Subject Area: English

Jane Austen currently enjoys a cultural popularity rivalling that of Shakespeare. This course aims to take account of the abiding relevance of Austen’s work in the early 21st century in two distinct but related ways. On the one hand, it focuses on Austen’s juvenilia and novels as social and cultural products of their time. It examines how her works interact self-consciously with contemporary romantic, gothic and sentimental fiction as well as ‘converse’ with each other to form a dynamic and intellectually challenging body of work. On a more theoretical level, it explores the various components of Austen’s literary style that allow her to speak to present-day readers: her use of irony, her ability to illuminate the subtle transformation of character over time, and her unique intermingling of romance and realism. Through these two lenses, the module demonstrates the continuing relevance of Austen's literary and moral worldview.