English Culture & Literature (1) - 2025/2026

English culture and literature

1. Course overview

• Focus on sensation fiction, late-Victorian Gothic, and the Perils of Reading.
• (1) Intro to Victorian Age.
• (2) What is Sensation Fiction? [why in the 1860s? what are the main themes and styles? why was it considered dangerous or “improper”]
• (3) Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley’s Secret [literary historical context / narrative structure / what kind of fiction is it? what is the task of fiction]
• (4) Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [literary-historical context / narrative structure / the detective]

2. Course syllabus

• Novels (Primary texts): printed books (borrowed fr. the library) or free online editions are fine.
• Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Lady Audley’s Secret [1862] (any scholarly edition)
• Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1886] (any scholarly edition)
• N.B. also ebook, gutenberg.org, archive.org
• Secondary texts: only download the selected chapters (actually widely avail. online).
• Maureen Moran, Victorian Literature and Culture (Bloomsbury, 2009):
  • “Philosophy and Religion”, pp. 24-38
• Herbert Tucker and Richard Boxall (eds), A New Companion to Victorian Literature and Culture (Blackwell, 2014):
  • Anthony H. Harrison, “1851”, pp. 19-34
  • Linda K. Hughes, “1870”, pp. 35-51
• Andrew Mangham (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Sensation Fiction (Cambridge University Press, 2013) [you can download the required chapters fr. Moodle]
  • Laurence Talairach-Vielmas, “Sensation Fiction and the Gothic”, pp. 21-33
  • Janice...
• Lyn Pykett, The “Improper” Feminine: The Women’s Sensation Novel and the New Woman Writing (Routledge, 1992):
  • “Gender and writing, writing and gender”, pp. 3-10
  • “The Subject of Woman”, pp. 11-18
• Penny Fielding (ed.), The Edinburgh Companion to Robert Louis Stevenson (Edinburgh University Press, 2010):
  • Stephen Arata, “Stevenson and Fin-de-Siècle Gothic”, pp. 53-69

“Make ‘em cry, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em wait”

• The focus → Who are them? (= readers) → strong emphasis of the novels on readers.
• Sensation fictions: abt history, crime, psychological tension...
  • Victorian writers are extremely skilled in keeping readers emotionally involved, making them curious, shocked, scared and scandalized, building the climax and suspense inside readers (published separately chapters by chapters → keep readers interested → buy the next installment)

→ Many novels create the suspense = address sensitive themes → make the readers wait.

1. A few preliminary remarks

• The literary texts will be placed in their historical, literary and cultural context (e.g. intellectual debates...)
  • As a reader, we not only focus on the characters but also pay attention to the important features at that time (e.g. ideas abt classes, genders, science, etc.)
• “Culture” is intended as “discursive culture” or “cultural discourse”
  • In other words, a wider network of “texts, narratives”, covering # aspects = lit. exists in many # texts (social discussion, popular fictions, political debates, etc.)
  • The context (history, social issues, politics, etc.) is used to enhance the reading of the novel.

→ The sum of the many “discourses” or “texts” that enhance our reading and understanding of the literary texts.

• The context can help us uds more deeply and more comprehensively some issues.
  • But we try to go beyond the idea that the text is simply a reflection of the author’s intentions.

N.B. Literature is not only the mirror of society.

• Literary works are not only the passive reflection (= recipient) of society but also an active participant of the cultural debates.
• Some issues covered by the texts can affect the culture to some extent.

