ENGL 247

Spring 2019 All Classes

All Classes

The British Novel

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Credit: 3 hours.

A study of some of the more noteworthy and influential writers of the last two hundred and fifty years. The course traces the development of the novel as a genre that both celebrated and critiqued Britain and British nationalism. Examines how the novel has been important culturally over time.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Composition I requirement.

This course satisfies the General Education Criteria in Fall 2022 for:

Humanities – Lit & Arts

Cultural Studies - Western

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ENGL 247 class schedule data for spring 2019
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	32062	Lecture-Discussion	S	11:00AM -11:50AM	MWF	149 English Building	Baron, I	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/14/19-05/01/19 Degree Notes: Humanities - Lit & Arts, and Cultural Studies - Western course. Section Info: On June 23, 2016, British Prime Minister David Cameron held a national referendum to determine whether or not Britons wanted to continue their fraught membership in the European Union. Cameron believed that the Brexit vote would appease dissatisfied factions in both major parties, that the referendum would fail and that he’d carry on as Prime Minister for four more years. What he didn’t anticipate was just how fragmented Britons were becoming concerning their position in the EU and what it meant for them to be British. The Brexit referendum was meant to unify Britain concerning its future trajectory as an Anglo nation, but it actually unveiled how divergent the UK is in terms of identity politics. Britons come from very diverse backgrounds. There is a huge gap between rich and poor, between North and South and urban and rural. It is a nation of many cultures, ethnicities, races and religions In this course we’ll examine the deep divisions in British culture through an examination of its historical and contemporary fiction. We’ll trace how British fiction went from being the voice of the conservative white majority to becoming a lightening rod to foment radical social changes for minorities. Specifically, we’ll explore the birth of industrialization in the midlands, focusing on how factory labor and ownership reconfigured Britain’s social and economic policies. We’ll see how the two geo-global wars served to spark the rise of the Welfare State and how despite a pluralistic socialist substructure, Britain remains a society divided by class and race. And finally, we’ll learn how contemporary British fiction, including fantasy and dystopian literature, attempts to serve as a bellwether to determine whether Britain’s future will be the same as its past. Students will be expected to engage actively in in the classroom, to write three papers and give oral reports on the historical and political history of the novels we’re studying. Regular class attendance and participation are expected. Texts and films may include: Jane Eyre, Howards End, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Brideshead Revisited, The Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Golden Compass and Skyfall.