Undergraduate Course: 'We are [not] Amused': Victorian Comic Literature (ENLI10249)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | English Literature |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.englit.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergrd/honours/3year/index.htm |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Although 'comedy' and 'humour' are not words readily associated with this period, Victorian culture was rife with various manifestations of what George Meredith called 'comic spirit'. By adopting a largely chronological approach, this course traces the development of the comic genre from the early Victorian comic prose of Dickens and Thackeray, through to Wildean farce at the fin de siecle. Among the concepts of comedy discussed will be high and low comedy, irony, wordplay, comic songs, satire, black comedy, farce and comedy of manners. Each week, in addition to chosen core material, we will examine a variety of theoretical material relevant to this course. This will include work by writers such as Meredith, Bergson, Freud and Bakhtin, together with more recent critical perspectives on this topic. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | A MINIMUM of three college/university level literature courses at grade B or above (should include no more than one introductory level literature course). Related courses such as civilisation or creative writing are not considered for admissions to this course. Applicants should also note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. In making admissions decisions preference will be given to students who achieve above the minimum requirement with the typical visiting student admitted to this course having three to four literature classes at grade A.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Section directly for admission to this course **
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| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: 30 |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Seminar | | 1-11 | | | | 10:00 - 12:00or 14:00 - 15:50 | |
| First Class |
Week 1, Thursday, 10:00 - 12:00, Zone: Central. Room 2.05, 18 Buccleuch Place |
| Additional information |
1 hour(s) per week for 10 week(s). 1 hour a week attendance at Autonomous Learning Group - times to be arranged |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will:
Gain a detailed historical and theoretical understanding of a key literary genre. This understanding of the forms of comedy in the Victorian period will inform and complement the future study of this genre in other literary periods.
The student completing this course will also gain experience of a wide variety of textual forms (novels, short stories, plays, poetry, song lyrics) and will understand how to incorporate these diverse forms into critical debates.
In addition, the chronological nature of this course will allow the student to trace the ways in which a major literary genre is subject to change over a relatively short period of time.
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Assessment Information
One course essay of 2,500 words (25%)
One take-home exam-essay of 3,000 words (75%) |
Special Arrangements
| Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature. |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Anna Vaninskaya
Tel: (0131 6)50 4284
Email: avaninsk@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms June Haigh
Tel: (0131 6)50 3612
Email: j.haigh@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:06 am
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