Victorian Literature Course: Interdisciplinary Study by IIT Roorkee
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 36 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 24 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Reimagining the Classics: A Modern Journey into Victorian Literature
The 19th century gave us some of the most enduring novels and poems in the English language—works by the Brontës, Dickens, Eliot, and Tennyson that have shaped literary consciousness for generations. Traditionally labeled “Victorian,” this canon is now undergoing a profound and necessary reevaluation. How do we engage with these texts in the 21st century, acknowledging their power while critically examining their limitations and biases?
This is the central question explored in the comprehensive online course, Victorian Literature: An Interdisciplinary Introduction, offered by the esteemed faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. This 12-week program moves beyond conventional approaches, inviting students to analyze classic literature through the innovative lenses of postcolonialism, ecocriticism, feminist theory, and disability studies.
Course Overview: Beyond the Traditional Canon
This undergraduate/postgraduate level course, spanning 12 weeks, is designed to deconstruct and reconstruct our understanding of the Victorian era. It acknowledges that the term “Victorian” itself carries a narrowly White and Anglo-centric bias. The curriculum is built to interrogate this very nomenclature, exploring the debates, conflicts, and global contexts that shaped the literature and the term “Victorianism.”
Students will not simply read great books; they will learn the most sophisticated modes of literary interpretation to critically evaluate them. The course promises a dual outcome: a deep appreciation for canonical texts and a mastery of contemporary theoretical paradigms used in modern literary scholarship.
Learn from Distinguished IIT Roorkee Faculty
The course is led by two accomplished scholars from the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences at IIT Roorkee, bringing a rich blend of expertise.
Prof. Smita Jha brings over 23 years of teaching experience and a diverse research portfolio in Linguistics, Indian Writing in English, and ELT. Her interdisciplinary approach, including a diploma in Neurolinguistics, informs a unique perspective on language and literature.
Prof. Aruni Mahapatra adds a significant international dimension, with prior teaching experience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Ph.D. from Emory University, USA. His research, recognized by institutions like Harvard University, ensures a globally informed and rigorous academic framework.
Who Should Enroll?
This course is meticulously designed for a wide audience:
- Students formally studying Victorian literature at the UG, PG, or Ph.D. level.
- Literature enthusiasts pursuing self-directed study of English literature.
- General readers who enjoy classic works and seek a deeper understanding of their historical, contextual, and theoretical underpinnings.
The only prerequisite is the ability to read and write English prose and poetry.
Skills and Industry Relevance
Studying literature cultivates critical, transferable skills highly valued across all industries. This course actively develops:
- Effective verbal and written communication
- Critical thinking and decision-making
- Emotional intelligence and leadership
- A wide range of soft skills including analysis, synthesis, and argumentation.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
The course is structured as a progressive journey, starting with foundational contexts and moving through detailed analyses of major texts and authors.
| Week | Focus & Primary Text | Key Themes |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Cultural & Intellectual Backgrounds | State of Victorian Studies, Empire, Literary History |
| Week 2 | Industry: Hard Times (Dickens) | Industrialism, form, style, scholarly debates |
| Week 3 | Globalization: Great Expectations (Dickens) | Capital, empire, intertextuality |
| Week 4 | Bildungsroman: Jane Eyre (C. Brontë) | Gender, class, the self |
| Week 5 | Property: Wuthering Heights (E. Brontë) | Ownership, passion, the Gothic |
| Week 6 | Vocation: Agnes Grey (A. Brontë) | Work, gender, realism |
| Week 7 | Faith & Doubt: The Mill on the Floss (Eliot) | Morality, society, tragedy |
| Week 8 | Poetry: Alfred Lord Tennyson | Doubt, memory, Victorian sensibility |
| Week 9 | Poetry: Christina Rossetti | Faith, gender, devotion |
| Week 10 | Poetry: Robert Browning | The dramatic monologue, psychology |
| Week 11 | Decadence: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stevenson) | Duality, science, the monstrous |
| Week 12 | Aesthetics: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde) | Art, morality, fin-de-siècle |
Key Texts and Resources
The course engages with seminal primary texts alongside critical scholarship. Key readings include:
- Novels: Hard Times, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey, The Mill on the Floss, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
- Critical Works: Philip Davis's Why Victorian Literature Matters, Eli James Adams's A History of Victorian Literature, and Kate Flint's The Cambridge History of Victorian Literature.
This course represents a unique opportunity to experience the rigour of IIT Roorkee’s humanities education from anywhere in the world. It is more than a literature course; it is training in critical thought, cultural analysis, and engaged citizenship through the profound medium of 19th-century texts re-examined for today’s world.
Enroll Now →