current topics for phd in english literature

100+ Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature

With the Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature, you can easily make your research perfect. PhD in English Literature is a pursuit that requires both passion and precision.

English Literature serves as a lens through which societal changes, cultural shifts, and human experiences are analyzed, critiqued, and understood. These research topics not only foster intellectual curiosity but also encourage critical thinking, enabling scholars to push the boundaries of conventional scholarship and contribute significantly to the ongoing discourse in the field.

In this article, we delve into the vibrant realm of English Literature, presenting an extensive array of the latest research topics tailored for aspiring PhD candidates. These topics encompass a wide spectrum of themes, genres, and methodologies, catering to the diverse interests and scholarly inclinations within the discipline.

Let’s now delve into the comprehensive compilation of 100+ of the latest research topics designed to inspire and guide scholars on their doctoral journey in English Literature.

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Table of Contents

What Is A Good Research Topic For Literature?

A good research topic for literature is both relevant and engaging and contributes to the existing scholarly discourse. It should encompass a specific area within literature that holds significance in terms of cultural, historical, social, or theoretical implications. A strong research topic in literature often addresses unexplored territories. It offers innovative perspectives or re-examines existing narratives through a fresh lens.

Additionally, an effective research topic should be well-defined, allowing for focused inquiry and enabling the researcher to delve deeply into the subject matter. It should be feasible within available resources and time constraints while providing ample scope for critical analysis, interpretation, and argumentation.

Moreover, a good research topic should generate interest and provoke discussion among scholars, contributing new insights, interpretations, or methodologies to the field. Whether exploring themes, genres, historical contexts, theoretical frameworks, or cultural perspectives, a compelling research topic in literature can expand knowledge, challenge assumptions, and offer nuanced understandings of literary texts or trends.

How Do You Choose A Topic For Research In English Literature?

Following are the steps for choosing the Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature.

current topics for phd in english literature

List of 100+ Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature

Here are the best and Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature.

Literary Theory and Criticism

New Materialism and its Implications for Literary Analysis
Ecofeminist Literary Criticism: Redefining Nature and Gender Relations
Reception Theory: Understanding Reader Responses in Literary Texts
Posthumanist Perspectives in Science Fiction Literature
Queer Temporalities in Literature: Rethinking Chronology and Narrative
Postcolonial Feminism: Intersectional Approaches in Literary Criticism
Aestheticism and Decadence in 19th-century Literature: Relevance Today
Formalist Criticism in Contemporary Literary Analysis
Cognitive Literary Studies: Exploring the Mind and Imagination in Reading
Critical Animal Studies: Ethics and Representation in Literature
Hermeneutics and the Art of Interpretation in Literary Texts
Structuralism and Semiotics: Analyzing Signs and Symbols in Literature
Reception Aesthetics: Examining Reader Response in Literary Reception
Marxist Literary Criticism and Socioeconomic Analyses in Texts
Ecocritical Hermeneutics: Environmental Interpretation in Literature

Historical Contexts and Literary Movements

Gothic Revival in Contemporary Literature and Culture
Post-War Literature and the Reconstruction of Identity
Harlem Renaissance: Exploring Socio-cultural Transformation through Literature
Literary Responses to Colonialism in the Caribbean
Decolonizing the Literary Canon: Perspectives from Global South Writers
Literature of the Roaring Twenties: Cultural Shifts and Literary Expression
Modernism and Postmodernism in Contemporary Literature: Parallels and Divergence
The Harlem Renaissance and Jazz Culture: Intersections in Literature
Post-War Trauma in Holocaust Literature: Representing Unimaginable Experiences
The Literature of Revolution: Voices of Change and Rebellion
Literature of the Jazz Age: Cultural Shifts and Literary Contributions
The Lost Generation Writers: Their Impact on Modern Literature
Literature of the Cold War Era: Politics, Paranoia, and Cultural Reflection
The Prague School and its Influence on Literary Theory and Analysis
The Postcolonial Literary Boom: Emergence, Evolution, and Influence

Genre Studies Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature

Cyberpunk Literature and the Technological Imagination
Evolution of the Bildungsroman in Modern Literature
Steampunk as a Subgenre: Victorian Aesthetics in Contemporary Works
Literary Journalism in the Digital Age: Challenges and Innovations
Satire and Political Commentary in Modern Literary Forms
Speculative Fiction and Social Commentary: Critiquing the Present through Future Worlds
Indigenous Science Fiction and Futurism: Reimagining Traditions and Technology
Evolution of the Detective Genre: Contemporary Perspectives and Innovations
Non-binary Identities in Poetry: Challenging Gender Norms and Language
Transmedia Storytelling: Literature in Conjunction with Multiple Media Forms

Cultural Studies and Identity in Literature

Disability Narratives in Graphic Novels and Comics
Representations of Masculinity in Post-Millennial Literature
Indigenous Perspectives in Eco-Literature and Environmental Activism
Muslim Identity in Contemporary Western Literature
Post-9/11 Literature: Shifting Paradigms in Cultural Representation
Diasporic Literature and Identity Politics: Negotiating Belonging
Post-Modern Feminist Narratives in Literature: Reclaiming Agency and Voice
Disability in Young Adult Literature: Empowerment and Representation
Multiculturalism in Contemporary Picture Books: Reflecting Diversity
Transcultural Narratives in a Globalized World: Literature as a Bridge

Environmental and Ecocritical Perspectives

Animal Studies in Literature: Ethics and Representations
Urban Ecology and the Cityscape in Literature
Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi): Imagining Environmental Futures in Literature
Environmental Justice in Indigenous Literature
Eco-Poetics: Nature, Language, and Poetry
Indigenous Ecocriticism: Land, Spirituality, and Survival Narratives
Urban Wastelands in Literature: Representing Environmental Degradation
Ecofeminist Poetry and the Connection Between Women and Nature
Environmental Apocalypse in Literature: Fear, Hope, and Activism
Rewilding in Literature: Reconnecting Humanity with the Natural World

Technology and Literature Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature

Virtual Reality Narratives: Immersive Storytelling in Literature
AI and Ethics: Dystopian and Utopian Visions in Science Fiction
Literature in the Age of Data Mining and Surveillance
Transhumanism in Speculative Fiction and its Cultural Implications
Digital Narratives: Exploring Interactive and Hypertextual Literature
Augmented Reality in Literature: Blurring the Lines Between Real and Imaginary
Blockchain Technology and its Potential in Preserving Literary Works
Literature in the Age of Gaming: Interactive Storytelling and Narrative Structures
Surveillance Culture in Dystopian Literature: Reflections on Privacy and Control
AI-Penned Literature: Exploring Machine-Generated Creative Writing

Global and Comparative Literature

Border Literature: Identity, Migration, and Cultural Hybridity
Postcolonial Diasporic Literature: Negotiating Home and Belonging
Comparative Study of Mythologies in Global Literary Traditions
Literature of Exile and Displacement: Narratives of Refugees
Cultural Translation and Adaptation in Global Literary Contexts
Borderlands Literature: Narratives of Conflict and Coexistence
Comparative Analysis of Folktales from Different Cultures
Diaspora Writing: Literature as a Cultural and Emotional Space
The Global Impact of Translated Literature: Understanding Cross-Cultural Influences
Literature of Protest Movements: Worldwide Expressions of Dissent

Psychological and Medical Perspectives in Literature

Trauma and Memory in Post-Conflict Narratives
Representations of Mental Health in Young Adult Literature
Psychoanalysis and Character Development in Literary Texts
Disability Studies and Chronic Illness Narratives in Literature
Existentialism in Literature: Navigating Meaning and Absurdity
Neurodiversity in Contemporary Fiction: Depicting Cognitive Diversity
Psychoanalysis and Trauma Narratives: Healing Through Storytelling
Illness and Healing in Indigenous Literature: Cultural Perspectives
Existential Crisis in Young Adult Literature: Coming-of-Age in Uncertain Times
Madness and Sanity in Literature: Representation and Interpretation

Performance and Adaptation Studies

Shakespearean Adaptations in Different Cultural Contexts
Film and TV Adaptations: Impact on Literary Interpretation
Oral Tradition and Folklore: Preservation and Adaptation in Writing
Theatre of the Oppressed: Social Change through Performance
Literary Festivals and Cultural Exchange: Engaging Global Audiences
Adaptation and Appropriation in Theatre: Transforming Literary Works
The Influence of Manga and Anime on Contemporary Literature
Digital Storytelling and Social Change: Engaging Audiences in New Media
Indigenous Oral Traditions and Their Transition into Written Literature
Literary Tourism: Exploring the Impact of Literature on Travel and Place

So, these are the most amazing Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature.

