(Recorded Course) “Sensation Genre” Novels (Victorian Classics) with Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Are Victorian-era "sensation" novels only all about secrets, deception, and the survival of the hero -- or does the genre have something to teach us? Enjoy three lively novels (The Woman in White, Lady Audley’s Secret, and Great Expectations) -- and develop your critical reasoning, imagination, and knowledge of the stories’ historical and literary context -- with outrageously fun reading. (If you have younger students, this course fits with the Homeschool Connections Grade School Unit Study Program for grades 3-6 so that your whole family can study the same era at the same time.) 

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.

   

How to get the most out of The Victorian Detective (Victorian Classics) with Eleanor Bourg Nicholson:

  • Read the course materials below before viewing the first class meeting and before all subsequent class meetings. IF YOU DON'T READ THE MATERIALS, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CLASSES!!
  • Take the "pledge" that you won't disclose plot points beyond the assigned reading for each week.
  • Take the first identification quiz (#1) before viewing Class 1. 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 you might have and bring your notes with you when you view the class recordings.
  • You do NOT need to take notes during class unless it helps you focus!
  • As needed, review the PowerPoint from class.
  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.
  • Once the course is completed to your parents' 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:

  • Contact the Instructor early to discuss possible topics and your proposed timeline for composition and completion.
  • As you read, mark or otherwise identify passages that might be useful in developing your paper.
  • Be prompt with your deadlines.

Note: This course includes an optional writing component. 

Total classes: 12

Duration: 55 minutes per class

Prerequisite: Willingness to read the assigned materials.

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested credit: One full semester of Literature, Victorian Literature, or English

Instructor: Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Instructor Email: ebnicholson@protonmail.com

Course description: Delve into the mystery and atmospherics of this highly popular Victorian genre! Drawing from the Gothic tradition and the burgeoning popularity of mystery fiction, these novels are all about secrets, deception, and the moral and physical survival of the hero! Is this genre merely outrageous and fun, or does it have something to teach us? In addition to cultivating artistic appreciation and a love of reading, this course facilitates the development of critical reasoning, the disciplined use of the imagination, and a strong knowledge of historical and literary context.

Course outline:

  • Week 1: Introduction & The Woman in White, Preface & First Epoch, Story begun by Walter Hartright.
  • Week 2: The Woman in White, First Epoch, Story continued by Vincent Gilmore, to the end of the First Epoch, & Second Epoch, Chapters I to VI.
  • Week 3: The Woman in White, Second Epoch, Chapter VII to the end of the Second Epoch.
  • Week 4: The Woman in White, Third Epoch (in full).
  • Week 5: Lady Audley’s Secret, Volume 1, Chapters I to XI (“The mark upon my lady’s wrist”).
  • Week 6: Lady Audley’s Secret, Volume I, Chapter XII (“Still Missing”) to Volume II, Chapter IV (“Coming to a standstill”)
  • Week 7: Lady Audley’s Secret, Volume II, Chapter V (“Clara") through Chapter XIII (“Phoebe’s Petition”)
  • Week 8: Lady Audley’s Secret, Volume III (“The Red Light in the Sky” to the end of the novel).
  • Week 9: Great Expectations, Chapters 1–15.
  • Week 10: Great Expectations, Chapters 16–29.
  • Week 11: Great Expectations, Chapters 30–44.
  • Week 12: Great Expectations, Chapters 45 to the end of the novel.

Course materials: Great Expectations (Charles Dickens), Woman in White (Wilkie Collins), Lady Audley’s Secret (Mary Elizabeth Braddon). For GE, the Ignatius Critical Edition is strongly recommended! (Any editions are accepted. These are all also in the public domain and available online via Project Gutenberg.)

Homework: Expect to spend approximately 3 hours per week on homework. This will mostly be reading, weekly identification quizzes, a handful of other small assignments, a concluding quiz/assignment, and recommended participation in Moodle-based forums. Students can also sign up for an optional literary essay with 6 weeks to complete. 

Are Victorian-era "sensation" novels only all about secrets, deception, and the survival of the hero -- or does the genre have something to teach us? Enjoy three lively novels (The Woman in White, Lady Audley’s Secret, and Great Expectations) -- and develop your critical reasoning, imagination, and knowledge of the stories’ historical and literary context -- with outrageously fun reading. (If you have younger students, this course fits with the Homeschool Connections Grade School Unit Study Program for grades 3-6 so that your whole family can study the same era at the same time.)