This course will trace the development of the British novel across the 20th century. Discussions will focus on British colonialism, the first and second world wars, changing attitudes toward sexuality, and the conflict between the individual self and societal or familial expectations. We will attempt, through our readings and discussions, to trace the development of the British novel across the 20th century, and to understand and analyze what it has to say about what this century has come to signify for world and literary history. Readings may include works by Joseph Conrad, D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, Kazuo Ishigura, John Fowles, and Evelyn Waugh. There will be a midterm and a final exam, and two short papers.
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Rena Potok
Department of English
University of Pennsylvania
Phila., PA 19104-6273