Conclusion – Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature

These are all about the Latest Research Topics For PhD In English Literature. We give the latest research topics presented for a PhD in English Literature that embodies the dynamic and evolving nature of the field. These topics span diverse thematic areas, encompassing contemporary societal concerns, technological advancements, cultural shifts, and interdisciplinary intersections. They beckon aspiring scholars to embark on nuanced inquiries that transcend traditional boundaries, offering opportunities to explore uncharted territories within literary studies.

The curated list encapsulates the multifaceted dimensions of literature, inviting critical engagement with global perspectives, marginalized narratives, environmental concerns, technological impacts, and identity explorations. These research avenues not only stimulate intellectual curiosity but also encourage scholars to contribute significantly to the ongoing discourse by presenting innovative interpretations, challenging conventions, and providing fresh insights into the ever-expanding realm of English Literature.

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Literature Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On February 7, 2023

Introduction

A literature dissertation aims to contextualise themes, ideas, and interests that have grabbed a reader’s interest and attention, giving them a more profound meaning through the movement of time within and outside cultures.

Literature is a comprehensive knowledge of other writers’ views, and to understand them, a student must perform extensive reading and research. A writer coveys their thoughts and ideas through their literary works, including the views and opinions of writers ranging from topics on philosophy , religious preferences, sociology , academics, and psychology .

To help you get started with brainstorming for literature topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your literature dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives , literature review along with the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for 2022 here.

2022 Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: impact of the second language barrier on the social integration of immigrants- a case of chinese nationals migrating to the uk.

Research Aim: This research purposes an analysis to show the impact of the second language barrier on the social integration of Chinese immigrants in the UK. It will analyze how this barrier affects various segments of their lives by limiting their social interactions. Moreover, it will identify ways (language courses, communal support, financial support, etc.) through which government and civil society help these immigrants to overcome this barrier to make them feel inclusive in the UK and play a part in the economy.

Topic 2: The Power of the Writer’s Imagination- A Study Finding the Role of Writer Imagination in the Social Revolution in 19th-Century Europe

Research Aim: This study intends to identify the role of the writer’s imagination in the social revolution in 19 th century Europe. It will show how writers’ imagination is reflected in their writings and how it affects ordinary individuals’ mindsets. It will assess the writings of various authors during the 19 th -century social revolution when Europe replaced the monarchy with democracy. It will show the language used by the authors and its effect on the individuals’ will to achieve democracy.

Topic 3: How does an Accent Develop? An Exploratory Analysis Finding Factors Shaped Various English Accents in the World- A Case of America, Australia, and India

Research Aim: This research will analyze how an accent develops when a language is imported from one region to the other. It will identify how various factors such as culture, norms, politics, religion, etc., affect accent development. And to show this effect, this research will show how the English accent changed when it came to America, Australia, and India. Moreover, it will indicate whether social resistance in these areas affected the accent or was readily accepted.

Topic 4: “Gender Pronouns and their Usage” a New Debate in the Social Linguistics Literature- A Systematic Review of the Past and Present Debates

Research Aim: This study sheds light on a relatively new debate in politics, sociology, and linguistics, which is how to correctly use gender pronouns in all of these contexts. Therefore, this study will explore these areas, but the main focus will be on linguistics. It will review various theories and frameworks in linguistics to show multiple old and new debates on the subject matter. Moreover, a systematic review will determine the correct usage of gender pronouns.

Topic 5: Are Men Portrayed Better in the English Literature? A Feminist Critique of the Old English Literature

Research Aim: This research will analyze whether men are portrayed better in English literature through a feminist lens. It will assess a different kind of English literature, such as poems, essays, novels, etc., to show whether men are portrayed better than women in various contexts. Moreover, it will analyze multiple classical and modern-day writers to see how they use different male and female characters in their literature. Lastly, it will add a feminist perspective on the subject matter by introducing the feminist theory and its portrayal of men and women.

Covid-19 Literature Research Topics

Topic 1: the scientific literature of coronavirus pandemic.

Research Aim: This study will review the scientific literature of Coronavirus pandemic

Topic 2: Literature and the future world after Coronavirus.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the world’s literature predictions after the pandemic.

Topic 3: Coronavirus is a trending topic among the media, writers, and publishers

Research Aim: Covid-19 has disrupted every sector’s health care system and economy. Apart from this, the topic of the Coronavirus has become trending everywhere. This study will highlight whether the information provided about COVID-19 by all the sources is authentic? What kind of misleading information is presented?

Literature Dissertation Topics for 2021

Topic 1: dependence of humans on computers.

Research Aim: This research aims to study the dependence of humans on the computer, its advantages and disadvantages.

Topic 2: Whether or not the death penalty is effective in the current era?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify whether the death penalty is effective in the current era.

Topic 3: Fashion Industry and its impact on people's upward and downward social perception

Research Aim: This research aims to identify the impact on people’s upward and downward social perception

Topic 4: Communication gaps in families due to the emergence of social media

Research Aim: This research aims to address the communication gaps in families due to the emergence of social media and suggest possible ways to overcome them.

Topic 5: Employment and overtime working hours- a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to measure the disadvantages of overtime working hours of employees.

Topic 6: Machine translators Vs. human translators

Research Aim: This research aims to conduct a comparative study of machine translators and human translators

Topic 7: Freelancing Vs 9 to 5 jobs- a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to compare freelancing jobs with 9 to 5 jobs.

Literature Dissertation Topics for 2020

Topic 1: the effects of everyday use of digital media on youth in the uk..

Research Aim: Digital media is a normal part of a person’s life. In this research, the aim is to examine and analyse; how young people between the ages of 15-25 in the UK engage with digital media. The study includes the amount of time interaction occurs and the role of time-space, time elasticities, and online/offline intersections.

Topic 2: Critical analysis of the teenager protagonist in “The Room on the Roof” written by Ruskin Bond.

Research Aim: Many Indian writers and children’s book authors regard Ruskin Bond as an icon. This research will systematically study the alienated teenage protagonist in Ruskin’s “The Room on the Roof” and how Ruskin evolved the character gradually throughout the novel. The way Ruskin used this protagonist to reflect his feelings and convey them to the reader.

Topic 3: Promotion of women empowerment through mass media in Nepal.

Research Aim: The primary purpose of this study is to analyse the role of mass media, including audio, print, and audio-visual, in the empowerment of women in the Nepal region. It also discusses the development of mass media in Nepal and spreading awareness of women’s empowerment.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service , which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: eighteenth-century british literature..

Research Aim: This study aims to study the evolution of modern British literature compared to eighteenth-century literature. This research will focus on the genre of comedy only. The research will discuss the causes of laughter in the eighteenth century compared to things that cause laughter in modern times.

Topic 5: A systematic study of Chaucer’s Miller’s tale.

Research Aim: This research aims to take a closer look at Chaucer’s heavily censored story, “The Miller’s Tale.” It seeks to look at why “The Miller’s Tale” is criticised and categorised as obscene and unfit for a general read. The study will analyse the writer’s writing style, language, and method for the research paper.

Topic 3: Understanding 17th-century English culture using a model of Francis Bacon’s idea.

Research Aim: This research aims to take a more in-depth look into Francis Bacon’s idea of modern economic development. To conduct the study, machine learning processes will be implemented to examine Francis’s ideas and their implementations in contemporary times.

Topic 4: The relation between early 18th-century English plays and The emerging financial market.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the relationship between eighteenth-century plays and a flourishing financial market. Most theatrical plays were written and performed in the middle of the 1720s, but writing carried out contributed to the financial market.

Topic 5: Issues of climate change used in early English literature: Shakespeare’s View of the sky.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse climate change’s impact on early English writings. Climatic issues were faced even in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, providing writers with another topic to add to their published work. This research will focus on the work of Shakespeare, in which he included the specifics of climate change.

