The fin de siècle was a time of transition, as high Victorian values gave way to the modern. This paper will introduce you to the writing of several key late-Victorian writers, while examining contemporary discussions surrounding decadence, terror, gender relations, environmentalism, and animal welfare. We will explore the rise of popular fiction at the end of the nineteenth century, paying attention to how the literary and cultural landscape was shifting, and addressing the backlash against realist writing.
About this paper
| Paper title | A Topic in 19th Century Literature |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.2500 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2026 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $2,090.50 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 72 points from ENGL 300-level
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the Department of English and Linguistics website
- Teaching staff
Assoc. Prof Grace Moore
- Paper Structure
Over the semester, we will read a variety of novels, poems and short stories from the late-Victorian period.
We will also consider relevant contextual and critical sources.- Teaching Arrangements
Weekly two-hour seminar.
- Textbooks
- Grant Allen, The Woman Who Did (Broadview)
- George Gissing, The Odd Women (Oxford)
- Margaret Harkness, In Darkest London (Germinal)
- Henry James, In the Cage (Penguin)
- Angelique Richardson, Women Who Did (Penguin)
- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Dynamiter (any edition)
- HG Wells, The Time Machine (Popular Penguins)
Other readings will be available via e-Reserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Critical thinking, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:
- A familiarity with the literature of the fin de siècle
- An understanding of the social, political and economic changes of the late Victorian period
- A knowledge of class, gender and race relations in Victorian Britain
- Refinement of research skills in late-Victorian literature and culture
The fin de siècle was a time of transition, as high Victorian values gave way to the modern. This paper will introduce you to the writing of several key late-Victorian writers, while examining contemporary discussions surrounding decadence, terror, gender relations, environmentalism and animal welfare. We will explore the rise of popular fiction at the end of the 19th-century, paying attention to how the literary and cultural landscape was shifting, as well as addressing the backlash against realist writing.
About this paper
| Paper title | A Topic in 19th Century Literature |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| EFTS | 0.2500 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2027 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 72 points from ENGL 300-level
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the English and Linguistics Programme website.
- Teaching staff
Associate Professor Grace Moore
- Paper Structure
Over the semester, we will read a variety of novels, poems and short stories from the late-Victorian period.
We will also consider relevant contextual and critical sources.- Teaching Arrangements
Weekly two-hour seminar.
- Textbooks
- Grant Allen, The Woman Who Did (Broadview)
- George Gissing, The Odd Women (Oxford)
- Margaret Harkness, In Darkest London (Germinal)
- Henry James, In the Cage (Penguin)
- Angelique Richardson, Women Who Did (Penguin)
- Robert Louis Stevenson, The Dynamiter (any edition)
- HG Wells, The Time Machine (Popular Penguins)
Other readings will be available via eReserve.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Critical thinking, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:
- A familiarity with the literature of the fin de siècle.
- An understanding of the social, political and economic changes of the late Victorian period.
- A knowledge of class, gender and race relations in Victorian Britain.
- Refinement of research skills in late-Victorian literature and culture.