(Recorded Course) The 19th-Century Novel (Victorian Classics): Emma, David Copperfield, & the Barsetshire Chronicles with Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Instructor Access (Optional grading support) is available for this course. Please note: this is ONLY recommended if you wish to write the optional paper. All quizzes are internally graded in this course. 

NOTICE: This is an older course recorded with Adobe Connect and/or Vimeo recordings. We are currently working to replace the recordings with new Zoom recordings.  Please don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with any questions.

 

 

 

How to get the most out of The 19th-Century Novel (Victorian Classics): Emma, David Copperfield, & the Barsetshire Chronicles with Professor Eleanor Bourg Nicholson:

  • Read the course materials below and do the assigned reading (Volume 1 of Emma, Chapters. 1-18) before viewing the first class and read all assigned texts/chapters before all subsequent classes. IF YOU DON'T READ THE MATERIALS, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CLASSES!!
  • Take the weekly identification quiz BEFORE viewing each week's class. Refresh your memory on plot/character points you might have missed. Take the quiz a second time if you need to!
  • As you read, note down themes or questions that occur to you.
  • You do NOT need to take notes as you view the class unless it helps you focus!
  • Re-watch the recording and/or review the PowerPoint from class as needed.
  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for each week.
  • Repeat each week until the course is completed.
  • Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

 

IF planning on the optional literary-critical writing assignment:

  • Visit this course page to read detailed instructions.
  • If using Instructor Access, contact the Instructor early to discuss possible topics and your proposed timeline for composition and completion. If not using Instructor Access, please discuss potential topics with a parent.
  • As you read, mark or otherwise identify passages that might be useful in developing your paper.
  • Be prompt with your deadlines.

Total Classes: 12

Duration: 55 minutes.

Prerequisite: Willingness to read and openness to enjoying the works. Read Volume 1 of Emma before Class 1.

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested Credit: 1 Semester Literature or Victorian Literature.

Class Instructor: Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Instructor Email: ebourgnicholson@gmail.com

Course Description: What is the purpose of the genre of the novel? Why should we read it? How should we read it? This course will answer this question by exploring three of the greatest representatives of a singularly wonderful period of the English novel: the Nineteenth Century. We will establish ourselves with the brilliance of Jane Austen and her creation of Emma, a "heroine whom no one but myself will much like". Charles Dickens will serve as our escort into the world of the Victorians through David Copperfield and its eponymous hero, whom Dickens described as his "favourite child". From Dickens we will turn to his witty and prolific contemporary, Anthony Trollope, and explore the complexities of British Victorian religious belief and social structures at mid-century. For each novel, we will both study its literary, social, and historical context and conduct close readings of the text. Jointly, the novels will permit us to explore the shared themes that define the genre and the period. In addition to cultivating artistic appreciation and a love of reading, this class facilitates the development of the literary-critical skillset, the disciplined use of the imagination, and a strong knowledge of historical and literary context.

Course Outline:

  • Week 1: Introduction; Emma (1815/1816), Volume I, Chapters 1-12.

  • Week 2: Emma, Volume I, Chapters 13-18 and Volume II, Chapters 1-5. (Without Volume Divisions, Chapters 13-23.)

  • Week 3: Emma, Volume II, Chapters 6-18. (Without Volume Divisions, 24-36.)

  • Week 4: Emma, Volume III. (Without Volume Divisions, 37-55.)

  • Week 5: David Copperfield (1849-50), Chs. 1-15.

  • Week 6: David Copperfield, Chs. 16-31.

  • Week 7: David Copperfield, Chs. 32-45.

  • Week 8: David Copperfield, Chs. 46-64.

  • Week 9: The Warden (1855).

  • Week 10: Barchester Towers (1857), Chs. 1-18.

  • Week 11: Barchester Towers, Chs. 19-36.

  • Week 12: Barchester Towers, Chs. 37-53.

Course Materials: (Penguin, Oxford, or Dover editions recommended; other editions accepted)

  • Emma by Jane Austen

  • David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

  • The Warden & Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

Homework: 3 hours reading per week, 1 identification quiz per week; miscellaneous small assignments. A literary-critical writing project opportunity is available for extra credit.