Also Read: Medicine and Nursing Dissertation Topics Free

Nineteenth-Century Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: impact of nineteenth-century gothic vampire literature on female members of the gothic subculture..

Research Aim: This research will look at the introduction of gothic vampire literature and its impact on female members of the gothic subculture. It includes a complete analysis of writing style and the impression it left of the female readers’.

Topic 2: Women theatre managers and the theatre in the late nineteenth century.

Research Aim: This research aims to view the impact on theatres under the management of women theatre managers. The improvement to theatre shows, along with the hardships faced by some managers, is discussed. The proposed study analyses the categories of theatre plays.

Topic 3: The history of American literature.

Research Aim: This research aims to give a brief history of American literature’s development and evolution throughout the centuries. The timeline begins from the early 15th century to the late 19th century. Word variations, sentence structures, grammar, and written impressions will be analysed.

Topic 4: “New women” concept in the novels of Victorian age English writers.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse women’s position in the early nineteenth and how later Victorian writers used their work to give women a new identity. The method employed by these writers who wrote from a feminist point of view will also be discussed.

Topic 5: Discussing the role of the writer in their own story.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the form in which the writer reveals their presence to the reader. The methods can be achieved directly or use the characters to replace themselves in the narrative. The study observes the phrases, vocabulary, and situations the writer uses to narrate.

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Twentieth Century Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: effect of gender association in modern literature..

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the issue of gender association in twentieth-century literature. Currently, male characters are described in a more masculine term than before in comparison to female counterparts. This research will also explore the possible approach of the possible characterisation of the two genders.

Topic 2: Feminism and literature.

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the impacts of feminism on modern English literature quality. The study will look into the ideology of feminism and how feminist thoughts impact the readers’ view.

Topic 3: Modern literature based on climate change and eco-themes.

Research Aim: This research will study the various works of writers who tackled climate change and other eco-themes in their work. The study discusses the way they portrayed the item along with their views on preventing climate change. Modern work is compared to the work of previous writers who wrote about climate change.

Topic 4: How are fathers portrayed in modern literature?

Research Aim: This research will study the role of fathers in modern literature. The way the father character is portrayed in recent times has changed compared to writing in the early centuries. This research will look into the evolution of the father figure over time.

Topic 5: Literature for Asian American children.

Research Aim: This research will examine the fusion of classic American literature and Asian literature for children. The different genera’s that are produced and the style of writing will be analysed.

Children’s Literature Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the influence of the intersection of race and bullying in children’s books..

Research Aim: This research will analyse the literature made for children from 2015 to 2019 in which the intersection between race and bullying is made. The study will evaluate the impact of literature read by a child in which there is bullying. Various picture books are analysed to observe the influence of racism on bullying.

Topic 2: Diversity of culture in children’s literature.

Research Aim: This research will observe the influence of the various cultural aspects of children’s books. The study will analyse the impact of mixed cultures on literature in a community and how it affects children’s mindsets from a young age.

Topic 3: The use of literature to shape a child's mind.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the effects of literature on a child’s mind. Behaviour, intelligence, and interactions between children and their age fellows are to be observed. A child’s behaviour with adults will also be analysed.

Topic 4: Evolution of children's literature.

Research Aim: This research will explore the change in children’s literature trends. This research will compare the literary work from the mid-nineteen century with modern-day children’s books. Differences in vocabulary, sentence structure, and mode of storytelling will be examined.

Topic 5: Racial discrimination in “the cat in the hat” impacts children’s racial views.

Research Aim: This research will take an in-depth analysis of the children’s story, “The Cat in the Hat,” to observe if it has any racial remarks which cause an increase in racism among children. The words used and the pictures found on the page will be thoroughly analysed, and their impact on the children reading it.

Topic 6: Measuring the nature of a child’s early composing.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the development of a child’s writing skills based on the type of books they read. The book’s genera, vocabulary, and the writing style of the child’s preferred book will be considered.

Topic 7: Use of a classroom to incorporate multicultural children’s literature.

Research Aim: This research will reflect on the potential use of a school classroom to promote multicultural literature for children. Since a classroom is filled with children of different cultural backgrounds, it becomes easier to introduce multicultural literature. The difficulties and the advantages to society in the incorporation of multicultural literature in classrooms are discussed.

Important Notes:

As literature looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing literature theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

The literature field is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like linguistics , English literature and more. That is why creating a literature dissertation topic that is particular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field is imperative.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best literature dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample literature dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Literature Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

A Title Page
Acknowledgements
Declaration
Abstract: A summary of the research completed
Table of Contents
Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to link the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
References : Your University’s requirements should complete this
Bibliography
Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Be an Outlaw, Be a Hero: Cinematic Figures of Urban Banditry and Transgression in Brazil, France, and the Maghreb Maryam Monalisa Gharavi

Bāgh-e Bi-Bargi: Aspects of Time and Presence in the Poetry of Mehdi Akhavān Sāles Marie Huber

Freund-schaft: Capturing Aura in an Unframed Literary Exchange Clara Masnatta

Class, Gender and Indigeneity as Counter-discourses in the African Novel: Achebe, Ngugi, Emecheta, Sow Fall and Ali Fatin Abbas

The Empire of Chance: War, Literature, and the Epistemic Order of Modernity Anders Engberg-Pedersen

Poetics of the unfinished: illuminating Paul Celan’s “Eingedunkelt” Thomas Connolly

Towards a Media History of Writing in Ancient Italy Stephanie Frampton Character Before the Novel: Representing Moral Identity in the Age of Shakespeare Jamey Graham

Transforming Trauma: Memory and Slavery in Black Atlantic Literature since 1830 Raquel Kennon

Renaissance Romance: Rewarding the Boundaries of Fiction Christine S. Lee

Psychomotor Aesthetics: Conceptions of Gesture and Affect in Russian and American Modernity, 1910s-1920s Ana Olenina

Melancholy, Ambivalence, Exhaustion: Responses to National Trauma in the Literature and Film of France and China Erin Schlumpf

The Poetics of Human-Computer Interaction Dennis Tenen

Novelizing the Muslim Wars of Conquest: The Christian Pioneers of the Arabic Historical Novel Luke Leafgren

Secret Lives of the City: Reimagining the Urban Margins in 20th-Century Literature and Theory, from Surrealism to Iain Sinclair Jennifer Hui Bon Hoa

Archaic Greek Memory and Its Role in Homer Anita Nikkanen

Deception Narratives and the (Dis)Pleasure of Being Cheated: The Cases of Gogol, Nabokov, Mamet, and Flannery O’Connor Svetlana Rukhelman

Aesthetic Constructs and the Work of Play in 20th Century Latin American and Russian Literature Natalya Sukhonos

Stone, Steel, Glass: Constructions of Time in European Modernity Christina Svendsen

See here for a full list of dissertations since 1904 .

Founded as a graduate program in 1904 and joining with the undergraduate Literature Concentration in 2007, Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature operates at the crossroads of multilingualism, literary study, and media history.

Congratulations to Dr. Junting Huang: 2024 ACLS Fellowship Recipient!

Congratulations to aurélien bellucci, phd ’23: honorable mention for the 2024 acla charles bernheimer prize.

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100+ English Literature Dissertation Topics in 2024

Vandana Thakur ,

Mar 4, 2024

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Dissertation Topics in English Literature include research topics from poems, stories, literature study etc. It contains topics like Milton & the Bible, The Origins of the Novel, George Eliot and Religious Doubt, Ruskin and Heritage, etc.

100+ English Literature Dissertation Topics in 2024

Dissertation topics in English literature consist of academic topics in literature that allow students to present their creativity and imagination through writing. It allows students to examine a topic, analyse its significance and portray their views after research in their dissertation.

The dissertation topics in English literature contain topics like Freud and early modernism, Bernard Malumud and Jewish writing, Kipling's India, Psychology and the modern novel etc.

List of 100+ Dissertation Topics in English Literature

There are a wide range of dissertation topics in English literature that students can choose from, research and create their dissertation. Below are the category-wise Dissertation Topics in English Literature.

17th and 18th Century Dissertation Topics in English Literature

19th century dissertation topics in english literature, 20th century dissertation topics in english literature, interdisciplinary subjects dissertation topics, identity and place dissertation topics in english literature, children's dissertation topics in english literature, postcolonialism and dissertation topics in english literature, eco literature dissertation topics in english literature.

