Unreliable and Unhinged

This course will explore the presentation of a variety of female characters and narrators in literature, created by an eclectic selection of female authors, past and present. We’ll discuss ways that an author weaves narrative and drives plot through the eyes of a female character as we study Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Broken Harbour by Tana French. We’ll unpick how the advent of the unreliable narrator in psychological thriller has transformed the face of contemporary fiction, and as we travel through female writing in time, we’ll also consider how authorial intent changes readers’ perspectives and attitudes.

Tutor: Heather Holmes BA MA

Term: Summer

Day: Thursday

Time: 7-9pm

Start Date: 18 April 2024

No. of weeks: 10

Full fee: £104 

This course will be delivered via Zoom. Students joining the course will need access to a computer, laptop or tablet with a microphone (essential) and a webcam (desirable), as well as a reliable broadband connection.

Register for this course online