ENG 440
JANE AUSTEN
This class will introduce you to the fiction of Jane Austen and the social issues of the early nineteenth century in England. We will situate her novels in their rich cultural and literary context by considering how her work is shaped by and responds to developments such as the rise of women writers and readers in the Romantic era, the rise of the British novel, the French Revolution and working-class movements in England, gender ideologies, and slavery, among others. We will also read a selection of critical work on Austen’s novels. Possible assignments include blog posts, short writings, and a longer final paper.
Course Readings (available at the UH bookstore):
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey (1817)
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park (1814)
Jane Austen, Emma (1815)
Jane Austen, Persuasion (1817)
Subscription to Broadview Online: Jane Austen in Context