The First English Novels



Overview

The novel emerged as an exciting new literary genre during the early decades of the long eighteenth century (c. 1688–1760). This course provides an accessible introduction to some of the first major novels to appear in English. It will enable you to examine the formal innovations of the pioneering novelists, appreciate the social context of their publications, and evaluate the qualities that make their brilliant works endure.

Together we will explore several novels that established what this vital new genre could do, including Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko (1688), Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719), Samuel Richardson’s Pamela (1740), Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote (1752), and Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy (1759-67). Central to the course is the question of why the novel emerged at this time. What social, political, and moral issues did this new genre respond to and articulate? What did writers from different backgrounds find useful about the novel as an original mode of aesthetic expression? Through class discussions and written assignments, we will examine the formal and thematic qualities of each novel: their narratives, plots, and representations of character, and their engagement with contemporaneous debates surrounding politics, religion, gender, and epistemology. Set texts for each class will be joined by short extracts from other primary sources (including newspapers, letters, and diaries) to enhance our understanding of these original and subversive works of fiction.

Programme details

Courses starts: 22 Apr 2025

Week 1: Course Introduction / Aphra Behn, Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave (1688)

Week 2: Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (1719)

Week 3: Robinson Crusoe

Week 4: Samuel Richardson, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740)

Week 5: Pamela / Henry Fielding, Shamela (1741)

Week 6: Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews (1749)

Week 7: Charlotte Lennox, The Female Quixote; or, The Adventures of Arabella (1752)

Week 8: Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia (1759)

Week 9: Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759-67)

Week 10: Tristram Shandy / Review and Conclusion

To participate in the course, you will need to buy or borrow the seven books listed below. Although you are welcome to use any available edition of these texts, classroom discussions and handouts will refer to the page numbers in the Oxford World’s Classics series. Longer novels are marked with an asterisk:

- Aphra Behn, Oroonoko and Other Writings, ed. Paul Salzman, (OUP, 2009)

- Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, ed. Thomas Keymer et al. (OUP, 2020)

- Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews and Shamela, ed. Douglas Brooks-Davies (OUP, 2020)

- Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, ed. Thomas Keymer (OUP, 2009)

- Charlotte Lennox, The Female Quixote, ed. Margaret Dalziel (OUP, 2008) *

- Samuel Richardson, Pamela, or, Virtue Rewarded ed. Thomas Keymer and Alice Wakely (OUP, 2020) *

- Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, ed. Ian Campbell Ross (OUP, 2020) *

Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Paul Stephens

Dr Paul Stephens completed a DPhil in English at Lincoln College, Oxford, and an AHRC-DTP Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Humanities Division, Oxford. He has taught several literature courses at the OUDCE, and is preparing his first book, Shelley and the Economic Imagination.

Course aims

This course introduces a selection of the earliest major novels written in English (c. 1688–1760) to provide a greater understanding of their themes and innovative formal qualities.

Course objectives:

1. To introduce and examine a selection of the earliest major novels written in English.

2. To demonstrate how early novelists used different literary genres to produce a new form of writing – the novel – that enabled them to explore their chosen themes.

3. To enable students to analyse and evaluate the formal and thematic qualities of these works.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught in a series of ten seminars. Each seminar will open with an introduction by the tutor on that week’s text and theme, followed by orchestrated group discussions and short student presentations. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions, which will encourage a convivial exploration of the set texts, and offer a supportive forum to consolidate oral and written skills. Additional handouts in each seminar will provide further contextual information and stimulate class discussions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of a selection of the earliest major novels written in English.

2. Produce clear arguments in oral and written work, grounded in close-reading and textual analysis, that examine and evaluate the formal and thematic qualities of individual texts.

3. Acquire a broader understanding of the emergence of the novel in its historical and social context.

Assessment methods

Assessment will consist of a summative essay (c. 1500 words) to be submitted at the end of the course. The essay will respond to one of a choice of questions provided by the tutor that relate to the texts explored in the syllabus. They should demonstrate an ability to critically examine the formal and thematic qualities of these text/s, and (where appropriate) to consider the connections between different text.

Students will also be encouraged to submit a shorter formative piece (c. 500 words) at the end of week 4. This is a non-assessed (and non-mandatory) part of the course, but it provides an opportunity for students to gain written feedback from the tutor on a critical analysis of a selected text or passage.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support