Eng-2005
History of British Culture
Brother Anthony (An Sonjae)
Spring Semester 2013   Wednesday, Friday 13:30

This course is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Britain and the development of the literature written in England.

The main text book (available in PDF by clicking on the title below) should be printed out by each student and used in class :

History of English culture and literature,  by Brother Anthony  [See my main home page index with links to each historical period]

Grading: The two Reports and the two Exams (midterm and final) will have equal value.

If you have questions you may write emails to Brother Anthony

Class topics and linked materials

Week 1  (March 6, 8)  Introduction: Prehistoric England, The Roman occupation  A map of Britain    An outline map of Britain

Week 2   (March 13, 15) Anglo-Saxon England  --  Beowulf

Week 3  (March 20, 22) The Middle Ages  --  Chaucer

Week 4  (March 27, no class Good Friday) The Renaissance   --  Utopia

Week 5   (April 3, 5)  Elizabethan England  --  Spenser and Sidney

Giotto Botticcelli  Michelangelo  Leonardo  Raphael  Titian   Holbein  

Week 6   (April 10, 12) Shakespeare

Week 7    (April 17, 19) Early 17th century   --  John Donne

Week 8 (April 24, April 26)  Midterm exams

Week 9   (May 1, 3) The Civil War   --  John Milton

Week 10  (May 8, 10) The Restoration  & 18th century

Week 11 (May 15, no class Buddha's Birthday) The Age of Reason   --  Jane Austen

Week 12 (May 22,24)  Romanticism   --  William Wordsworth

Week 13  (May 29, 31) The Victorian age   --  Charles Dickens

Week 14  (June 5, 7) 20th century 

Week 15  (June 12, 14)  Britain today

Week 16  Exams

Assignments : Each student will prepare two reports:

The first report will be on: Describe in detail some of the main features of British society and culture that characterize (a) the Middle Ages and (b) the Renaissance, and write about the most important changes that mark the passage from one to the other.  The report is due by Monday April 29.

The second report will be either : (1) "From Oliver Twist to the Welfare State." Trace the main evoutions of British society from 1830 until 1951, including the way provisions for elections, education, social welfare, health care, pensions and women's rights developed, as well as literature, leisure activities and journalism.
        or: (2) "Britain's experience of war in the 20th century" covering the main events of the First and Second World Wars that involved Britain as well as the British involvement in the Korean War.

    The second report will be due by June 24 at the latest. I expect 4 - 5 pages single spaced. Nothing should be simply copied from the Internet, I want to read your own words.