PS Working-Class Literature and Culture in Britain, 1930-1960
The first half of the 20th century was marked by major upheavals in Britain, such as, for example, the General Strike, the Great Depression, Labour’s rise to power as opposed to the decline of the Liberal Party, two World Wars, and the loss of the Empire.
In this seminar, we will be looking into the field of power relationships during this critical period – firstly, from a rather theoretical (Foucauldian) angle, and, secondly, from the point of view of literary works. We will especially analyse the portrayal of organised labour/trade unionism in Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel Sunset Song (1932), Gwyn Jones’s novel Times Like These (1936), Idris Davies’s long poem “The Angry Summer” (1943), and Arnold Wesker’s play Roots (1958).
If you would like to take part in this class, please read at least Sunset Song and Roots beforehand.
The first half of the 20th century was marked by major upheavals in Britain, such as, for example, the General Strike, the Great Depression, Labour’s rise to power as opposed to the decline of the Liberal Party, two World Wars, and the loss of the Empire.
In this seminar, we will be looking into the field of power relationships during this critical period – firstly, from a rather theoretical (Foucauldian) angle, and, secondly, from the point of view of literary works. We will especially analyse the portrayal of organised labour/trade unionism in Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel Sunset Song (1932), Gwyn Jones’s novel Times Like These (1936), Idris Davies’s long poem “The Angry Summer” (1943), and Arnold Wesker’s play Roots (1958).
If you would like to take part in this class, please read at least Sunset Song and Roots beforehand.
- Moderator/in: Danielle Christin Dötsch
- Moderator/in: Mario Ebest
- Moderator/in: Carmen Zink
Semester: 2024 Sommersemester