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ENG32100

Academic Year 2026/2027

Fin-de-Siecle (ENG32100)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Nicholas Daly
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course will offer an introduction to literature, culture, and society in Britain at the end of the nineteenth century. Some critics view this as a period of cultural crisis, of the break-up of the Victorian order; others point to the considerable degree of continuity between the Victorian and the twentieth century. In this course we will study a variety of cultural forms in relation to contemporary issues and consider the exact nature of the fin-de-siècle ‘crisis.’ Topics to be covered will include Aestheticism and Decadence; the 'New Woman'; the 'New Imperialism'; and Degeneration. Authors will include such figures as Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater, H. Rider Haggard, Vernon Lee, Alice Meynell, the "New Woman" writers, H.G. Wells, and George Bernard Shaw.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

● Demonstrate fluent, academic, written communication
● Produce comprehensive and relevant individual research
● Demonstrate in depth, rich understanding of fin-de-siècle literature
● Demonstrate familiarity with key concepts of this period

Indicative Module Content:

The Aesthetic movement
Decadence
The "New Woman" writers
The "New Imperialism"
The "Scientific Romance"
The influence of Ibsen on drama

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

0
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Autonomous Student Learning

178
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Participatory Seminars
Group research projects
In-class presentations
Developing and shaping a final essay

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Midterm close-reading assignment
NO AI is to be used		 Week 7 Graded No
30
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final essay asssignment
NO AI is to used		 Week 12 Graded No
70
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided on midterms. Essay plans to be submitted by week 9, and feedback will be provided at that point.

The longer texts for this course will be:

Ella Hepworth Dixon, The Story of a Modern Woman
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles
H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds
G.B. Shaw, Mrs Warren's Profession.

We will also look at "New Woman" short stories, and a range of poetry by the Rhymers, "Hearties", and others.

Name Role
Professor Fionnuala Dillane Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Katie Donnelly Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr John Matthews Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
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