Dickens and Crime 3301-LB2065-2ST
The aim of the course is to conduct an in-depth analysis of two selected novels by Charles Dickens through the lens of crime and criminality. An astute observer of the darker aspects of Victorian life, Dickens frequently depicted the criminal underbelly of nineteenth-century Britain in his works. The course will focus on close reading of his texts, enabling students to explore issues such as narration, focalization, symbolism, plot, character construction, imagery, and the spatial dimensions of the literary text. A further objective is to examine Dickens’s novels within their cultural and historical context, in order to understand his engagement with the social, political, economic, and artistic worlds of his time. Finally, we will analyse selected film adaptations and consider how they shape different interpretations of the texts.
MA degree programme
Here are some issues which will be discussed in the context of Dickens's novels:
Dickens and his readers – the reception of Dickens’s novels
Psychological portraits of criminals – motivations, obsessions, and anxieties of criminal characters
Poverty as a source of crime – the connection between destitution, homelessness, and hunger and the path to criminality
Corruption and abuses within the justice system – representations of lawyers, judges, and officials in Dickens’s novels
The portrayal of women in Dickens’s works
Dickens and the Gothic, sensation, and detective novel
Juvenile crime in the nineteenth century
Public executions in nineteenth-century Britain
Dickens and the Victorian underworld, the criminal parts of London known as "rookeries"
Dickens’s visits to Newgate Prison
the "Newgate Calendar" and the Newgate Novel
Dickens and the most notorious London slums
The motif of punishment and justice – institutional and moral dimensions of retribution
Dickens and Inspector Charles Field of Scotland Yard
Illustrations in Dickens’s novels
Dickens and the theatre – stage adaptations of his works
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
This applies to students starting their studies in the academic years 2022/2023 to 2024/2025:
Knowledge
Students will be able to
K_W01 identify and characterize on an advanced level the role and significance of Charles Dickens's literary output in the 19th century British literature and culture
K_W02 describe on an advanced level the current trends in literary and cultural studies research concerning Charles Dickens and his literary output
K_W04 characterize on an advanced level the principles of research design in literary and cultural studies with special focus on the application of methods and tools in formulating research problems (on the basis of the selected novels discussed throughout the course)
K_W05 identify the notions and principles pertinent to intellectual property and copyright
Abilities
Students will be able to
K_U01 apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to literary studies and culture studies while analysing selected literary texts throughout the course
K_U02 apply advanced research methodology within literary and culture studies and English studies, respecting ethical norms and copyright law
K_U03 apply knowledge obtained during the course to account for and solve a problem, thereby completing a research task related to the course subject
K_U04 analyse literary and cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis in the context of societal, historical and economic factors on an advanced level (on the basis of the novels discussed throughout the course)
K_U05 discern alternative methodological paradigms within literary and cultural studies
K_U06 find information in various sources and critically assess its usefulness for research related to the topic of the course
Social competences
Students will be able to
K_K02 apply knowledge and skills obtained during the course to undertake lifelong learning, as well as personal and professional development
K_K03 take responsibility for performing one’s professional duties, with due respect for the work of others
K_K04 assess critically one’s own knowledge and skills related to the course curriculum
K_K06 value cultural heritage and cultural diversity as well as individual opinions
This applies to students starting their studies in the academic year 2025/2026:
Knowledge:
the graduate has in-depth familiarity with
K_W01: advanced terminology, theories, and research methodologies that reflect the current state of scholarship in literary studies and in culture and religion studies, specifically in relation to the theme of crime and criminality in selected works of Charles Dickens
K_W04 concepts and principles concerning the protection of intellectual property and copyright
Abilities
the graduate is able to
K_U01: apply advanced terminology, theories, and research methodologies from literary studies, as well as culture and religion studies, to address complex and original research problems related to the theme of crime and criminality in selected works of Charles Dickens
K_U04 apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law
Social competences
the graduate is ready to
K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required
Assessment criteria
—active participation in classes and oral contributions (verifications of outcomes: W, U, K)
-- carrying out tasks during classes (verifications of outcomes: W, U, K)
—two mid-term tests, passing score: 60% (verification of outcomes: W, U)
2 absences are allowed.
Students who did not take or failed their tests may retake them during the resit examination session.
Bibliography
During the course, we will examine in depth two of the novels listed below:
The Pickwick Papers (1836–1837)
Oliver Twist (1837–1839)
Nicholas Nickleby (1838–1839)
The Old Curiosity Shop (1840–1841)
Barnaby Rudge (1841)
Martin Chuzzlewit (1843–1844)
Dombey and Son (1846–1848)
David Copperfield (1849–1850)
Bleak House (1852–1853)
Hard Times (1854)
Little Dorrit (1855–1857)
A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
Great Expectations (1860–1861)
Our Mutual Friend (1864–1865)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870, unfinished at Dickens’s death)
Secondary sources:
- Bratlinger, Patrick, and William B. Thesing eds. "A Companion to the Victorian Novel." London: Blacwell, 2005.
- Paroissien, David ed. "A Companion to Charles Dickens." London: Blacwell, 2008.
- Jordan, John ed. "The Cambridge Companion to Charles Dickens." Cambridge: CUP, 2001.
- David, Deidre ed. "The Cambridge Companion to the Victorian Novel." Cambridge: CUP, 2001.
- Collins Philip. "Dickens and Crime." London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1995.
- Collins, Philip ed. Dickens. "The Critical Heritage." New York: Barnes & Noble, 1971.
- Sanders, Andrew. "Authors in Context: Charles Dickens." Oxford: OUP, 2003.
- Cohen, Jane. "Charles Dickens and His Original Illustrators." Columbus: Ohio University Press, 1980.
- Forster, John. "The Life of Charles Dickens." London: Cecil Palmer, 1928.
- Connor, Stephen ed. "Charles Dickens." Longman Critical Readers. London: Longman, 1996.
- Carey, John. "The Violent Effigy. A Study of Dickens's Imagination." London: Faber and Faber, 1991.
- http://www.dickensmuseum.com/ The Dickens House Museum
- http://www.dickensfellowship.btinternet.co.uk/ The Dickens Fellowship
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: