| Unit name | Thomas Hardy's Fictions |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGLM3032 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Pite |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This module offers students the opportunity to study both relatively well-known and unfamiliar novels by Thomas Hardy. It will focus on The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Woodlanders, A Pair of Blue Eyes, Two on a Tower, and Jude the Obscure. We will also look at some of Hardy's short stories. The module will seek to consider Hardy's responses to contemporary science, social thought and literature. Students will be encouraged to make comparisons between Hardy and other writers.
Aims:
The unit aims: to develop understanding of Hardys prose work within the context of its periods culture; to improve students compositional skills and their self-awareness when reading texts from other historical periods.
By the end of the course, students will have acquired enhanced skills in reading Victorian prose fiction, in situating Hardys writings within their literary historical and wider cultural contexts, and in writing analytic and responsive critical essays on texts from the nineteenth century.
2-hour seminars, plus 1-to-1 discussion in Consultation Hours where desired.
One 4,000 word summative essay.
Penguin editions, general editor Patricia Ingham
