Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 94

HUMANITIES

English and History
Overview

Great novels, poems, plays or short stories do not
come out of nowhere. They are shaped by and reflect
the historical and social circumstances of the times
in which they were written, and in many cases they
make vital contributions to our understanding of
those times. There are many approaches to the study
of literary texts, but some of the most important
and revealing are historicist approaches. Keele has a
strong tradition of studying literary texts within their
historical contexts, and this dual honours programme
provides the perfect combination for those of you
wishing to deepen your understanding of the times in
which works of literature were produced.
History at Keele has internationally recognised
expertise in world history from 400AD to the present
day, and English has strengths in medieval literature,
early modern literature (including Shakespeare and
his contemporaries), eighteenth and nineteenth
century British and American literature, modernism,
and post-war and contemporary literature. To study
literary texts alongside original historical documents
is to expand your perspectives on historical events,
to open up the world of the past and, in so doing,
to enliven your understanding of the present. In
studying English and History at Keele, you will join a
group of students who find each subject benefiting
significantly from the insights of the other, and
develop perspectives that differ in important ways
from your fellow students in both subjects.

Course content

First year
Your first year focuses on developing your academic
study skills. You will study modules which introduce
you to core content, skills and knowledge in literary
analysis and historical methodology, original source
analysis and critical theory. Alongside this, elective
modules challenge the narrow specialisms of A-Level
to introduce you to world literatures and to world
history since 400AD.

DU

U

Historical Research and Writing provides training
in the historical skills needed for the second
and third years of study. You will learn the processes
of historical research from critical reading skills
to source selection and argument construction.
Second year
The second year involves more in depth study
of literary movements and historical periods.
In English you choose from an exciting range
of modules, which include:
• The Age of Shakespeare and Donne
• Romanticisms
• Victorian Performances
• Post-War British Fiction
and Poetry Creative Writing
• The Detective and the American City
• Lyrics and the Popular Song
• History and Society in 19th Century
American Literature
• Teenage Dreams: Youth Subcultures in Fiction
In History, as well as a wide range of elective
modules, there is another innovative core module
Source and Debates. In this module you are invited
to tackle the politics of writing history. On what basis
do historians claim to ‘know’ about the past? Why do
historians disagree? What exactly is history which is
‘out of date’? What is historical evidence? Answering
these questions requires us to reflect on history
writing as a political practice and challenge our
received understanding of ‘what history is’.
Third year
In both English and History, the third year is
organised in special, detailed studies of sharply
defined topics or periods. A typical range of special
subjects in english may include:
• Contemporary British Fiction
• The Canadian Metropolis

The core modules include:

• Dickens, Collins and Detection

Reading Literature introduces various aspects of
literary study enabling you to get to grips with
a range of primary texts from different historical
periods (including film) but also to develop a variety
of critical skills.

• High Culture: Drin k, Drugs
and the American Dream

Becoming a Critic introduces the critical methods
and skills involved in the study of narrative fiction.
The module is characterised by both historical
breadth and detailed critical engagement, and
focuses particularly on the concept of colonial and
postcolonial literature.

POP

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• Postmodernism: Fiction, Film and Theory
• Wild Woods and Wide Worlds: British
and American Children’s Fiction
And in History:
• The Making of Contemporary Africa
• The English Civil Wars
• The Modern Middle East
• The Partition of India
Linked to this is an extended piece of original
research undertaken with your tutor’s supervision in
english, history, or both. For many, the dissertation
is the highlight of the degree course, and several are
inspired to carry on to postgraduate research.

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