106-120 Literature, Culture, History

Formerly available as 106-010. Students who have completed 106-010 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

This subject aims to introduce students to the study of literature in its cultural contexts as these change over time. It focuses on a number of literary texts widely recognised as classics, and covers a wide range of material, including medieval verse, Renaissance lyric, 19th century novel, and contemporary lyric, novel and film. It asks questions such as How does the meaning and value of classic texts in the past differ from their meaning and value today? What keeps these works alive? What is their importance and function in contemporary culture? and What interpretative techniques enable us best to understand them? Students will be introduced to a range of critical and theoretical methodologies in order to engage these key questions in advanced literary and cultural studies. This subject is especially recommended to students who intend to pursue literary and cultural studies further.

Class participation, and written work totalling 4000 words.

A subject reader will be available.

• J Austen, Emma. Norton Critical Edition.
• P Carey, Jack Maggs. UQP.
• Chaucer, Maurice Hussey (ed.), The Nonnes Preestes Tale. CUP.
• Dickens, Great Expectations. Penguin.
• M Hacker, Love, Death and the Changing of the Seasons. Onlywomen Press.
• Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I. Oxford World's Classics.
• Shakespeare, Sonnets. Penguin.
• Woolf, Orlando. Penguin.
• Films: A Heckerling, Clueless.
• S Potter, Orlando.