ENGL 3856 Topics in Genre Studies: 19thc. Brit Novel-Pop Fiction
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT:
Teresa Nugent, PhD
Email: teresa.nugent@colorado.edu
ABOUT THE COURSE:
Do you ever wonder where mysteries, detective stories, and horror fiction came from? This course explores the origins of many of your favorite fiction genres in nineteenth-century British novels. Readings include Jane Austen’s parody of the Gothic novel, Northanger Abbey; Charlotte Bronte’s coming of age novel, Jane Eyre; one of the most popular 19th c. sensation novels, Lady Audley’s Secret; a foundational work of detective fiction, The Moonstone; and the classic horror tale, Dracula!
ENGL 3856 covers special topics in genres. Topics vary each semester. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours for different topics. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors, or Seniors).
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the semester, students who actively participate in course activities and apply themselves to reading and writing assignments will be able to perform the following tasks:
- Identify literary conventions associated with specific subgenres of the novel, including Gothic, Bildungsroman, sensation, mystery, detective, and horror fiction.
- Apply close reading techniques to interpret literary devices and narrative strategies in novels.
- Identify and analyze significant historical and biographical events that influenced the development of novels in nineteenth-century Britain.
- Analyze and critique scholarship on British literature and narrative theory.
- Improve your analytical writing skills through frequent composition of short answers and essays that formulate and defend interpretations of specific texts.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Print edition of the following novels have been ordered at the CU Bookstore. I will also provide links to free, online editions of these works in Canvas.
- Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey. Penguin Classics, 2003. ISBN: 978-0141439792
- Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley’s Secret. Oxford UP, 2012. ISBN: 978-0199577033
- Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre. Penguin Classics, 2006. ISBN: 978-0141441146
- Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone. Penguin Classics, 1999. ISBN: 978-0140434088
- Bram Stoker, Dracula. WW Norton, 1996. ISBN 9780393970128
GRADING:
- Course Quiz –5%
- Discussion posts/Journal entries – 50%
- Zoom conference – 5%
- Midterm Paper – 20%
- Final Paper – 20%