Strange Disturbances, Cold Embraces: The Victorian Ghost Story



Overview

This course will discuss a selection of ghost stories by five important writers: Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Henry James. 

Each day we will focus on a single author, and consider two of their short stories from several angles. For example: 

  • Where were these stories published? Who were they written for? 

  • How does the story open? Is there a first-person narrator? Does the author use any kind of framing device to position the main action of the tale? 

  • What is the role of the narrator, if any? 

  • What narrative techniques are used to build tension?  

  • What kind of interaction occurs between the haunter and the haunted? 

  • What does the story tell us about Victorian culture, class or religion? 

  • How might our understanding of the story be affected by our own critical attitudes? 

The texts for the course will mainly be taken from readily available anthologies, such as The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories and The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories. Apart from the recommended reading, there will be plenty of opportunity to explore stories by other authors. Participants will also be invited to bring along their own favourite tales for discussion in class. 

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school.

Programme details

Seminars meet each weekday morning, with afternoons free for course-related field trips, individual study, or exploring the many places of interest in and around the city.

Monday
The opening session will explore how authors use titles to set the reader’s expectations, how the first sentences of a story can establish mood, and how a “typical” ghost story might unfold. We will discuss Charles Dickens’ The Signal-Man (1866), one of the most famous tales of the mid-Victorian period, along with To be Taken with a Grain of Salt (1865).  

Tuesday
In this session, we will consider the Gothic features in two stories by Elizabeth Gaskell. Although she is remembered today mainly for her social fiction, Gaskell was equally at home with the supernatural, and we will discuss The Old Nurse’s Story (1852) and The Squire’s Story (1855). 

Wednesday
The Irish writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu was one of the pre-eminent Victorian writers of ghost stories. In this session, we will examine two very different tales by Le Fanu, the conventional (but effective) An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street (1851), and the unconventional (and unsettling) Green Tea (1872). 

Thursday
Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s ghost stories have a strikingly modern feel to them. In this session, we will look at The Cold Embrace (1860) and Eveline’s Visitant (1867), and consider how Braddon injects pace and energy into the ghost story form in order to drive her narrative forwards.  

Friday
In the final session of the week, we will consider how the tension between two powerful cultural forces - Spiritualism and Psychoanalysis – is reflected in the late Victorian ghost story. We will discuss Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw (1898) and conclude by looking into the Edwardian period with The Jolly Corner (1908). 

Field Trip
Destination: Kensal Green Cemetary

Website: www.kensalgreencemetery.com/cemetery

Excursion Rating: Moderate - up to two hours' walk on even ground or up to an hour's walk on rough and/or steep ground or up lots of stairs and steps.  

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2385.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2055.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2235.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1700.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Payment terms

If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.

If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Extended stay fee

Participants staying multiple, consecutive weeks will be charged an additional bed and breakfast fee for the cost of the Saturday night between courses.

Cancellations and refunds

1. Cancellation by you

Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or by post to Inspiring Oxford, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:

  • Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid. 

  • Cancellations received up to and including 30 April 2024 – OUDCE will retain an administration fee of £100 per week booked; all other fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received between 1-31 May 2024 – OUDCE will retain 60% of the fees paid; the remaining 40% of fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received on and after 1 June 2024 - no refunds will be made under any circumstances.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

2. Cancellation by us

Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2024. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2024, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, and if we are unable to find a replacement tutor, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Inspiring Oxford course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

3. Travel insurance

All participants must purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred. OUDCE cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. 

Tutor

Dr Jeremy Newton

Tutor

Jeremy Newton is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. He completed his PhD in Nineteenth-Century Theatre and Culture at Birkbeck in May 2022: a re-appraisal of the work of the forgotten Victorian playwright Henry Arthur Jones, and his importance in the history of English drama.  

Jeremy’s first degree was in English and American Literature at the University of Warwick. He also has Masters degrees from the Shakespeare Institute (University of Birmingham) and from the University of Oxford.  

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people, teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/Presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Field Trip

Assessment methods

There are no assessments for this course.

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2024. Courses can fill up fast so early registration is recommended.

Single accommodation may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page. 

If you would like a twin en suite room, please send us a completed enrolment form that names the other course participant you will be sharing with. Please note these rooms have limited availability.

If you experience any difficulties enrolling online please contact the Programme Administrator at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Level and demands

Inspiring Oxford is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. The courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

Accommodation

During your course you will stay in typical Oxford student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. Please note that bedrooms are modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. 

You can find out more about Brasenose by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available:

  • Single en suite
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together
  • Standard single: bathrooms are shared between, on average, four participants

  • a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.

    Non-residential participants are encouraged to attend all aspects of the academic and social programme, and they have equal access to Brasenose as residential participants.
     

En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support