British Novels of the 1840s

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

A Masters Degree Seminar. We will explore the historical context, and then read closely three major novels: Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray [January 1847 – July 1848], Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë [October 1847], and David Copperfield by Charles Dickens [May 1849 – November 1850]. Students will explore and report upon recent essays in analysis and interpretation of these novels and will be encouraged to consider a wide range of analytical approaches for reading them. Short essays through the semester will lead to a longer final paper shaped by the individual writer’s specific interests.