This course is designed to introduce students to concepts, critical approaches and methods that are central to gender studies in the Humanities. It will achieve this by focusing on a literary text, Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre. This text, which has been important in the development of feminist scholarship since the 1970s, has also attracted a non-academic readership, influencing media such as the popular romance and cinema. Using Jane Eyre and its extensive critical commentary as a springboard, the unit will investigate such topics as gender, representation, sexuality, race, class, madness, marriage and the law. Other texts to be studied in conjunction with the novel will include Jean Rhys’s ‘prequel’ to Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea, (1966) and Jane Campion’s 1992 film The Piano and other recent texts such as Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair (2001).
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, student will be able to:
- Understand interdisciplinary humanities approaches to the study of a canonical literary text.
- Understand the changing interpretations of Jane Eyre over time, reflecting changing socio-political and literary-theoretical concerns.
- Appreciate the range of cinematic and dramatic adaptations of Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea and related texts.
- Understand key texts and methods of feminist literary criticism.
- Develop critical vocabulary for analyzing literature.
- Improve skills of textual analysis of literature.
Other Information
This course would count towards an English or Gender, Sexuality and Culture major.
Indicative Assessment
- Comparative critical analysis of two articles (1000 words: 20% ) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6]
- Textual analyses (750 words: 20%;) [Learning Outcomes 1, 5, 6]
- Final essay (1750 words: 40%) [Learning Outcomes 1-6]
- Tutorial presentation: (500 words: 10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6]
- Tutorial participation: (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1-6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
1.5 hours of lectures and film screenings, and 1 hr tutorial per week and associated working time to a total of 120 hours over the semester.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre (Broadview edition)
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $1164 | |
| 2014 | $2478 | |
| 2013 | $2472 | |
| 2012 | $2472 | |
| 2011 | $2424 | |
| 2010 | $2358 | |
| 2009 | $2286 | |
| 2008 | $2286 | |
| 2007 | $2286 | |
| 2006 | $2286 | |
| 2005 | $2286 | |
| 2004 | $1926 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2574 |
| 2014 | $3246 |
| 2013 | $3240 |
| 2012 | $3240 |
| 2011 | $3240 |
| 2010 | $3240 |
| 2009 | $3240 |
| 2008 | $3240 |
| 2007 | $3132 |
| 2006 | $3132 |
| 2005 | $3132 |
| 2004 | $2916 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
