British Literature: The Early 20th Century

This course introduces students to British literature of the early 20th century, with a primary focus on major modernist writers and the intellectual movements that shaped their work. Through a close study of fiction, poetry, and critical theory, students will engage with themes such as imperialism, gender and sexuality, psychological interiority, the use of myth, and aesthetic innovation. Texts studied include Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, and key poems by W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot. Emphasis will be placed on reading literature as both a response to and a product of its historical moment.
Course Objectives:

• Examine the major intellectual, cultural, and historical contexts influencing early 20th-century British literature
• Analyze the literary techniques and formal innovations associated with modernist and avant-garde writing
• Interpret major works using critical frameworks including psychoanalysis, feminism, and postcolonial theory
• Trace thematic concerns such as alienation, identity, empire, sexuality, and spirituality across multiple authors
• Develop skills in close reading, comparative analysis, and academic writing within literary studies

Course Outcomes:

• Demonstrate an understanding of how modernist literature responded to the social, psychological, and political crises of the early 20th century
• Analyze key literary texts using formal, historical, and theoretical approaches
• Evaluate how issues of empire, gender, and class are embedded in literary narratives and styles
• Compare different authors' responses to similar themes such as modernity, fragmentation, and myth
• Produce critical essays and oral presentations that articulate original interpretations of complex literary works