Reading Childhood – New online course for 2024
Posted
9th August 2023
in blog, Events, Gaskell House Blogs, other
‘I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick‘. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
What do you think of when you imagine Victorian children? Demure little things who are seen and not heard? A new online course in 2024 will help you find this is not always true. Now you can discover (or rediscover!) the child characters of the great Victorian novelists.
In the springtime the ever-popular Sherry Ashworth takes a look at childhood in some of the great novels of the nineteenth century and you can join her! These are friendly and inclusive sessions. Get ready to pick up some classics and enjoy a good read.
In Jane Eyre and David Copperfield, Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens show us how trauma can influence character development as well as spelling out the responsibilities adults have towards children. George Eliot and our own Elizabeth Gaskell give us rounded, observant and intelligent young girls in Maggie Tulliver (The Mill of the Floss) and Molly Gibson (Wives and Daughters).
You will look at one of these characters each month and conclude by reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, where the readership is designed to be children themselves. So are there any differences?
Childhood is a very accessible subject (we were all children once) and it leads directly into some very big themes such as religion, social justice and human vulnerability. Come and join a group of like-minded literary fans and facilitator Sherry Ashworth to explore more!
Who is this course suitable for?
You! The course is suitable for the general reader who wants to delve deeper into nineteenth century writing. You are welcome to read the full novel or key extracts will be sent in advance to help prepare you for the discussion. Sessions will take place on zoom and numbers are limited so all participants can join in.
What now?
Sherry’s courses often sell out quickly so we advise you to book early. What are you waiting for?
Sessions are every second Wednesday of the month* January – May 2024, 7-9pm for £12 per workshop. Press on the links below to book each session.
Wednesday 10 January – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wednesday 7 Feb* – David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Wednesday 13 March – Maggie Tulliver in Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
Wednesday 10 April – Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Wednesday 8 May – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
*February’s session is on the first Wed of the month to avoid Valentine’s Day
“Learned so much about 19th century novels I was not familiar with. Sherry is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and engages with all the participants. Very inclusive.” Visitor to online events
