Abstract

Today, the novel is so ubiquitous that we might believe that it has always existed. But this is not so. The English novel has a date of birth (1719) and a history of major developments. This subject begins with the birth of the English novel and follows those developments through … For more content click the Read More button below.

Syllabus

IntroductionThe birth of the English novel (Robinson Crusoe, 1719)Austen's technical innovations (Pride and prejudice, 1813)Dickens' social realism (Oliver Twist, 1839)Woolf and the modern sensibility (To the lighthouse, 1927)The postmodern novel (Slaughterhouse Five, 1969)Conclusions about the novel as a literary form

Assessment items

1. Simple Essay
2. Research Essay

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
1.
be able to describe the origin and development of the English novel;
2.
be able to explain the relationship between a classic novel and its social-historical context;
3.
be able to research and synthesise critical commentary about a classic novel;
4.
be able to critically evaluate the literary value of a classic novel; and
5.
be able to construct a theory of the novel as a literary form.

Assumed knowledge

LIT111 Texts and Meanings