In the history of nineteenth-century England Kingsley has taken a place as an eminent Victorian. His is an important voice in the intellectual debates of the age and very few modern books on (aspectsof ) the period fail to mention him. As a thinker of non-mainstream ideas, his courageous synthesis of sexuality and Christianity and his delighted participation in God’s creation have fascinated modern critics. Although his importance as a divine in the Anglican Church has turned out to be negligible, he remains significant in its history. He has never been taken very seriously as a historian, but modernhistoriography has shown some renewed interest in his ideas about history. Kingsley’s roles as a social reformer and as a naturalist had a considerable impact on his time. He was an impressive populariser of controversial issues and he did much to bring them to the attention of the public. One hundred and thirty years of criticism have reassessed Kingsley’s place in English literature mainly as a novelist. Admittedly, a few of his lyrics have earned a place in English verse and are still anthologized today, but his fame today rests mainly on his fiction, and much of his reputation rests on being the author of one of the greatest classics in English children’s literature.This course analyses some of Kingsley’s works and the Mid-Victorian World Picture that emerges from them. The course aims at providing students with a firm understanding of the literary and cultural scene of the mid-Victorian Period. During the course students will acquire the necessary linguistic and critical tools to analyze works of literature, discuss literary works using the correct terminology, and be encouraged to make autonomous judgments. 

1 - Alton Locke ; 2 - Hypatia ; 3 - Water-Babies ; 4 - Selected Poems

16 CFU in English Literature in previous BA course

- Knowledge and understanding: students will acquire a good understanding of the essential social-historical and social-cultural factors underpinning the period of study, and will be able to approach English literary studies with the appropriate critical instruments and methods.  

- Applying knowledge and understanding: students will have the linguistic, cultural and critical abilities to describe and analyse English Literature.

- Making judgements: students will acquire the critical ability to judge and evaluate literary texts and will be able to express autonomous opinions on social-literary subjects of different historical periods. 

- Communication skills: students will be trained to have an open and unprejudiced attitude to different realities and periods and express themselves in appropriate language.

- Learning skills: students will possess the necessary methodological skills, the critical abilities, bibliographical knowledge and research skills to continue their studies in the field.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Students are invited to visit my page on Blended Learning Uniurb for further study materials. Use of audiovisual aids is an integral part of the programme. The course will be held in English.  
The course will be held in English.

Teaching

Lectures. During classes students will be asked to present their own reading of some passages (these activities will be graded and are part of the final mark).

Course books

• Charles Kingsley, Alton Locke (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/altonlocketailor01kin)
• Charles Kingsley, Hypatia (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/hypatiaornewfoes00kingiala)
• Charles Kingsley, The Water-Babies (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/waterbabiesfairy00king2; hard copy with good introduction and notes: Oxford World Classic ed. by Brian Alderson (1995; repr. 2014), ISBN-10: 0199685452)
• Charles Kingsley, Selected Poems (available on Blended Learning Uniurb )

Assessment

written exam (in English)

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

self study: non-attending students are expected to check out historical and cultural contexts on the internet. They are also invited to visit my page on Blended Learning Uniurb for further study materials. I also recommended critical biography: J.M.I. Klaver, The Apostle of the Flesh: A Critical Life of Charles Kingsley (Brill, 2006).

Course books

• Charles Kingsley, Alton Locke (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/altonlocketailor01kin)
• Charles Kingsley, Hypatia (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/hypatiaornewfoes00kingiala)
• Charles Kingsley, The Water-Babies (available as etext: https://archive.org/details/waterbabiesfairy00king2; hard copy: Oxford World Classic ed. by Brian Alderson (1995; repr. 2014), ISBN-10: 0199685452)
• Charles Kingsley, Selected Poems (available on Blended Learning Uniurb )
• J.M.I. Klaver, The Apostle of the Flesh: A Critical Life of Charles Kingsley (Brill, 2006).

Assessment

written exam (in English); the programme above is valid only till January/February 2018.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

The course will be taught entirely in English. The final exam and the bibliography are in English.