Mrs Gaskell was a very popular writer in the nineteenth century and her popularity has endured with her novels still in print and adaptations of her work regularly being made for tv, radio and film. This course will explore a range of novels by Mrs Gaskell and consider her literary style, narrative techniques and the social and political context of her novels. This course will study the following novels: North and South, A Dark Night's Work and Wives and Daughters. The first Mrs Gaskell course will have looked at Mary Barton, Cranford and Ruth . It is not essential to do both courses.
Course aim
This course will explore the work of the popular nineteenth-century writer Mrs Gaskell. This is Part 2 of two courses on Mrs Gaskell, each part will look at different novels however it is not essential to do both parts.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- understand the literary context of the novels of Mrs Gaskell.
- consider the literary style and narrative techniques of this writer.
- understand the social and political context of the novels of Mrs Gaskell.
- make connections to a variety of novels by this writer.
- engage in group discussion about this writer.
What else do I need to know?
We will study the novels in the order they are listed in the course description. You do not need to have read all the novels prior to the start of the course but it would be useful if you have made a good start on the reading in advance of the course starting.
View full course information sheet
Literature: The Novels of Elizabeth Gaskell - Part 2 with Dr Greta Depledge
