How does one speak the unspeakable? In the nineteenth century, writers and readers often turned to ghosts, monsters, vampires and other supernatural tropes to express and explore cultural anxieties, particularly those that remained in the shadows and at the margins of dominant discourses. In this course we will read a variety of Victorian gothic and supernatural texts in the context of nineteenth century anxieties and discourses about sexual transgression, gender roles, disease, madness, spriritualism, the experience of modernity and the problem of the body. We will read a range of literary forms including novels, novellas, short stories and poetry, and both canonical and non-canonical texts, enabling us to understand the breadth of the Victorian writers' achievement in the literary field, and the way that Victorian literature both participated in and emerged from debates in other cultural discourses such as medicine, psychology, sociology and philosophy.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By the end of the course students will:
- Be able to analyse, discuss and write critically about the use of supernatural and gothic tropes and their significance in a range of Victorian texts.
- Be familiar with the work of a range of Victorian writers, both canonical and less well-known, and with a range of genres inlcuding the novel, short story and poetry.
- Be able to position Victorian literature in relation to a range of contexts including Victorian anxieties about modernity, madness, sexual transgression and disease.
- Be able to identify and discuss theoretical discourses concerning class, sexuality, gender and colonialism as these illuminate a range of Victorian texts.
- Have developed skills in reading carefully with attention to detail and to the ways in which texts are constructed.
Indicative Assessment
One 2000 word essay (40%) [LO 1, 2, 3,4 and 5]
One 2500 word essay (50%) [LO 1, 2, 3,4 and 5]
Tutorial Participation (10%) [LO 1, 2, 3,4 and 5]
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
One lecture (1.5 hours), one tutorial (1 hour) and 7.5 hours of associated reading/study time per week.Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Prescribed texts may include:
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (novel)Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (novella)
a selection of poetry by Christina Rosetti (available on Wattle)
a selection of short stories by Elizabeth Gaskell, Dinah Mulock and Catherine Crowe (available on Wattle)
Mary Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret (novel)
Vernon Lee, Hauntings and Other Tales. (two short stories)
Sheridan LeFanu, 'In a Glass Darkly' and 'Carmilla' (short stories)
John Meade Falkner, The Lost Stradivarius (novella)
Henry James, 'The Turn of the Screw' in The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories (short story)
There will also be a reading brick on Wattle containing critical material.
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. Tuition fees are indexed annually. 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 |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $3576 |
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.