2. Some key terms and dates

• The literary periods in the 19th C [1800s]
  • Romantic age - 1798-1832 (right before the period of the Victorian Age)
    • Content emphasis: nature, imagination, etc.
    • “Lyrical Ballads” - a ground-breaking poetry, a genuine work
    • Genre: focus more on poetry rather than prose
    • Incl. 2 generations of Romantic poets
    • 1832 - the remarkable reform - the conclusion of the R. Age
    • Sir Walter Scott died - the Romantic novelists
  • Victorian age - 1837-1901
    • Content emphasis: society, social classes & conflicts, science, progress, tech., etc.
    • Genre: focus more on novels rather than poems
  • “The Long 19th Century” - the critics use the term under the chronological framework
• The “hungry 1840s”: social unrest(?) What is “hungry 1840s”?
  • (1) Historical event - Irish Famine (1845-1849) → mass migration from Ireland to Manchester, England, trying to run away fr. starving.
  • (2) The worsening of life & work conditions of the lowest classes, due to:
    • Bad harvests → less food → high price of bread
    • Corn laws & taxes
    • Worse working conditions → ppl had to work for longer hours & in dangerous evrm
    • Lack of medical care → the spreading of diseases

→ result in the social unrest (e.g. machinery factories)

• Focus on the progress, prosperity (thanks to the rise of national income & life conditions)
  • This period was when the country witnessed technological & economic growth → the time for prosperity (esp. 1840s - 1860s).
  • However, there were still many ppl who were left behind.
• Representation of social conflicts as this decade - 1840s are characterized by unrest.
• Although many of the authors were in the middle class, they still wanted to denounce & raise awareness about the difficult life of the lower classes (based on their life observation). The reasons could be:
  • The sympathy for the poor: They were genuinely sorry abt the situations, trying to support and improve the life conditions of these people.
  • Anxiety abt. social unrest: It might be dangerous to leave things in these bad conditions → social unrest → revolution → push middle-class ppl. in danger.

→ If the poor are helped and happy, Britain may not undergo any revolutions, movements, or rebellions.

• The “Condition of England” Novel (Benjamin Disraeli, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell...”
  • Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist, the Christmas Carol (class conflicts), Hard Times
  • Elizabeth: wrote mainly abt. Manchester
• 1851: The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations
  • Held in London from May to Oct by Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband)
  • Displayed the art of industry (the latest improvement, the wonders,...) thru. objects from all over the world

→ celebrated the idea of England’s growth & imperial power = English leadership & power (coming fr. the colonies)

• 3 keywords to navigate the Victorian age (what shaped this period):
  • Respectability
    • Focus on the social classes (esp. the upper class)
    • Refers to social importance of appearing in a certain way ~ in the way you look (more than the way you truly are) → created more principles (how to appear good / evil)

E.g. to be recognized as a good person → build a good image (e.g. hard working)

• Works with: social acceptance, social recognition, proper family, public reputation (jobs → easier to be acknowledged), emotional discipline, etc.
• Progress:
  • Keywords: industrial development, revolution (railway network, scientific discovery, technological advancement), imperial expansion, urban growth - transformation of the city → metropolis.

→ Impact positively on ppl’s lives.

• Anxiety:
  • The very fast transformation led to some unpleasant consequences, such as:
    • Visible poverty (children had to work - work abuse)
    • Social inequality & disparity
    • Fear of degeneration (thoái hóa)
    • Economic growth & civilization → left many ppl behind
    • Imperial expansion → What if the colonies revenged

→ Remarkable tension: A respectable society >< The anxiety (consequences? cost?)

3. Some figures that were associated with honor & popular culture come fr. 19th cent. lit.

• Oscar Wilde - “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
• Robert Louis Stevenson - “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
• Mary Shelley - “Frankenstein” (1818 → not situated in the Victorian Age but in Romantic Age)
  • “Frankenstein” is the name of the scientist, not the monster
  • Raised fascination, anxiety & fear (monstrosity)
• Bram Stoker - “Dracula”

N.B. Many monster figures today come fr. the text in the Victorian Age (sensation fictions)

4. Some key phrases

The Victorian compromise

• An idea that there must need to be reconciliation btw. the consequences of progress (change) & moral-social values with others. → argue that the progress can go hand in hand with the traditional values
• Hypocritical - a dark aspect

E.g. try to