The 17th & 18th centuries witnessed the emergence of the novel script, permitting writers to crossways comment on the world utilising plot, metaphor, interior monologues & innovative dramatic devices. Below are some of the dissertation topics in English Literature for students to choose from.

Milton & the Bible.
Paradise Lost & the Fall from Grace: The nearest look at the redemption poetry of the 17th century.
The Genesis Myth & famous literature of the 17th century.
Love, loss & the geographical vision in the poetry of John Donne.
The foremost literary explorers: How findings shaped the literary vision of the 17th century.
Stendhal & the onset of consumerism.
Visions of nature: Wordsworth & the Eighteenth-Century poetical vision.
Interiors & interiority in the 18th novel.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge & the issue of the aesthetic.
The roots of the novel.
How Paradise Lost formed the future of the novels.
The Female Voice: How Girls Become Ladies in 17th Century Fiction.
How & why Laurence Sterne revealed the artefacts of fiction.

Also Check: Thesis Vs. Dissertation: Meaning, Differences and Similarities

The nineteenth-century English literature reflects Britain's transformations due to industrialisation and the fall of religious life. It marks new ways of living while grieving the past, exploring the effects of secularisation on individuals. Below are some of the dissertation topics in English Literature for candidates to research.

Love & loss in Thomas Hardy's poems (1912-1913)
Retrieving the buried life: Imaginative aspiration in the poetry of Matthew Arnold.
Love & transmission in the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Bulwer-Lytton and the magical tradition.
George Eliot and holy doubt.
Naturalist & mystic: Discovering the origin of Richard Jefferies' inspiration.
Digging for the simple life: Rustic paper in the nineteenth century.
An analysis of provincial life: Trollope writing after Austen.
The extent of costume in the work of Dickens.
Micro & macro: Comprehending the power relations in The Old Curiosity Shop & Bleak House.
The changing spiritual imagination of the 19th century.
How did politics alter literature in the 19th century?
Gender expression in the gothic novel.
The changing sense of the Victorian family in the creation of Gaskell.
Ruskin & heritage.
How did Realism emerge in 19th-century literature?
How did Frankenstein expect Science Fiction?

The twentieth century noticed significant aesthetic & philosophical shifts that disrupted the boundaries between prose & poetry in English literature. Below are some of the unique dissertation topics in English literature for students to pick for their dissertation:

Imaginative closure in the 20th novel.
W.H. Auden & poetic syntax.
Understanding the War: Ivor Gurney & the new poetic format.
Water imagery in the creation of Virginia Woolf.
'Is there anything better to be Found?': T.S Eliot & the Wasteland.
Ted Hughes & Seamus Heaney: An analysis of similarity and difference.
'Daring to break convention': The catastrophe of Sylvia Plath.
Time, Space in The Time Machine & The Island of Dr Moreau.
Aldous Huxley & the quest for the 'Other.'
Concerning the idea of being in the position of Milan Kundara.
A breakdown of character & identity in the creation of Ian McEwan.
Freud & before modernism.
Circular narrative form in the work of May Sinclair.
Investigations in Form: Joyce & the Twentieth Century.
Bernard Malumud & Jewish writing.
Magic & fantasy in the innovation of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Kipling's India and its impact on the readers.
Jack Kerouac & travel script.
An analysis of the similarities & distinctions between modernism & postmodernism.
How did postmodernism try to kill the novel?
Lost in the Amusing House: How John Barth revealed the artefacts of fiction?

Also Check: 100+ Dissertation Topics in Education in 2024

Interdisciplinary study concerns combining literature with various disciplines like philosophy, architecture, religion, sociology, art, history, etc. It helps students to gain knowledge regarding techniques, themes, and contexts. Below are the dissertation topics of English literature regarding interdisciplinary subjects.

Describe architecture in the work of Thomas Hardy.
Science & the 19th-century novel.
Solving the space age: Publications of the twenty-first century.
Astronomy and the poetic fantasy of the 19th century.
Why philosophy counts as literature.
Travelling the disciplinary boundaries: English writings & archaeology.
Transforming political relations in novels since 1900.
The interrelation of science & the arts since the 19th century.
Psychology & modern fiction.
Memory & view in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the day.
Pursuing the self: Psychology in twenty-first-century publications.
Darwin & the Evolutionary Chronology.
The significance of history in interpreting the modern text.
Sister Arts: modern poetry & painting. Poststructuralist theories of language & the postmodern reader.
Print culture, mass diffusion, and their effects on the publications of the Renaissance.
A sociolinguistic study of The Twilight series.

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Landscapes serve as inspiration and character development tools for writers of different literary genres. Novels use narrative techniques to portray inner lives, and identity is closely related to place and culture. Students can find dissertation topics in English literature given below regarding identity and place.

Transforming landscapes: How urban or rural partition was represented in the 19th century.
Travel documenting in the 20th century.
What were the consequences of 'Enclosure' on the poetry of the Romantics?
The significance of place to the Romantic poet.
The changing depiction of city living since the 19th century.
Nature, narrative, and poem since 1940.
Thomas Hardy & Wessex.
Richard Jefferies' Wiltshire.
The Lake District is placed in poems of the 18th century.
The Mountain was a character in the 19th century.
Landscape & uniqueness in Lesley Glaister's Honour Thy Father.
Reporting in the desert: Narratives of Africa.
Identity, place, and history in postcolonial literature.
The essence of the sea in colonial exploration narratives.
Cornish terrains in the work of Thomas Hardy.
Charles Kingsley & ‘Westward Ho! ‘.
Terms of the Wealden Forest in Literature since 1800.
The beach has been a site for transformation in literature since the 19th century.
Post-9/11 fiction: dislocation and globalisation.
Wilderness and immigrant nationhood in North American fiction and verse.

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Children's literature utilises imagination, humour, and tradition to create complex themes and imagery. When writing a dissertation on children's literature, consider the age range and societal expectations for appropriate content. Below are some of the children's dissertation topics in English literature.

What creates an Epic?: A dialogue of favourite children's novels from 1900.
Fabulous Beasts: Imagery in J.K. Rowling & Tolkien.
Finding Wonderland: Narrative method and visionary understanding in the work of Robert Louis Stevenson.
The quest for Utopia in island stories for children.
Beatrix Potter & the importance of illustration.
Animals & their role in children's literature since the 19th century
Hans Christian Anderson & the essence of the fairytale.
Why humour counts in children's literature.
Lucy Maud Montgomery & the story of the young artist.
Roald Dahl, the absurd and the sublime.
Enid Blyton and the famous adventure story.
A historical study of the origins of children's literature.
The significance of names in children's literature.
Reading to the under-fives: growing imaginations & relationships.
Enabling children to learn through storybooks.
What did the Victorians read to their kids?
Replicas of disability in young literature.

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The subject matter of postcolonialism, an influential academic theory, provides critical perspectives on race, belonging, power, politics, and emancipation. Below are some of the specific dissertation topics in English literature regarding postcolonialism.

Exploring the 'Other' in Victorian novels.
Postcolonialism in Naipaul's The Enigma of Incoming.
How has the Black Lives Matter campaign impacted contemporary black literature?
A postcolonial lesson of contemporary refugee publications.
Postcolonialism & climate adaptation literature.
The postcolonial reading of Things Fall Apart by Achebe.
Postcolonial information in Toni Morrison's Beloved & Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things.

Ecocriticism is a rapidly evolving field that examines the connection between literature and the natural world. It inspires dissertations, close readings, & real-life environmental activism. Below given are some of the dissertation topics in English literature regarding ecocriticism.

Exploring the corner between eco and spiritual histories in Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard.
An ecocritical reading of verse from the Romantics.
Vegan reports in Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy.
Ecocriticism as vegan/climate modification activism?
Exploring the applicability of Thoreau's Walden in 2021.
Exploring the influence of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring on US activism.
Covid-19, ecocriticism & the modern novel.

Important Points for Dissertation Topics in English Literature

There are certain pointers that students must acknowledge while working on their dissertation topics in English literature. The topics must meet the following criteria in the initial stage for a better dissertation copy. The important pointers are stated below.

