Masterpieces of Modernist Literature: 'When human relations changed'

In 1910, Virginia Woolf observed a profound change in ‘human character’ and ‘human relations’. We now know this change as modernism, an artistic movement that sent shockwaves through the establishment, challenging our perceptions of the world and how we read literature. 

This module will examine the cultural and historical contexts that produced modernist writing, including works by Woolf, James Joyce, DH Lawrence, and TS Eliot, as well as offering students the opportunity to engage with lesser-known modernist writers like Djuna Barnes, Langston Hughes, and Katherine Mansfield. We will consider how global conflicts, technological advancements and social and political upheaval affected modernist writing, and think about how modernist writers engaged with questions of psychology, sexuality, and aesthetics. 

By debating these issues and through the close-reading of key literary texts, students will develop an informed opinion about modernist techniques, and how a complex historical moment continues to resonate with how we interpret ourselves, the world around us, and the literature that we read.

Tutor: Laurie Chetwood MSc

Term: Spring

Day: Wednesday

Start Date: 15 January 2025

Time: 7-9pm

No. of weeks: 11

Full fee: £156

Credits: 10

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