Words and War: British Literature of the Second World War

At the heart of this seminar are five works of enduring literary greatness, all written during or in the shadow of World War II. Prepare to read the powerful, provocative and often-haunting novels of Elizabeth Bowen (The Heat of the Day), George Orwell (Coming Up for Air) and Evelyn Waugh (Brideshead Revisited). All three works are concerned with the impact of war upon the individual, and all three demonstrate the novelist's ability to delve deep into the collective psyche. To complement the novels, you tackle T.S. Eliot's challenging wartime masterpiece, Four Quartets, and encounter another less well-known masterpiece, Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

More generally, the seminar explores wider questions about the relationship between literature and war, with forays into detective fiction, literary propaganda and cinema. From the film Mrs. Miniver to Shakespeare's Henry V (as envisioned by Laurence Olivier) via detective fiction and poetry, you gain a vivid picture of a rich literary landscape.

The seminar's core authors show profound insights into this crucial period in British—and world—history, but they also succeed in telling as much about society today. Studying in Oxford (the city is itself an important element in several of the books) adds resonance to the reading, and discussion is supported by field trips to relevant venues.

Field Trips

Still to be confirmed, proposed field trips include the Imperial War Museum and Hughenden Manor (now known to have concealed secret wartime operations).

Reading List

All students need to own or to be able to access copies of the following:

• Bowen, Elizabeth. The Heat of the Day. Knopf, 1948.
• Eliot, T.S. Four Quartets. Harcourt, 1943–1944*.
• Orwell, George. Coming Up for Air. Victor Gollancz, 1939.
• Waugh, Evelyn. Brideshead Revisited. Chapman and Hall, 1945.
• West, Rebecca. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. The Viking Press, 1941*.

*These need not be read before the program starts.

Tutor Biography

Anna Beer has taught at the University of Oxford for nearly 15 years and has worked extensively with adult learners. A Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in 2010, she is currently a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, Oxford, and was university lecturer in Literature at the University of Oxford 2003–2010. Her published works include John Milton: Poet, Pamphleteer, Patriot (Bloomsbury, 2008).

Credit and Enrollment Information

X463.3 • 3 semester units in English
EDP 284158