Literature (Augustan or Neo Classical Age)
   • Development of the English novel
   • The Pre-Romantics: Social impact on Literature
2. The Age of Romanticism (1800-1850)
   • The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution
     • Economic and social impact of the Revolutions
     • Influence of the Revolutions on literature of the period
   • Romantic Literature:
     • Romantic Poetry : Close reading and analysis of Ode to the West Wind by P.B. Shelley
     • Features of Romantic Poetry
     • Recurrent themes in Romantic Literature
   • Emergence of Gothic novel:
     • Close reading and Analysis of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
     • Features of Gothic Novels

1. Victorian Period (1850-1900)
   • Close reading and Analysis of Ulysses by Lord Alfred Tennyson
     • Discussion on Victorian Imperialism in connection with Ulysses
   • Close reading and Analysis of Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
     • Impact of the conflict between Science and Faith in Victorian England.
   • Close reading and Analysis of The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
     • Discussion on the status and role of women in Victorian England.
   • Dramatic Monologue
     • Close reading and Analysis of Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning
     • Features of a Dramatic Monologue

1. 20^th Century Literature
   • World War I and its impact on literature
   • General themes in War Poetry
   • Emergence of the Theatre of the Absurd: A brief Introduction to the Theatre of the Absurd
     • The political and social causes
     • Features of the Theatre of the Absurd

Reading List:

1. Essential Reading (A compiled coursepack of the shorter reading materials will be made available to students)
   • Abrams, M.H. (2012). Glossary of Literary Terms. Delhi: Cengage Learning.
   • Arnold, M. (2015). Dover Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172844
   • Bronte, E. (2009). Wuthering Heights. Oxford University Press.
   • Browning, R. (2015) Porphyria’s Lover. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175584
   • Compton-Rickett, A. (2008). A History of English Literature: From Earliest Times to 1916. New Delhi: UBS Publishers.
   • Evans, I. (1990). A Short History of English Literature. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/AShortHistoryOfEnglishLiteratureIforEvans
   • Rossetti, C. (2015). The Goblin Market. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174262
   • Shelley, P.B. (2015). Ode to the West Wind. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174401
   • Tennyson, A. (2015). Ulysses. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174659
2. Additional Reading
   • Esslin, M. (1965). Introduction to Absurd Drama. Penguin Books. Retrieved from http://www.samuel-beckett.net/AbsurdEsslin.html
   • P.K. (2009). A Short History of English Literature. Cambridge University Press,
   • Stevenson, L. (1974). The Pre-Raphaelite Poets. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.

Date: December 20, 2015