Undergraduate Course: The Long Summer: Edwardian Texts and Contexts, 1900-1910 (ENLI10273)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In popular imagination, the Edwardian period is characteristically seen as a long and carefree summer season. This 'long summer', according to conventional readings of the era, takes place in the gap between, on one side, a time of heavy Victorian paternalism and, on the other side, a disastrous world war. Literary histories of this era have similarly depicted the Edwardians as existing in a period of transition; bordered before 1900 by decadent reactions to the end of the Victorian period and after 1910 by the stirrings of literary Modernism. For these reasons, the first decade of the twentieth century has tended to be overlooked by students of both Victorian and Twentieth Century Modernist literature. |
| Course description |
In popular imagination, the Edwardian period is characteristically seen as a long and carefree summer season. This 'long summer', according to conventional readings of the era, takes place in the gap between, on one side, a time of heavy Victorian paternalism and, on the other side, a disastrous world war. Literary histories of this era have similarly depicted the Edwardians as existing in a period of transition: bordered before 1900 by decadent reactions to the end of the Victorian period and after 1910 by the stirrings of literary Modernism. For these reasons, the first decade of the twentieth century has tended to be overlooked by students of both Victorian and Twentieth Century Modernist literature.
This course offers an excellent opportunity to address this issue by examining several key literary texts alongside a number of the important social and political themes that emerged at this time. We will study the work of writers such as Arnold Bennett, H.G. Wells, E.M. Forster, George Bernard Shaw, G.K. Chesterton, Joseph Conrad, J.M. Barrie, E. Nesbit, and Rudyard Kipling. And we will examine the texts produced by these writers in light of important social and cultural debates: these will include Imperialism, the countryside and the Condition of England, the role of women in the new century, the rise of the lower middle class in literary culture, children's literature (which enjoyed its 'golden age' at this time), the effects of new technological breakthroughs (the motor car and aeroplane move from imagination to reality in this period), and those heated debates conducted between critics about the role of the writer in the new century.
By the end of this course, students will gain a detailed historical and theoretical understanding of this period. This knowledge will allow students of Victorian literature and twentieth century Modernist literature to bridge the gap between these distinct periods. The student completing this course will gain an excellent understanding of a variety of print cultural forms: these include novels, verse, drama, children's literature, and journalism. In addition, students interested in the intersection between literature and history will gain insights into the relationship between these disciplines over the decade.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One coursework essay, c.2,000 words (30%)
One time-limited final essay, c. 3,000 words (70%) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- By the end of this course students will gain a detailed historical and theoretical understanding of this period.
- This knowledge will allow students of Victorian and twentieth century Modernist literature to bridge the gap between these distinct periods.
- The student completing this course will gain an excellent understanding of a variety of print culture forms: these will include novels, verse, drama, children's literature, and journalism.
- In addition, students interested in the intersection between literature and history will gain insights into the relationship between these disciplines over a ten year period.
- Our field trip (to Lauriston Castle) will allow students to gain a wider understanding of the Edwardian world in a period environment.
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Reading List
Rudyard Kipling, Kim
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Arnold Bennett, The Old Wives' Tale
H.G. Wells, The History of Mr Polly
Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
E. Nesbit, The Railway Children
George Bernard Shaw, Major Barbara
E.M. Forster, Howards End
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jonathan Wild
Tel: (0131 6)51 3191
Email: J.Wild@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Lina Gordyshevskaya
Tel:
Email: pgordysh@ed.ac.uk |
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