106-458 Dickens and the Condition of England

Usually admission to the postgraduate certificate, diploma or fourth year honours in English.

Widely regarded as one of the most important writers of the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens was responsible for some of the most memorable novels of the period and is viewed as one of the first transatlantic literary celebrities. This subject will examine Dickens's development as a writer from his earliest comedic works, through his 'dark' novels of the 1850s, to the end of his career with his final completed novel Our Mutual Friend. Employing a wide range of theoretical approaches, we will consider Dickens's contribution to social reform and the Condition of England Question, along with his identity as a metropolitan writer. We will also focus on Dickens's relationship to the 'realist' convention, the melodrama and sensationalism of his fiction, his early use of the grotesque, along with his often-problematic engagements with gender and parent-child relations. Other topics for consideration will include his use of religious typology, celebrity, depictions of imperial and domestic 'others' in his works, film adaptations, and why Dickens's reputation has endured into the twenty-first century.

• acquire skills in research through competent use of library, and other (including online) information sources; through the successful definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research;

• acquire skills in critical thinking and analysis through use of recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion; through the questioning of accepted wisdom and the ability to shape and strengthen persuasive judgments and arguments; through attention to detail in reading material; and through openness to new ideas and the development of critical self-awareness;

• acquire skills in theoretical thinking through use of recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion; through a productive engagement with relevant methodologies and paradigms in literary studies and the broader humanities;

• acquire skills in creative thinking through essay writing and tutorial discussion; through the innovative conceptualising of problems and an appreciation of the role of creativity in critical analysis;

• acquire skills in social, ethical and cultural understanding through use of recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion; through the social contextualisation of arguments and judgments; through adaptations of knowledge to new situations and openness to new ideas; through the development of critical self-awareness in relation to an understanding of other cultures and practices

• acquire skills in intelligent and effective communication of knowledge and ideas through essay preparation, planning and writing as well as tutorial discussion; through effective dissemination of ideas from recommended reading and other relevant information sources; through clear definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research; through confidence to express ideas in public forums

• acquire skills in time management and planning through the successful organization of workloads; through disciplined self-direction and the ability to meet deadlines

A research essay of 5000 words 100% (due at the end of the semester). At least 80% tutorial attendance, a class presentation, and participation in class discussion are required to pass the subject.

A Subject Reader including contextual material by Thomas Carlyle, Harriet Martineau, Karl Marx and Henry Mayhew, and additional journalism and short stories by Charles Dickens, including extracts from his journals, Household Words and All the Year Round. The Reader will also contain a range of critical reading, to include articles by John Bowen, John O. Jordan, Catherine Robson and Hilary Schor will be available from the University Bookshop.

• Charles Dickens, ed Norman Page, The Old Curiosity Shop. Penguin World's Classics 2001.
• Charles Dickens, ed Nicola Bradbury & Terry Eagleton, Bleak House. Penguin World's Classics 2003.
• Charles Dickens, ed Richard Mitchell, A Tale of Two Cities. Penguin World's Classics 2003.
• Charles Dickens, ed Charlotte Mitchell, Great Expectations. Penguin World's Classics 2004.
• Charles Dickens, ed Adrian Poole, Our Mutual Friend. Penguin World's Classics 1997.