VICM2125 - The Novels of George Eliot

Objectives:

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

1 demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the characteristic features of George Eliot’s fiction;
2 apply an appropriate range of high-level critical and theoretical approaches to analyse a selection of Eliot’s novels;
3 demonstrate an advanced understanding of the novels chosen for study, including critical awareness of the extent to which these texts were shaped by the social and intellectual conditions of the Victorian world, and the extent to which these texts aimed to effect a reorganisation of that world;
4 demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the characteristic features of George Eliot’s fiction;
5 demonstrate self-direction and critical independence in a sophisticated extended argument that uses a suitably wide range of evidence/illustrations for a 3,000-word essay, and also engages with contextual and critical literature.

Content:

This module aims to place George Eliot within the salient social, cultural and intellectual contexts of the Victorian age. The module will pay particular attention to the local and wider social conditions in which Eliot worked: both the impact of those conditions on her writing, and the intended impact of that writing on the social conditions. It will also consider how particular preoccupations of the Victorian age were reflected in her fiction, covering such topics as the role of human nature in ethical discourse, the influence of social and economic conditions, the changing position of women, and attitudes towards religion. The focus of the sessions will be on a sustained analysis of a representative selection of Eliot’s fiction with some consideration of other relevant writings, such as diaries, letters, journal articles. Students will be encouraged to engage in critical analysis of these works, but also to attempt a sympathetic recreation of the Victorian aspirations that animate Eliot’s fiction.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The seminars will make use of a number of teaching and learning methods, including: short presentations by the tutor, exercises in groups, informal presentations by students, and plenary discussions. Students will be set reading to complete before the session and they will be expected to bring their own reflections to bear on the exercises and discussion. The 20-minute individual tutorial may take different forms as appropriate to the individual student (e.g. face-to-face discussion, e-mail consultations). These tutorials are intended to give students some guidance on their choice of essay question and on researching the topic.

Seminars
Contact hours: 6 x 2 hours
Intended Group size: 12

Individual tutorials
Contact hours: 20 mins per student
Intended Group size: 1