Victorian Short Story

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course introduces students to the Victorian short story (1830-1901). Areas of focus will include the history and development of the short story as prose fiction form, the print and publication market, and the many subgenres, such as the gothic tale, children's literature, the detective story, folklore, and science fiction. The short story is a distinctive lens through which to view the Victorian era's preoccupation with social, political, scientific, and moral issues. Through class discussions and written assignments, students will examine the formal and thematic qualities of the genre and develop their knowledge of the key debates of the Victorian period. Readings will include a variety of authors.