Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare From Victorian Canonical Writers to Postmodernist Approaches Victor Olaru Habilitation Thesis University of Craiova, 2015 1 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare University of Craiova Universitatea din Craiova Faculty of Letters Facultatea de Litere Departamentul de Studii Anglo-Americane si Germane HABILITATION THESIS TEZĂ DE ABILITARE From Victorian Canonical Writers to Postmodernist Approaches De la scriitorii canonici victorieni la abordări postmoderniste Professor PhD VICTOR OLARU Prof.univ.dr. - Craiova, 2015- - Craiova- 2 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare Contents Abstract Rezumat I. Short Introduction II. Scientific, Professional and Academic Accomplishments. Main lines of research. II.1.Victorian canonical literature. Theoretical background II.1.1.The place of women in a patriarchal society II.1.2. Woman’s status and roles – between subject and object II.1.3. Woman’s image-between inferiority and oppression II.1.4. Attitude to female body and mind- the dichotomy body / mind II.1.5. Body, sex and gender-studies of gender II.1.6. Femininity and sexuality (within Victorian boundaries)-references II.1.7. Realism vs. idealism II.1.8. Typological features of (female) Victorian characters II.1.8.a. Types: social and literary concepts II.1.8.b. Archetypes: psychological and literary concepts II.1.8.c. Stereotypes: social and gender delineation II.2. Literary Studies. Published books. II.2.1. Victorian Writers, vol. I (Craiova, Editura Universitaria, 2005), pp.258, ISBN 973-743-206 II.2.1.a. Introduction. The Victorian Age…..5 3 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare II.2.1.b. Algernon Charles Swinburne . .(pp. 11-83) II.2.1.c. Edward Lear . .(pp. 84-118) II.2.1.d. Leslie Stephen. (pp.119-152) II.2.1.e. Matthew Arnold. (pp.153-193) II.2.1.f. Oscar Wilde . (pp.194-255) II.2.2.Victorian Writers, vol. II (Craiova, Editura Universitaria, 2006), pp.227, ISBN 973-742-272-4; 978-973-742-272-9 II.2.2.a. Introduction……5 II.2.2.b. Anthony Trollope- (pp.15-55 II.2.2.c. Elisabeth Gaskell- (pp.55-97) II.2.2.d. George Gissing-(pp.97-138) II.2.2.e.George Meredith- (pp.138-183) II.2.2.f. Robert Louis Stevenson (pp.183-225) II.2.3. Victorian Writers, vol. III ( Craiova, Editura Universitaria,2006,ISBN (10) 973- 742-541-3,; ISBN (13) 978-973-742-541-6 II.2.3.a. Charles Dickens- (pp.7-82) II.2.3.b.The Brontes ( pp.82-190) II.2.3.c. George Eliot (pp. 190-331) II. 2.4. Literary Essays. Close reading and comprehension (Craiova, Editura Universitaria, 2009 ), pp.329 , ISBN 978-973-742-595-9 II.2.4.a. Forward by Gabriel Cosoveanu ( pp. I-VIII) 4 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare II.2.4.b. The Construction of Privacy in Henry James’s The Bostonians (pp.1-33) II.2.4.c. Henry James and the Art of Criticism .(pp.33-62) II.2.4.d. James’s The Wings of the Dove and the Romance of Choice (pp.62-98) II.2.4.e. I ndustrial Capitalism and the Situation of the Professional in Dickens’s David Copperfield (pp.98-133) II.2.4.f. Spectatorship and Ideology in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (pp.133-153) II.2.4.g. Relationships between Masters and Servants in Thackeray’s Fiction ( pp.153- 175) II.2.4.h. Withheld Speech and Female Authorship in Jane Eyre and Villette (pp.175-206) II.2.4.i. The Trauma of Colonialism in Conrad's Early Work (pp.206-243) II.2.4.j. Felicia Hemans’ Heroines and the Construction of National Identity (pp.243-274) II.2.4.l. Epiphany and Character in Browning’s Poetry (pp.274-300) II.2.4.m. The Imaginary Irish Peasant (pp.300-329) II.3. Course books: Victorian Literature, Craiova, Reprografia Universitatii din Craiova, 1999 II.4. Published studies on Victorian canonical literature II.4.1. in academic journals II.4.2. in periodicals II.5. Texts in the course of being published 5 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare II.6. English literary criticism II.6.1. Books: The Foundations of English Criticism ( Craiova, Editura Universitaria, 2 2004), pp.161, ISBN 978-973-742-599-7 II.6.1.a. Introduction II.6.1.b. From the Middle Ages to the High Renaissance (1350-1660): the beginnings of English Criticism. II.6.1.c. The Age of Reason (1660-1789): the critic in authority II.6.1.d. The Romantic Age (1790-1830): the critic as explorer II.6.1.e. The Victorian Age (1830-1914): the critic against society II.6.1.f. The Twentieth Century (1914-present day): the responsibility of the critical function II.6.2. Articles II.7. English civilization II.7.1. Books II.7.2. Course books II.7.3. Dictionaries II.7.4. Studies in academic journals II.8.Articles on British and American Postmodernist