| Unit name | Large, Loose, Baggy Monsters: Victorian Fiction and Novel Form |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20128 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Gao |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
n/a |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
n/a |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
n/a |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
As a specialist subject option, this unit reflects the research expertise and enthusiasms of the convenor, and offers students the chance to work directly with a member of staff who has strong connections to the subject field. You will have the opportunity to engage in greater depth with a specialised theme or topic, pursue advanced discussions, and develop your own arguments and contributions. Your specialist subject may build directly on work introduced at an earlier stage of study, or branch out in a different direction. It may reflect some of your longstanding interests, or expose you to new and unexpected ideas. In all cases, specialist subject options encourage students to think reflectively, creatively, and with increased independence about their identities and interests as scholars.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Specialist subject options are offered in the second and final years of the English programmes. It is standard practice for single honours students to take two specialist options in each of those years (one per TB), and for joint honours students to take one. Specialist subject options are available to students on Liberal Arts programmes, and may in some cases also be available to taught postgraduates. The portfolio of units available will change from year to year based on staff availability, but it will consistently represent a full range of research strengths across the English department, as well as demonstrating our commitment to supporting choice and providing increased optionality as students progress through their programme.
Content Overview
Looking back in 1908 at the previous century’s major novels, Henry James wondered derisively ‘what do such large, loose, baggy monsters…artistically mean?’ In this unit, we will try to answer James by reading three big, doorstop Victorian novels by Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and George Eliot to consider what their bigness might mean, especially in our new media age of serialised, binge-worthy, and immersive fiction. Our primary lens for thinking about these novels will be form and formalism (i.e., why are these novels a certain shape?) but we will be connecting our analysis to topics including: serial and episodic narratives; social representation and social networks; plotting and subplotting; sequels and fandom; boredom and attention drift; immersion and emotional investment; time-wasting and time-sinks.
We will be dedicating three or four weeks to reading each novel/blunt force trauma weapon, discussing them in accumulative parts and then as a whole. This offers a unique opportunity to reflect on a work as it unfolds, to ‘mull over’ a text over multiple seminars, and to develop longform project and time management skills. It will offer a complementary experience to encountering these or similar texts as a ‘week’s’ topic in a period or thematic course. You will be given the opportunity to submit a draft or outline of your final, summative essay of up to 1,500 words and to receive feedback on this.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
On completion of the unit students will have had the opportunity to engage with major exemplars of the mid-Victorian novel, gain an increased understanding of formalist approaches to text, and refine their understanding of the period in ways that consolidate their work in ENGL20063: Literature (1740-1900), and provide a valuable frame of reference for the more diverse set of Victorian literary forms covered in Year 3, especially in ENGL30117: Victorian Fiction. The experience of analysing literary texts over a longer timeframe will also be a good starting point and preparation for final-year dissertation projects.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
Teaching will involve asynchronous and synchronous elements, including group discussion, research and writing activities, and peer dialogue. Students are expected to engage with the reading and participate fully with the weekly tasks and topics. Learning will be further supported through the opportunity for individual consultation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
1 x 1500 word optional formative draft or plan, submission schedule to be confirmed by the unit tutor
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
1 x 3000 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-6]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ENGL20128).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
