English 330: Studies in 20th Century Literature
Aesthetics and Politics in Postwar Britain

Luc Gilleman
TTh 1:00-2:20; mandatory screenings, Th 7:30-930

British playwright David Hare claims that “if you want to understand the social history of Britain since the war, then your time will be better spent studying the plays of the period—from The Entertainer and Separate Tables through to the present day—than by looking at the comparable documentary source.” Much of British postwar fiction, drama, and poetry is socially and politically committed and must be read in a historical context. In this seminar, we will do so, reading not only fictional works but also influential government reports (the Beveridge report on social security, the Wolfenden report on homosexuality and prostitution) and social or political theory. This will not only enhance our knowledge of history and literature but provide us with an excellent opportunity to reflect on the complex relationship between art and politics.

There are five major parts to the course: Institutional Terror—in which we read works that express fears and hope regarding the founding of the Welfare State. Outsiders—that deals with class, race, and gender issues as they pertain to the literature of that time. Psycho-Revolt—where we study the influence of anti-psychiatry on art. Thatcherism—that looks at how writers have responded to Neo-Conservativism. Global England—in which we read works that reflect on immigration and national identity.

Novels: In previous years we read from among the following: Alan Sillitoe, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner; Kinglsey Amis, Lucky Jim; Jeannette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit; Colin McInnes, City of Spades; Doris Lessing, Briefing for a Descent into Hell; Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange; and Ian McEwan, The Child in Time.

Plays will probably include some of the following: Caryl Churchill, Softcops; Harold Pinter, The Caretaker; John Osborne, A Patriot for Me; Mark Ravenhill, Shopping and Fucking; David Edgar, Maydays; Pam Gems, Dusa Fish Stas and Vi; Harvant Bains, Blood; and David Hare, A Map of the World.

Movies will probably include the following: Michael Apted, 28 Up; Michael Bradford, 1984; Joseph Losey, The Servant; Schepisi, Plenty; Richard Eyre, The Ploughman’s Lunch; Peter Greenaway, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover; Stephen Frears, My Beautiful Launderette.

Theory: We will read extracts from Marcuse’s One Dimensional Man, Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, Jurgen Habermas’ On Society and Politics; Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning of Style; R.D. Laing, The Politics of Experience.