British Fin de Siècle Literature

-Fin de siècle, fin du monde” – end of the century, end of the world – this is a saying often used by the characters of Oscar Wilde’s only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and which directly represents a core idea and mood of the 1880s and 90s. In this seminar, we will talk about the literature written during the last two decades of the 19th century and though we will focus on literature (novels, plays, poetry and short stories), it will be indispensable to have a closer look at the (sub)culture of decadence and dandyism, to name only two key terms that are most often linked to the British Fin de Siècle and provide the background of many literary works. Furthermore, we will also briefly talk about works of art by, for example, the Pre-Raphaelites and Aubrey Beardsley. Although he was Irish, Oscar Wilde was one of the key figures of the British Fin de Siècle and Decadence Culture, so we will dedicate some sessions to his work and life. At the end of the semester, after having read one play and one novel and excerpts from other texts, we will also have a short look at the representation of the 1890s in contemporary film and literature. Students are expected to purchase Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Further texts (short theoretical texts and poems as well as short stories by women writers) will be made available during the semester. Anglistik - Literaturwissenschaft 2 LP/ 3 LP Studienleistung: active participation + presentation (groups of 2 to 3 students, 20-30 minutes + handout) 3 LP Prüfungsleistung: term paper (12-15 pages) 5 LP: active participation + presentation + handout and short term paper (7-9 pages) 7 LP: active participation + presentation + handout and term paper (12-15 pages) Universität Siegen WiSe 2013/14 M.A. Boller Alessandra M.A