literature published in periodicals II.8.1. Theoretical background II.8.2. British and Irish Postmodernist authors II.8.3. American Postmodernist authors 6 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare II.9. Comparative studies II.9.1. Studies in foreign academic journals II.9.2. Studies in Romanian academic journals II.9.3. Papers read in sessions II.10. Literary translations II.10.1. Literary translations published in volumes II.10.1.a. From English into Romanian II.10.1.b. From Romanian into English II.10.2. Literary translations published in Romanian periodicals II.10.3. Literary translations published in foreign periodicals III. Plans of evolution and development of the professional career III.1. Identity and Otherness in Victorian Fiction III.2. Neo-Victorian literature. Reinterpreting Victorian fiction. III.3. Contemporary British women poets IV. Bibliographical references IV.1. List of published books and articles (publications) IV.1.1.Books and course books IV.1.2. Collective volumes IV.1.3. Studies in academic journals IV.1.4. Articles in periodicals 7 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare IV.1.5. Bibliographical quotations in volumes IV.1.6. Critical references, reviews IV.1.7. Papers read in sessions IV.1.8. Other professional activities-conferences, seminars, workshops IV.1.9. Membership in professional associations IV.1.10. Professional honors, awards and fellowships V. References 8 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare Abstract In the habilitation thesis, entitled From Victorian Canonical Writers to Postmodernist Approaches, we describe our scientific, didactic and academic accomplishments since the defence of our doctoral thesis in May 1998, as well as our plans for future development in the combined field of research, publishing and teaching activities. Mention must be made that the work to complete my doctoral dissertation was done concurrently with my constant concern with British and American literary studies (canonical and postmodernist authors), as illustrated by my publications (books, studies and articles in academic and literary periodicals), as well as by presentations on these topics in various sessions, as shown in my CV. (see CV in Section IV. Bibliographical References). In the period of more than fifteen years after defending my doctoral dissertation ( the title of the published version is Topomimie engleza si romana - Studiu contrastiv, Craiova, Scrisul Romanesc, 1998, pp.270, ISBN 973-38-0247-6 ), I have been involved in research projects only partly related to the above-mentioned work (a project suggested by Professor Gheorghe Bolocan, a member of the Romanian Academy, before 1990 and that had to be continued), but directly related with my courses on English literature and civilization, which I started teaching in 1990, when I was attached as senior lecturer at the Faculty of Letters and History (Department of Foreign Languages) of the University of Craiova. I consider that the academic year 2000 (Sept.) -2001(June) represents a mostly important period for my professional development by being awarded a Fulbright grant of teaching and research at Boston College, USA. For two semesters, besides teaching Romanian Studies to American students, I tried to make the best of Boston libraries by deepening and updating my knowledge of theoretical and contextual literature; on the one hand, the scholarly writings helped me to build and sharpen my conceptual focus, on the other, the books and articles closely related to my area 9 Professor PhD/Prof.univ.dr. VICTOR OLARU, Habilitation Thesis/Teza de abilitare or subject of research (British and American literature) were of great help in further improving my literary knowledge, as illustrated by my publications appeared after 2001. I would also like to mention that in this period I gave several presentations on contemporary Romanian literature and civilization within the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures of Boston College where I was attached (as Fulbright Visiting Professor of Romanian Studies), and participated in several conferences, of which I mention the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Conference “Immigration and Migration. Past, Present and Future”, March, 2001. I was also invited at the Romanian Cultural Center in New York where I gave the presentation:”Romanian Cultural Studies at Boston College”, and at California State University, Long Island, Department of Romance, German, Russian Languages and Literatures, in May 2001 to give the conference: “George Eliot’s Moral World”, a material later developed in the chapter on George Eliot in Victorian Writers, vol.