Nineteenth-Century Sensation and Spectacle unit (HEN203)

Hobart, Online

Introduction

This unit considers the 19th-century fascination with narratives of scandal, transgression, criminality, and irrationality, referred to as narratives of “sensation”. The unit may cover genres like the gothic, colonial adventure fiction, detective fiction, and the “sensation novel”, and the appearance of these genres in “respectable” realist fiction of the period, as well as extracts from texts like penny dreadfuls and advertisements, and biological, criminological, imperial, moral, or feminist texts. Providing an introduction to the literary and cultural history of the century, and introducing key writers, the unit asks why readers were fascinated by sensation narratives, and what these narratives tell us about the dreams and anxieties of 19th-century society.

Summary

Unit name	Nineteenth-Century Sensation and Spectacle
Unit code	HEN203
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Humanities and Social Sciences
Discipline	English
Coordinator	Doctor Robbie Moore
Available as an elective?	Yes
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Intermediate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Key Dates

Study Period	Start date	Census date	WW date	End date
Semester 1	21/2/2027	15/3/2027	18/4/2027	12/6/2027

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2027 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2027 will be available from the 1st October 2026. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse selected nineteenth-century texts demonstrating knowledge of: a. their style and form and cultural and historical contexts b. key theories and practices of literary studies
• Construct an argument supported by: a. evidence from your chosen texts b. reference to secondary sources
• Communicate through: a. written essays b. presentations c. class discussions

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Prerequisites

25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Mutual Exclusions

You cannot enrol in this unit as well as the following:

HEN303 AND HEA257-A

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	On Campus: Weekly on-campus lectorial (1 hour); weekly tutorials (1.5 hours) Off Campus: Weekly live-streamed lectorial (1 hour) (also available as a recording); weekly online participation
Assessment	Tutorial/ Online Audiovisual Presentation (20%)|Seminar / Online Participation (30%)|Research essay (50%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	See the MyLO page for a full list of readings.
Recommended	See the MyLO page for a full list of readings.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.