Undergraduate Course: Decadents, Dandies and Deviants (ENLI10291)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
English Literature |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None |
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| Course description |
Caught between the Victorian and the Modern, Aestheticism and Decadence were manifestations of a time laden with anxieties and with a heady sense of possibility. ?Not the fruit of experience, but experience itself, is the end,? Walter Pater said of art and life, arguing further that success in life was to maintain this ecstasy. The late nineteenth century was a crucial moment in the formation and transformation of literature; it saw great technological advances, social reforms, and cultural and artistic upheavals.
The aim of this course is to examine some of the key works of this often overlooked but fascinating period. From the outset, it seemed there was something unwholesome, criminal, and even pathological in Aestheticism and Decadence and this course will reevaluate these concerns. The course therefore aims to explain the ways in which Aestheticism and Decadence shifted from artistic movements to cultural phenomena, and to clarify the concurrent shift in ideas about degeneration.
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Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed
Scottish Literature 1 (ENLI08016)
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Co-requisites |
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| Prohibited Combinations |
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Other requirements |
None
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| Additional Costs |
Essential course texts. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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WebCT enabled: No |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | 14:00 - 15:50 | | | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| Additional information |
1 hour(s) per week for 10 week(s). |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
A student who successfully completes this course should be able to:
comprehend the Continental origins of the art for art's sake movement
understand how Aestheticism and Decadence manifested themselves within American and British literature
evaluate the significance of Aestheticism and Decadence in the formation of Modernism
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Assessment Information
| One class essay of 3,000 words (25%). One two-hour examination (75%). |
Special Arrangements
| Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English, Scottish or American literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature before enrolling. |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
|
Course secretary |
Mrs Catherine Williamson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3620
Email: Catherine.Williamson@ed.ac.uk |
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copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 6:01 am
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