English

This course examines the rise of the novel around the time of the eighteenth century. It explores some characteristic forms and concerns of early prose fiction in English including its roots, its routes, its forerunners, the first novel, the first novelists, the true contribution of women (as writers, producers, audience etc.), the role of social, political, religious factors, and the impact of technology and European expansionism.

This course offers a study of the works of Margaret Atwood. The first part of the course focuses on speculative elements, feminist themes, and the role of the narrator in Atwood's work, and examines how her novels' form contributes to their meaning. This part of the course discusses the claustrophobic first person narrative in THE HANDMAID'S TALE, the unreliable patchwork narrative of ALIAS GRACE, and the mythopoeic style of the PENELOPIAD. The course utilizes samples from TV adaptations, and a selection of essays by and about Atwood to provide a broad spectrum of perspectives and a basis for in-class discussion. The second part of the course builds on the theoretical context and literary analyses from the first part of the course. Students review essays and further context material on topics related to Atwood's novels such as the history and development of dystopian fiction in Anglophone literature, feminist literary theory, and the role of gender in classical mythology and modern adaptations. The second part of the course also offers exercises and room for discussion with regards to academic writing and working with secondary texts. Regular attendance is required. Students participate in class discussions, complete written assignments, and give an oral presentation.

This interdisciplinary course examines the representation of London in a variety of cultural outputs from the Victorian to the contemporary period. In particular, it analyzes how writers and artists have expressed their perception of the city as a dark site of social tensions, mystery, crime, and detective work. Alongside representative literary texts (from Dickens and Conan Doyle to Ackroyd), the course makes room for a significant amount of visual material such as illustrations (Doré, Cruikshank), films (Hitchcock, Reed), television dramas (Ripper Street, Sherlock), and documentaries (Keiller, Ackroyd). It is also supplemented by visits to UCL Collections and other London Museums.

This course discusses North American comic books as an ever-transforming form of popular culture from the mid-19th century to the early 21st century. The approach is mostly chronological, from the “invention” of comics in Europe in the 19th century to the rise of graphic novels in the United States since the turn of the 21st century. It also includes examples of the way comics have served as an inspiration for other media – most notably in the contemporary wave of superhero films – and have conversely adapted or imported content origination in other media, from silent movie stars to literary classics. Beyond specific examples, the course offers theoretical approaches to intermediality, with a special focus on adaptation, and address such key notions as genre and cultural hierarchies. The course explains the interactions between technology, market forces, aesthetic choices, intermedial circulation, and social uses in specific comics. It conducts a range of readings including select examples of comics and theoretical texts before each class.

This course focuses on two classics in English literature: OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens published in 1838 and JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë published in 1847. Both novels focus on the hero and the heroine’s struggle in a hostile world. The course is based on close analyses of extracts of both novels and weekly presentations on the context. The last four sessions closely analyze the movie adaptations (OLIVER TWIST (2005) starring Barney Clark and JANE EYRE (1996) starring Charlotte Gainsbourg).