British Culture in the 1950''s

Credits: 15.0
Overlap: None
Prerequisite: None

This module aims to introduce you to the variety of British cultural expression in the 1950s, including
novels, poetry, drama, and television and film adaptations. The literature will be analysed in the
context of a number of historical and social contexts: post-war austerity, the Festival of Britain, the
development of post-imperial Britain, the Suez Crisis, Americanisation and the Cold War, the development
of the Welfare State, the role of radio (the Third Programme) and television, the formation of the Arts
Council. We will interrogate the critical assumption that the 1950s constituted a period of loss of
confidence and ambition among British writers, and examine the range, styles and crucial reception of
the literature of the decade. Writers studied will include George Orwell, Kingsley Amis, John Osborne,
Doris Lessing, Iris Murdoch, Philip Larkin and Harold Pinter.

Assessment: 100.0% Coursework
Level: 6