Course Description

This course introduces students to the fundamental theories and methods of literary criticism through the reading of British and American literary works. The course is divided into two parts: the first half focuses on British Literature, and the second half focuses on American Literature. The primary objective is to deepen students' understanding of literary terminology, English expression, and the cultural characteristics distinct to both traditions.

Classes 

Introduction to Literary Analysis

This class uses the famous book How to Read Literature Like a Professor to teach students how to analyse literature and understand hidden meanings (symbols, patterns, and archetypes) in stories.

British Literature (Charles Dickens - ‘The Signal-Man’ - Plot)

This class will unravel the mysterious plot, examining the strange occurrences at the signal box and their impact on the narrator and the signalman.

British Literature (Charles Dickens - ‘The Signal-Man’ - Context)

This class will explore the Victorian context, considering the impact of industrialisation and the rise of spiritualism on the story’s themes.

British Literature (Charles Dickens - ‘The Signal-Man’ - Themes)

This class will explore the key themes, such as fate versus free will, the nature of reality, and the psychological impact of isolation.

British Literature (Charles Dickens - ‘The Signal-Man’ - Quotes)

This class will analyse significant quotes, paying close attention to Dickens’ use of language to create atmosphere and foreshadow events.

British Literature (Charles Dickens - ‘The Signal-Man’ - Characters)

This class will examine the characters, focusing on their interactions and the development of the narrator’s perception of the signalman.

British Literature (Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice)

An examination of gender, family, and social hierarchies in late 18th- and early 19th-century England.

British Literature (Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels)

This imaginative story uses strange and fantastic journeys to distant lands to mock the problems of society and point out the foolishness of political leaders.

American Literature (Edgar Allan Poe - ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - Plot)

This class will unravel the mysterious plot, examining the narrator’s arrival at the decaying mansion, the premature burial of Madeline Usher, and the chaotic climax of the story.

American Literature (Edgar Allan Poe - ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - Context)

This class will explore the context of American Gothicism (Dark Romanticism), considering how it challenged the optimism of the American Transcendentalist movement and reflected anxieties about lineage and the aristocracy.

American Literature (Edgar Allan Poe - ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - Themes)

This class will explore the key themes, such as the physical manifestation of fear, the fragility of the human mind, and the concept of the 'sublime' in terror.

American Literature (Edgar Allan Poe - ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - Quotes)

This class will analyse significant quotes, paying close attention to Poe’s 'unity of effect' and his use of sensory language to describe the house and its oppressive atmosphere.

American Literature (Edgar Allan Poe - ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - Characters)

This class will examine the characters, focusing on the 'doppelgänger' relationship between the twins (Roderick and Madeline) and the role of the narrator as an observer of their descent into madness.

American Literature (Herman Melville - Moby Dick)

This exciting sea adventure follows a dangerous hunt for a giant whale, exploring deep ideas about the power of nature and the limits of human obsession.

American Literature (F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby)

Set in the glamorous 1920s, this story looks at the pursuit of wealth and love to show the tragic side of trying to achieve the American Dream.