Great Works: Charles Dickens's Bleak House

About this course

The course explores the structure and themes of Bleak House, including law, injustice, identity, poverty and the social conditions of 1850s London. It considers the novel’s large cast, plots and sub-plots, coincidences, dual narration and Dickens’s methods of creating memorable characters. Teaching combines short presentations, close reading, group discussion and small-group activities. The course also places the novel within Victorian print culture, examining its serial publication and contemporary reception, alongside relevant critical material.

What you'll learn

• Analyse the plots, themes and structure of Bleak House.
• Examine Dickens’s use of narrative techniques, including two narrators and characterisation.
• Relate the novel’s concerns to the social and historical context of 1850s London.
• Discuss the significance of Victorian print culture, serial publication and contemporary reception.

Is this course right for you?

The course is open to everyone interested in reading and discussing Bleak House, including learners without previous study of literature or Dickens. Participation involves contributing to group discussion and sharing responses and ideas.

Before you go

• Participants need to buy or borrow a copy of Bleak House; any edition is suitable.
• Other reading and class materials will be provided through links or copies.
• Work outside class includes weekly reading and considering questions supplied by the tutor.
• Learners are asked to read at least the first 16 chapters before the first class.