This course
covers British literature from 1900 to the mid-20th C., reflecting
major historical trends including the loss of most of Britain’s colonial
holdings, two world wars, women’s suffrage, the diminished political sway of
the monarchy and the growth of a class system much less reflective of England’s
past than of modern corporate economics and technological growth.
In
literature, the turn of the century was marked by a move from Victorian mores
to Modernist innovation, which became less experimental and more cynical as the
rapid changes of the decades shifted the British mood, and innovation yielded
to realism, and sometimes pessimism.
Our
readings will span an era when Britain changed from a dominant world force to a
presence on the global scene that, though diminished in power, was perhaps more
powerful in literary diversity. The groundwork for many contemporary social and
cultural issues can be traced to early 20th C. events, as reflected
in British literature; and students will find these writings from a turbulent
but exciting era relevant to much of cultural and literature today, and to
their own knowledge of an important area of literary studies.
Text(s) (Available
from Revolution Books):
The Norton Anthology of English Literature (9th ed., 2012 )
Vol. F
Evaluation (With
assignment percentages toward Semester Grade)
- Two 4-page essays, one of
which may be rewritten for a higher grade (30% avg.) - Midterm and Final Exam,
each with in-class component and take-home essay (20% per exam) - Miscellaneous brief
writing assignments and/or quizzes (15%) - Participation (10%)
- Consistent attendance with
penalties for exceeding allowed absence limits (tba)