Students should select a topic that is logically valid and allows them to research practically.
Students must seek genuine advice from their mentors and peers before creating their dissertation.
Students must select a trending dissertation topic in English literature to identify gaps and create a winning dissertation.
Candidates must acknowledge that their dissertation topic must address the problem, be unique and be practically useful.

Also Check: 100+ Psychology Dissertation Topics in 2024

How to Structure Dissertation Topics in English Literature?

A well-structured dissertation topic helps students to get better scores and excel in their studies. Students must follow the below-mentioned dissertation structure to create a winning dissertation copy.

A Title Page
Acknowledgments
Declaration
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Findings & Analysis
Discussion & Conclusion
Bibliography

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Department of English

Our PhD students are involved in a range of interdisciplinary and public initiatives. For example, some affiliate with interdisciplinary Designated Emphases ; others have received grants to create podcasts , convene interdisciplinary working groups , or organize and annual graduate student conferences . Each year one student participates in a year-long exchange program with the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies in Mainz, Germany; some have worked as Graduate Assistants and researchers for research centers such as the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program , the experimental media Modlab , and the university’s Datalab .

Students graduate with the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary for professional research and teaching in English, as well as extensive pedagogical training and a range of teaching experience that includes writing and composition, as well as designing and teaching Introduction to Literature courses. Our Alumni Directory includes titles of recent dissertations, as well as information about the diverse careers for which the PhD has helped prepare our graduates. There is an option to complete an MA in literature , but it is not a stand-alone program.

Questions? Contact:

Aaron Barstow Graduate Program Coordinator, Ph.D. Program in Literature [email protected] (530) 752-2738 Pronouns: he/they

Admissions / Online Application

Degree requirements for the Ph.D. program (links to more details) include 50 units of coursework with at least 44 units taken for a letter grade, proficiency in one foreign language proficiency before degree conferral, preliminary and qualifying examinations, and a dissertation. In addition, there are also opportunities for students to pursue a Designated Emphasis and gain teaching experience.

Coursework Requirements

2 Core Courses (8 units)

English 200: Introduction to Graduate Studies (taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
One survey course in literary theory (Critical Theory 200A or 200C taken for a grade).

1 Workshop (2 units)

English 288: Prospectus Workshop (taken as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory); students may petition to complete this course independently with a Prospectus Adviser.

10 Graduate-level Seminars (40 units)

All courses must be taken for a grade.
Five courses must satisfy the breadth requirement (see below).
Five courses will be comprised of electives (see below).
Students may count one undergraduate 100-level course as one of their ten required courses.
Aside from ENL 200, no course graded Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory may count as one of the twelve required seminars. Independent and group studies may not be taken for a grade.

13 Total Graduate Courses (50 units; 44 units taken for a grade) Additionally, students who enter the Ph.D. program without a MA degree can earn one en route to the Ph.D. degree.

The English Ph.D. requires a reading knowledge of one foreign language before completing the degree; it is not an admissions requirement. This could be satisfied through previous or current coursework or an exam. Any of the following demonstrates proficiency:

Completion within the past eight years of 3 semester-length, or 4 quarter-length courses in a foreign language at the undergraduate level. Students must earn a passing grade, but courses may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Students may take the Placement Test offered by the UC Davis Language Center , testing out of the language at the intermediate level.

A Pass in the language exam offered in the English Department at the beginning of Fall or Spring quarter each year.

The breadth requirements must be fulfilled by coursework in the Department of English or coursework taught by English Department faculty. Five courses (of the total 40 units above) will satisfy this requirement. Students must complete two Earlier Period courses, and two Later Period courses, and one Focus course.

Earlier Period Courses Pre-1800; or Pre-1865 if the course focus is on American literature

Later Period Courses post-1800; or post-1865 if the course focus is on American literature

Focus Course Interdisciplinary, Identity, Genre, Other National, Method, Theory

Faculty and/or the Graduate Advisor may choose to designate a course as fulfilling more than one category, but students may use the course to fulfill only one requirement. For instance, a student could use a course on women in Early Modern literature to satisfy the Earlier Period requirement, or the Focus (Identity) requirement, but not both. A student could use a course on Cold War Drama to satisfy the Later Period requirement or the Focus (Genre) requirement, but not both.

The electives requirement can be fulfilled by actual offered seminars inside or outside the English Department. Five elective courses will satisfy degree requirements. UWP 390 is acceptable as one of the electives. Also, be aware 299s are ungraded but still count towards overall units. With the approval of the Graduate Adviser, students may also enroll in a graduate class at another University of California campus through the Intercampus Exchange Program .

Students who enter the Ph.D. program with MA coursework from another institution may petition the Graduate Adviser for a Course Waiver up to three of the twelve required seminars; each approved petition will reduce the number of required courses by one. Students may not reduce their coursework to fewer than nine seminars.

Students holding an MA may also petition the Graduate Adviser for course relief for up to five of the breadth requirements; each approved petition allows the student to substitute elective courses. ENL 200 may not be waived or relieved.

For each waiver or relief request, students must submit to the English Graduate Office a Course Waiver or Relief Request form (available in the office) along with the syllabus from the course and the student's seminar paper.

Graduate students may participate in a Designated Emphasis (DE) , a specialization that might include a new method of inquiry or an important field of application which is related to two or more existing Ph.D. programs. The DE is awarded in conjunction with the Ph.D. degree and is signified by a transcript notation; for example, “Ph.D. in Literature with a Designated Emphasis in Native American Studies.” More information .

In the Spring Quarter of the second year or Fall Quarter of the third year of graduate study, students take a Preliminary Examination in two historical fields and one focus field. Three faculty members conduct the oral examination, each representing one of the fields. Prior to taking the Preliminary Examination, students must have completed the following:

Introduction to Graduate Studies (ENL200)

Survey of Literary Theory (CRI200A or CRI200C)

Four of five Breadth Requirements

Four of five Elective Requirements

Additionally, students select one focus field. A student may devise her/his own focus list in collaboration with two faculty members or, as is more common, choose one from among the following:

Black Studies

Critical Theory

Disability Studies

Ecocriticism and Environmental Humanities

Film Studies

Media Technologies

Performance Studies

Postcolonial Theory

Psychoanalysis

Queer Feminisms

Queer Theories

Race and Ethnicity Studies

Science and Literature

Science Fiction

English 299 (Independent Study) is ordinarily used the quarters before the Preliminary Examination to prepare for the oral examination and is graded Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory. Students may register for ENL 299 under the Graduate Advisor or a faculty member in the field of their exam for the quarter(s) they intend to study.

In the event that the student does not pass the exam, the exam chair will report the decision to the Graduate Adviser, who will work with the committee to decide whether the student should be given a chance to retake the exam (no less than six months later) or whether the student should be dismissed from the program. The Graduate Adviser will report this final decision to the student within 72 hours of the exam’s conclusion.

Any remaining requirements after taking the Preliminary Examination must be completed before scheduling the Qualifying Examination.

Students will select two historical fields from among the following list. Students who would like to do non-consecutive historical fields need to get prior approval from the Graduate Adviser. These lists and additional helpful documents can be accessed via our box folder "Preliminary Exam" in the English Graduate Program file.

The Qualifying Examination happens as early as the spring of the third year and should be taken no later than the spring of the fourth year . The reading list for this exam, which is conducted orally, is constructed by the student in consultation with his or her three-person dissertation committee. When making their lists, students may consult the standard lists for preliminary exams available on the department's Box site. If the student has elected a designated emphasis (DE), materials from that field should also be incorporated into the Qualifying Exam reading list.

Graduate Studies requires the Qualifying Examination Application (GS319) to be submitted at least 30 days prior the the scheduled exam date.

Qualifying Examination Committee The student, in consultation with their Prospectus Adviser and, if needed, the Graduate Adviser, nominates four faculty to serve on the Qualifying Examination Committee:

The three proposed Dissertation Committee members
One member must be from outside the English graduate program (this may be a member of the Dissertation Committee).

The QE Committee is responsible for administering the exam. Neither the “Prospectus Adviser” nor the Dissertation Director (in many, though not all, cases these will be same) may be the chair of the QE Committee. Students with a designated emphasis (DE) must include one faculty member affiliated with the DE on both their qualifying and dissertation committee. DE paperwork must be approved before the QE application is submitted. The exam will focus on the Prospectus and the Qualifying Exam reading list. The bibliography of the prospectus will normally overlap substantially with the Qualifying Exam reading list.

