Module Information

This module considers representations of education in literature from the long nineteenth century into the early years of the twenty-first century, from depictions of teachers and teaching institutions, pupil/student life, and the role of education in society and in individuals’ lives, to attempts to capture the actual processes of learning. It is divided into three sections – the early years, school life, and university days – in order to consider the full spectrum of the schooling years and to think about the differences between formal and informal settings. We will compare texts from across quite different time periods to examine how ideas about education have changed (and not changed) over the years. Some of the texts we consult will be examples of children’s and/or crossover literature, but many target adult readers, and we will consider the different ways in which readership affects the representation of education in each instance. The module may be of particular interest to those considering careers in teaching, but it will also be an opportunity for all of us to reflect upon the enduring appeal of the fictional classroom across a variety of genres and periods.