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‘To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world – and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are’ (Marshall Berman). How did literature respond to the new environments and promises of modernity? What forms does English literature take in the modern period? Can we relate the history of literary forms in the modern period to the transformative powers of modernity? How do we characterise the textual forms of the modern? Has the modern in literature come to an end? If so, how did it feel to be modern? And what is it like to be postmodern? These are some of the questions which we will ask of English literature from the eighteenth century to the present day on this MA course. The focus of the MA in Modernity, Literature and Culture is the relationship between the distinctive forms of modern writing and the social, cultural, and philosophical enterprise of modernity. 

The MA is an intensive combination of taught course units and supervised research which we hope will give you the opportunity to develop further your skills in literary studies. The design of the MA reflects the commitment in the School to a holistic approach to literary study, encompassing a broad range of skills from the theoretical to the practical. The chief aims of the MA are to broaden and deepen your knowledge of the texts and contexts of modern English literature, and to develop your skills as a scholar and critic of modern literature. 

 

ENG40720 Concepts of Modernity (Nick Daly,  Porscha Fermanis, Anne Fogarty)

ENG40790 Metropolis: Modernism and After (John Brannigan)

ENG40320 Dissertation (15-20,000 words)

ENG40800 Mind and Body in Modern Literature (Michelle O'Connell)

ENG40700 Post-war British Theatre (Emilie Pine)

ENG41140 Peripheral Modernisms in World Literature (Sharae Deckard)

ENG41090 James Joyce Option (Luca Crispi)

ENG41160 Approaches to Joyce I (Anne Fogarty)

 

Professor Nicholas Daly (convenor)

 

Modules may be assessed by essay, project work, presentation, or examination. The coursework for class-based modules accounts for 50 ECTS of the final degree classification, the dissertation accounts for the remaining 40 ECTS.

 

The final deadline for applications for this MA is August 7. You are encouraged to apply early if your application, including the transcript of your degree results, is complete. Decisions on some places on the MA will be made prior to this final deadline. Applications received after this deadline may not be considered.  

Modernity, Literature and Culture

MA Courses