The Qualifying Exam Report (GS343) must be submitted withing 72 hours of the exam. Upon successful completion, students receive the Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Plan B (GS321) .

If you are disabled, you are entitled to accommodations for all requirements of the program you’re enrolled in, a process formally handled by the Student Disability Center . We recommend starting the process of coordinating with the SDC early in your graduate school journey, as it can take time for the Center to process information. We must work with the SDC to implement your accommodations for your exams. Please indicate your need for accommodations to us as soon as possible, so we can include the Center in our exam scheduling process. Please notify us by the fourth week of the quarter in which you intend to sit the exam.

The dissertation must be an original work of scholarship and/or interpretation. It may be critical, bibliographical, historical, or biographical in its subject. Students work with a dissertation director and consult with two official readers as well as with other faculty knowledgeable about the project. A dditional details .

English Literature Research Paper Topics

This guide, centered on English literature research paper topics , serves as a comprehensive resource for students seeking to delve deep into the diverse epochs, authors, and themes that have shaped English literary tradition. Navigating the intricate tapestry of English literature offers scholars a multitude of avenues for exploration. From the mystique of medieval tales to the introspective narratives of modernism, this guide not only provides a plethora of English literature research paper topics but also offers insights on choosing the ideal topic, structuring the research paper, and harnessing the unmatched writing services of iResearchNet. Dive in to unravel the rich heritage of English literature and discover the myriad opportunities it presents for academic exploration.

100 English Literature Research Paper Topics

Diving into English literature is like embarking on a journey through time and culture. From ancient ballads to modernist narratives, it offers a vast panorama of themes, styles, and societal reflections. Below is a comprehensive list of English literature research paper topics spanning across different eras and genres:

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Medieval Literature

The significance of chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight .
The Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf .
Courtly love in The Knight’s Tale from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales .
Dream visions in Pearl and Piers Plowman .
The role of fate and providence in The Consolation of Philosophy .
The art of storytelling in The Decameron vs. The Canterbury Tales .
The Seven Deadly Sins in Everyman .
The evolution of the English language: Old English vs. Middle English.
Religious allegory in The Second Shepherd’s Play .
Women and femininity in the Lais of Marie de France .

Renaissance and Elizabethan Age

Shakespeare’s portrayal of power in Macbeth .
Love and beauty in Sonnet 18 .
The idea of the “New World” in The Tempest .
The virtues in Spenser’s The Faerie Queene .
Magic and science in Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.
The pastoral settings of As You Like It .
The politics of gender in Twelfth Night .
Revenge and madness in Hamlet .
John Donne’s metaphysical poetry and its innovation.
The darker side of the Renaissance: The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.

The Restoration and the 18th Century

The satirical world of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels .
Class struggles in Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders .
Alexander Pope’s critique of society in The Rape of the Lock .
Aphra Behn and the emergence of the woman writer.
The wit and wisdom of Samuel Johnson’s essays.
The rise of the novel: Richardson vs. Fielding.
Sentimentality and society in Sterne’s Tristram Shandy .
Politics and plays: John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera .
Women, education, and literature: Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas.
The mock-heroic in English literature.

Romantic Period

Nature and transcendence in Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey .
The Byronic hero in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage .
Shelley’s Ozymandias and the ephemeral nature of power.
The Gothic romance of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights .
George Gordon Lord Byron and the Romantic antihero.
The visionary world of William Blake’s poems.
The exotic and the familiar in Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Keats’s exploration of beauty and mortality.
The industrial revolution’s reflection in literature.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the dangers of ambition.

Victorian Era

Charles Dickens and his critique of Victorian society.
The challenges of morality in Thomas Hardy’s novels.
The bildungsroman in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre .
The plight of women in George Eliot’s Middlemarch .
Oscar Wilde’s wit and irony in The Importance of Being Earnest .
The debate on science and religion in In Memoriam A.H.H by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The mystery and suspense of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.
The “Woman Question” in Victorian literature.
The realism of Anthony Trollope’s Chronicles of Barsetshire.
Gothic elements in Dracula by Bram Stoker.
The fragmented narrative of Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse .
T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and the disillusionment of the post-war era.
The struggles of the working class in D.H. Lawrence’s novels.
The impact of World War I on English poetry.
James Joyce’s revolutionary narrative techniques in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man .
E.M. Forster’s exploration of social and racial themes.
The critique of colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness .
W.B. Yeats and the Irish literary revival.
The emergence of the stream-of-consciousness technique.
The Jazz Age and decadence in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Gothic Tradition

Origins of Gothic fiction: Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto .
The supernatural and macabre in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Ann Radcliffe’s influence on the Gothic novel.
The role of the Byronic hero in The Vampyre by John Polidori.
Duality of human nature in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde .
The haunting atmospheres in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
Gender and sexuality in Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on English Gothic literature.
Dracula by Bram Stoker: Themes of sexuality and fear of the unknown.
The Gothic novel as a reflection of societal fears and anxieties.

The Angry Young Men Era

Social criticism in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger .
Exploring masculinity in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe.
The disillusionment of post-war Britain in The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner .
The class struggle in Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim .
Existential themes in John Wain’s Hurry on Down .
Feminine perspectives in the era: Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey .
The critique of academia in The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury.
The Angry Young Men and their influence on modern theater.
The transformation of British literature in the 1950s and 1960s.
The lasting legacy of the Angry Young Men movement in contemporary literature.

Postmodern British Literature

Metafiction in Julian Barnes’s Flaubert’s Parrot .
The playfulness of language in Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses .
Intertextuality in Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit .
The fragmented narrative in Graham Swift’s Waterland .
Reality and fiction in Ian McEwan’s Atonement .
Gender and postcolonial themes in Angela Carter’s The Passion of New Eve .
The exploration of identity in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth .
The deconstruction of traditional narrative in Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
Postmodern gothic in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
Magical realism in The Porcelain Doll by Julian Barnes.

Contemporary English Literature

The multicultural London in Brick Lane by Monica Ali.
Exploring family dynamics in On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
The concept of time in Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam .
The role of history in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall .
The exploration of love and loss in Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending .
Postcolonial Britain in Andrea Levy’s Small Island .
The challenges of modern life in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity .
The evolution of the English detective novel: Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories .
The legacy of the British Empire in The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.
The digital age and its influence on literature: The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon.

English literature boasts a rich and varied tapestry of themes, periods, and genres. This comprehensive list is a testament to the dynamism and depth of the field, offering a myriad of research avenues for students. As they venture into each topic, they can appreciate the nuances and complexities that have shaped the literary tradition, making it an invaluable component of global culture and heritage.

English Literature and the Range of Topics It Offers

English literature, encompassing the vast historical, cultural, and artistic legacy of writings in the English language, boasts a rich tapestry of narratives, characters, and stylistic innovations. From the earliest Old English epic poems to the reflective and multifaceted postmodern novels, English literature offers an expansive array of topics for analysis, discussion, and research. The depth and breadth of this literary tradition are mirrored by the diverse range of English literature research paper topics it can inspire.

The Medieval Foundation

Diving into the early origins of English literature, we encounter works like Beowulf , an Old English epic poem of heroism, fate, and the struggle against malevolent forces. Medieval English literature, characterized by religious texts, chivalric romances, and philosophical treatises, sets the stage for the evolution of narrative styles and thematic explorations. The rich allegorical narratives, like Piers Plowman or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , present intricate societal and spiritual commentaries that still resonate with readers today. These works invite inquiries into the socio-religious dynamics of medieval England, the evolution of the English language, and the literary techniques employed.

Renaissance and Enlightenment: A Burst of Creativity

The Renaissance and Elizabethan Age saw the emergence of revered playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, whose dramas, whether tragedies, comedies, or histories, plumbed the depths of human emotion, politics, and existence. The genius of Shakespeare’s Hamlet or Othello , juxtaposed against Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus , provides a fertile ground for investigating themes of ambition, betrayal, love, and existential angst. Moreover, with poets like Edmund Spenser and his epic The Faerie Queene , English literature expanded its horizons, both thematically and stylistically.

