Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was one of England's greatest poets as on of England's greatest novelists. Between 1870 and 1896 he wrote fourteen novels. Then, between 1898 and 1928 he published 950 poems.
Hardy's finest novels are The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) and Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891). In this seminar we will study The Mayor of Casterbridge and parts of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. We will also look at a few of Hardy's poems.
Requirements for the course are close, careful reading of our novels and, depending on students' degree requirements, weekly in-class "scribbles" as well as a seminar paper or a written exam.
We expect to have a week's excursion to "Hardy Country" in the southwest of England at the end of the term. Hardy is a novelist much concerned with physical setting, and his settings are often identifiable places in England. The Mayor of Casterbridge is set in Dorchester, in Dorset County; one of the climactic scenes in Tess of the D'Urbervilles takes place at Stonehenge. We will stay in a 14th century castle outside Casterbridge-where Hardy visited on occasion-and will visit various sites both from his life in Dorchester and from The Mayor of Casterbridge. We will also visit Hardy's study (reconstructed) and have a chance to examine the manuscript of The Mayor of Casterbridge. At the end of our stay we will visit Salisbury, and Stonehenge - where the penultimate scene of Tess takes place.
Voluntary excursion: Please note that the number of participants is strictly restricted to 6 people. There will be a separate registration for the seminar and the excursion which will cost EUR320. Before registering for the excursion, you have to register for the seminar. There will be a waiting list on Clix.
Registration is via CLIX only. Please check the departmental homepage and the department's notice boards for more information on the registration procedures. |
