English Literature

In this course, Dr Alfie Bown (University of Manchester) explores Dickens’ 1849-50 novel David Copperfield. After a brief introduction that sets the novel in its historical context, we turn to some of the major themes of the novel, including how...

In this course, Dr Alfie Bown (University of Manchester) explores Dickens’ 1854 novel, Hard Times. As we move through the course, we think about the philosophy of Utilitarianism (thinking in particular about Mr. Gradgrind), about class (thinking...

In this course, Ms Karen Hewitt (University of Oxford) explores Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. As we move through the course, we think about the social context of the novel—particularly Victorian ideas about female sexuality—and the...

In this course, Professor David Punter (University of Bristol) explores Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel, Dracula. As we move through the course, we think about the centrality of blood to the novel (both literally and figuratively), the...

In this course, Professor John Bowen (University of York) explores the concepts of philosophy and performance in Charles Dickens’ Hard Times. In particular, we consider the presentation of reason and rationality in the novel (as represented by Mr...

In this course we look at several aspects of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. In the first six sections, we focus on Romanticism and what it means to call Heathcliff a Romantic hero. In second six sections, we focus on individual...

In this course, we explore several aspects of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. The course is divided into two equal halves: in the first six modules, we think about some of the major themes of the novel, looking in particular at...

In this course, Dr Will Abberley (University of Oxford) explores the influence of Charles Darwin's 'Origin of Species' on contemporary works of Victorian literature: 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, 'The Coming Race' by Edward...

In this course, we explore Jean Rhys' 'Wide Sargasso Sea' alongside 'Jane Eyre'. Written as a prequel to 'Jane Eyre', 'Wide Sargasso Sea' shares many of the same themes (not to mention characters) as Bronte's novel. In this course, we...