The subsequent Restoration and the 18th century ushered in a period of social and literary change. With authors like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, satire became a powerful tool to critique society and politics. Furthermore, the emergence of the novel, as exemplified by Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Samuel Richardson’s Pamela , offered researchers a chance to explore the evolving societal values, gender norms, and narrative techniques.

Romanticism, Victorian Era to Modernism: A Spectrum of Emotion and Thought

The Romantic period, marked by poets like William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Keats, celebrated nature, emotion, and individualism. In contrast, the Victorian era, with novelists like Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Brontë sisters, addressed societal change, morality, and industrialization. Both periods are a goldmine for English literature research paper topics around the individual vs. society, the role of nature, and the exploration of the self.

Modernism in English literature, with heavyweights like Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and T.S. Eliot, revolutionized narrative structure and thematic depth. Works from this era, such as To the Lighthouse or The Waste Land , demand analysis on fragmented narrative, stream of consciousness, and the introspective exploration of the human psyche.

Contemporary Reflections

Contemporary English literature, shaped by postcolonial, feminist, and postmodern influences, gives voice to a plethora of perspectives. Authors like Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and Julian Barnes tackle issues of identity, multiculturalism, history, and reality versus fiction. Such works present a plethora of avenues for research, from analyzing the postcolonial identity in Rushdie’s narratives to the intricate tapestries of familial and societal dynamics in Smith’s novels.

Concluding Thoughts

In essence, English literature is an evolving entity, reflecting and shaping societal, cultural, and individual values and challenges over the centuries. For students and researchers, the wealth of English literature research paper topics it offers ranges from historical and linguistic analyses to deep dives into thematic cores and stylistic innovations. Whether one wishes to explore the chivalric codes of medieval romances, the biting satires of the 18th century, the emotional landscapes of Romanticism, or the fragmented realities of postmodern narratives, English literature provides an inexhaustible reservoir of research opportunities.

How to Choose an English Literature Topic

Choosing a research paper topic, especially within the expansive field of English literature, can be a challenging endeavor. The centuries-spanning literature offers a treasure trove of stories, themes, characters, and socio-political contexts that beckon exhaustive exploration. As such, students often find themselves at a crossroads, wondering where to begin and how to narrow down their choices to find that one compelling topic. Here’s a detailed guide to streamline this process:

Align with Your Interests: Dive into periods, genres, or authors that genuinely intrigue you. If Victorian novels captivate your imagination or if Shakespearean dramas resonate with you, use that as your starting point. Genuine interest ensures sustained motivation throughout your research journey.
Evaluate Academic Relevance: While personal interest is vital, ensure your chosen topic aligns with academic goals and curriculum requirements. Some English literature research paper topics, while intriguing, might not offer substantial academic value for a particular course or level of study.
Seek Familiar Ground (But Not Too Familiar): Leverage your previous readings and coursework. Familiarity offers a foundation, but challenge yourself to explore uncharted territories within that domain. If you enjoyed Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice , maybe delve into its feminist interpretations or comparative studies with other contemporaneous works.
Embrace Complexity: Opt for English literature research paper topics that lend themselves to multifaceted exploration. Simple topics might not provide enough depth for comprehensive research papers. Instead of a general overview of Romantic poetry, explore the portrayal of nature in Wordsworth’s works versus Shelley’s.
Historical and Cultural Context: Literature isn’t created in a vacuum. Understand the historical and societal backdrop of a literary work. This context can offer a fresh perspective and can be an excellent lens for your research.
Contemporary Relevance: How does a particular work or literary period converse with today’s world? Exploring the modern implications or relevance of classic works can be both enlightening and academically rewarding.
Diverse Interpretations: Embrace English literature research paper topics open to various interpretations. Works like George Orwell’s 1984 or Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot can be analyzed from political, psychological, existential, or linguistic viewpoints.
Consult with Peers and Professors: Engage in discussions with classmates and seek advice from professors. Their feedback can provide new perspectives or refine your existing topic ideas.
Read Critiques and Literary Journals: Academic journals, critiques, and literary analyses offer insights into popular research areas and can help you identify gaps or lesser-explored aspects of a work or period.
Flexibility is Key: As you delve deeper into your research, be open to tweaking or even changing your topic. New findings or challenges might necessitate slight shifts in your research focus.

Choosing the right research topic in English literature requires a blend of personal passion, academic relevance, and the potential for in-depth exploration. By aligning your interests with academic goals, and being open to exploration and adaptation, you pave the way for a fulfilling and academically enriching research experience. Remember, the journey of researching and understanding literature can be as enlightening as the end result. Embrace the process, and let the vast ocean of English literature inspire and challenge you.

How to Write an English Literature Research Paper

Penning an English literature research paper is a task that demands meticulous planning, a deep understanding of the subject, and the ability to weave thoughts coherently. English literature, with its vast and rich tapestry, offers endless avenues for exploration, making it both an exciting and daunting endeavor. Below are step-by-step guidelines to craft a compelling research paper in this domain:

Understanding the Assignment: Before diving into the research phase, ensure you fully understand the assignment’s requirements. Is there a specific format? Are certain sources mandatory? What’s the word count? This foundational clarity sets the stage for efficient research and writing.
Preliminary Research: Start with a broad exploration of your topic. Read general articles, introductory chapters, or review papers. This will give you a general overview and can help narrow down your focus.
Thesis Statement Formulation: Your thesis is the backbone of your research paper. It should be clear, precise, and arguable. For instance, instead of writing “Shakespeare’s plays are influential,” you might specify, “ Macbeth illustrates the dire consequences of unchecked ambition.”
Diving Deeper – Detailed Research: With your thesis in hand, dive deeper into primary (original texts) and secondary sources (critiques, essays). Libraries, academic databases, and literary journals are treasure troves of valuable information.
Organize Your Findings: Use digital tools, index cards, or notebooks to categorize and annotate your findings. Grouping similar ideas together will make the writing process smoother.
Drafting an Outline: An organized structure is essential for clarity. Create an outline with clear headings and subheadings, ensuring a logical flow of ideas. This will serve as a roadmap as you write.
Introduction Crafting: Your introduction should be engaging, offering a glimpse of your thesis and the significance of your study. Remember, first impressions count!
Literary Analysis: Delve into the text’s intricacies – symbols, themes, character development, stylistic devices, and historical context.
Critiques and Counter-arguments: Discuss various interpretations of the text, and don’t shy away from addressing dissenting views. This lends credibility and depth to your paper.
Comparative Analysis (if applicable): Compare the chosen work with others, drawing parallels or highlighting contrasts.
Maintaining Coherence and Transition: Each paragraph should have a clear main idea and transition smoothly to the next, maintaining the paper’s flow and ensuring the reader’s engagement.
Conclusion Crafting: Reiterate your thesis and summarize your main findings. Discuss the broader implications of your study, potentially suggesting areas for further exploration.
Citing Your Sources: Always attribute ideas and quotations to their original authors. Depending on the assigned format (MLA, APA, etc.), ensure that in-text citations and the bibliography are correctly formatted.
Revision and Proofreading: Once your draft is complete, take a break before revisiting it. Read it aloud to catch awkward phrasings. Check for grammatical errors, consistency in argumentation, and clarity in presenting ideas. Consider seeking peer reviews or utilizing editing tools.
Seek Feedback: Before final submission, consider sharing your paper with a mentor, professor, or knowledgeable peer. Their insights can be invaluable in refining your research paper.

Writing an English literature research paper is as much an art as it is a science. While meticulous research and structured writing are crucial, allowing your passion for literature to shine through will elevate your paper. Remember, literature is about exploring the human experience, and as you dissect these masterpieces, you’re not just analyzing texts but delving into profound insights about life, society, and humanity. Embrace the journey, and let every step, from research to writing, be a process of discovery.

iResearchNet Writing Services for Custom English Literature Research Paper

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Department of English and Related Literature

PhD in English and Related Literature

Work in an intellectually invigorating environment and be supported by supervisors who are experts in their field.

Be inspired to reach your research ambitions in an intellectual and supportive community at the forefront of English research.

Your research

The diversity of our staff’s research interests means that we are well-positioned to supervise research in any field of literature, from the Middle Ages to the present day, including literature in languages other than English, and literary works in translation.

