Languages & Culture
Literature: Gissing and Zola – further studies in 19th century naturalist fiction
Course details
Course code
Q00017844Course date
Start: 09/01/25
End: 03/04/25
Number of classes
13 sessionsTutor
Greta DepledgeFee range
Free to £81.60
How you'll learn
Venue
OnlineLevel of study
Availability
You can enrol online for this course
Course overview
This course will look at a range of novels by late 19th century naturalist writers George Gissing and Emile Zola. Zola is seen as the leading exponent of French naturalist fiction and Gissing is often classified as an English naturalist writer. Naturalism is a literary genre that considers human character as being determined by environment, social conditions and evolution. Naturalism is similar to realism in that both genres focus on social commentary, they reject romanticism, but naturalism emphasises scientific objectivism. The novels we will study are Zola’s: The Earth (1887); La Bête Humaine (1890); L’Assommoir (1877) and Gissing’s: The Odd Women (1893); The Nether World (1889); The Whirlpool (1897).
Course description
This course will take place over 12 weeks and will look at two authors – Emile Zola and George Gissing who are both considered writers of naturalism fiction. Zola was a leading exponent of French naturalist fiction and Gissing was often classified as an English naturalist writer. Naturalism is a literary genre that considers human character as being determined by environment, social conditions and evolution. Naturalism is similar to realism in that both genres focus on social commentary, they rejected romanticism but naturalism emphasises scientific objectivism.
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