We also have distinctive expertise in practice-led teaching and research, including archival work and printing. The PhD in English and Related Literature is available on a full-time or part-time basis.

Under the guidance of your supervisor, you'll complete a thesis of up to 80,000 words. A typical semester will involve a great deal of independent research, punctuated by meetings with your supervisor who will be able to suggest direction and address concerns throughout the writing process. You'll be encouraged to undertake periods of research at archives and potentially internationally, depending on your research thesis.

Throughout your degree, you'll have the opportunity to attend a wide range of research training sessions in order to learn archival and research skills, and a range of research seminars organised by the research schools, which bring speakers from around the world for research talks and networking. There is also internal funding available if you wish to propose research events and symposia/conferences.

[email protected] +44 (0) 1904 323366

Top ten department

We're a top ten research department according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

35th in the world

for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023.

Athena Swan Bronze

We're proud to hold an Athena Swan Bronze award in recognition of the work we do to support gender equality in English.

Explore funding for postgraduate researchers in the Department of English and Related Literature.

Supervision

Explore the expertise of our staff and identify a potential supervisor.

Research training

You'll receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage you've reached and the nature of your work. In addition to regular supervisory meetings to discuss planning, researching and writing the thesis, we offer sessions on bibliographic and archival resources (digital, print and manuscript). You'll receive guidance in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs. We meet other training needs in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available.

We also offer training in teaching skills for students who wish to pursue teaching posts following their degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants. Our teacher training is directed by a dedicated staff member.

You'll also benefit from the rich array of research and training sessions at the Humanities Research Centre .

Course location

This course is run by the Department of English and Related Literature.

You'll be based on Campus West , though your research may take you further afield.

We also have a distance learning option available for this course.

Entry requirements

For doctoral research, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve a first-class or high upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification) and a Masters degree with distinction.

The undergraduate and Masters degrees should be in literature, or in a related subject that is closely tied to the proposed research project.

Other relevant experience and expertise may also be considered:

Evidence of training in research techniques may be an advantage.
It is expected that postgraduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.
Publications are not required and we don't expect applicants to have been published before they start their research degrees.

Supervisors interview prospective research students to ensure good supervisory match and to help with funding applications.

The core deciding factor for admission is the quality of the research proposal, though your whole academic profile will be taken into account. We are committed to ensuring that no prospective or existing student is treated less favourably. See our admissions policy for more information.

Apply for the PhD in English and Related Literature

Have a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Before applying, we advise you to identify potential supervisors in the department. Preliminary enquiries are welcomed and should be made as early as possible. However, a scattershot approach – emailing all staff members regardless of the relationship between their research interests and yours – is unlikely to produce positive results.

If it's not clear which member of staff is appropriate, you should email the Graduate Chair .

Students embarking on a PhD programme are initially enrolled provisionally for that qualification. Confirmation of PhD registration is dependent upon the submission of a satisfactory proposal that meets the standards required for the degree, usually in the second year of study.

Find out more about how to apply .

English language requirements

You'll need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English if it's not your first language.

Check your English language requirements

Research proposals

In order to apply for a PhD, we ask that you submit a research proposal as part of your application.

When making your application, you're advised to make your research proposals as specific and clear as possible. Please indicate the member(s) of staff that you'd wish to work with.

Your research proposal should:

Identify the precise topic of your topic and communicate the main aim of your research.
Provide a rigorous and thorough description of your proposed research, including the contributions you will make to current scholarly conversations and debates.
Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far.
Communicate the central sources that the project will address and engage.
Offer an outline of the argument’s main claims and contributions. Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will address.
Include the academic factors, such as university facilities, libraries resources, centres, other resources, and / or staff, which have specifically led you to apply to York.

What we look for:

How you place your topic in conversation with the scholarly landscape: what has been accomplished and what you plan to achieve. This is your chance to show that you have a good understanding of the relevant work on your topic and that you have identified a new way or research question to approach the topic.
Your voice as a scholar and critical thinker. In clean, clear prose, show those who will assess your application how your proposal demonstrates your original thinking and the potential of your research.
Your fit with York, including the reasons for working with your supervisor and relevant research schools and centres.
Above all, remember that there isn’t one uniform way to structure and arrange your research proposal, and that your approach will necessarily reflect your chosen topic.

Careers and skills

You'll receive support in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs.
You'll benefit from training in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available. The Humanities Research Centre also offers a rich array of valuable training sessions.
We also offer training in teaching skills if you wish to pursue a teaching post following your degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants.
You'll have the opportunity to further your training by taking courses accredited by Advance HE: York Learning and Teaching Award (YLTA) and the York Professional and Academic Development scheme (YPAD) .

Find out more about careers

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Find a supervisor

Explore our staff expertise

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Find funding to support your studies

PhD Program in English Language and Literature

The department enrolls an average of ten PhD students each year. Our small size allows us to offer a generous financial support package. We also offer a large and diverse graduate faculty with competence in a wide range of literary, theoretical and cultural fields. Each student chooses a special committee that works closely along side the student to design a course of study within the very broad framework established by the department. The program is extremely flexible in regard to course selection, the design of examinations and the election of minor subjects of concentration outside the department. English PhD students pursuing interdisciplinary research may include on their special committees faculty members from related fields such as comparative literature, medieval studies, Romance studies, German studies, history, classics, women’s studies, linguistics, theatre and performing arts, government, philosophy, and film and video studies.

The PhD candidate is normally expected to complete six or seven one-semester courses for credit in the first year of residence and a total of six or seven more in the second and third years. The program of any doctoral candidate’s formal and informal study, whatever his or her particular interests, should be comprehensive enough to ensure familiarity with:

The authors and works that have been the most influential in determining the course of English, American, and related literatures
The theory and criticism of literature, and the relations between literature and other disciplines
Concerns and tools of literary and cultural history such as textual criticism, study of genre, source, and influence as well as wider issues of cultural production and historical and social contexts that bear on literature

Areas in which students may have major or minor concentrations include African-American literature, American literature to 1865, American literature after 1865, American studies (a joint program with the field of history), colonial and postcolonial literatures, cultural studies, dramatic literature, English poetry, the English Renaissance to 1660, lesbian, bisexual and gay literary studies, literary criticism and theory, the nineteenth century, Old and Middle English, prose fiction, the Restoration and the eighteenth century, the twentieth century, and women's literature.

By the time a doctoral candidate enters the fourth semester of graduate study, the special committee must decide whether he or she is qualified to proceed toward the PhD. Students are required to pass their Advancement to Candidacy Examination before their fourth year of study, prior to the dissertation.

PhD Program specifics can be viewed here: PhD Timeline PhD Procedural Guide

Special Committee

Every graduate student selects a special committee of faculty advisors who work intensively with the student in selecting courses and preparing and revising the dissertation. The committee is comprised of at least three Cornell faculty members: a chair, and typically two minor members usually from the English department, but very often representing an interdisciplinary field. The university system of special committees allows students to design their own courses of study within a broad framework established by the department, and it encourages a close working relationship between professors and students, promoting freedom and flexibility in the pursuit of the graduate degree. The special committee for each student guides and supervises all academic work and assesses progress in a series of meetings with the students.

At Cornell, teaching is considered an integral part of training in academia. The field requires a carefully supervised teaching experience of at least one year for every doctoral candidate as part of the program requirements. The Department of English, in conjunction with the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines, offers excellent training for beginning teachers and varied and interesting teaching in the university-wide First-Year Writing Program. The courses are writing-intensive and may fall under such general rubrics as “Portraits of the Self,” “American Literature and Culture,” “Shakespeare,” and “Cultural Studies,” among others. A graduate student may also serve as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate lecture course taught by a member of the Department of English faculty.

Language Requirements

Each student and special committee will decide what work in foreign language is most appropriate for a student’s graduate program and scholarly interests. Some students’ doctoral programs require extensive knowledge of a single foreign language and literature; others require reading ability in two or more foreign languages. A student may be asked to demonstrate competence in foreign languages by presenting the undergraduate record, taking additional courses in foreign languages and literature, or translating and discussing documents related to the student’s work. Students are also normally expected to provide evidence of having studied the English language through courses in Old English, the history of the English language, grammatical analysis or the application of linguistic study to metrics or to literary criticism. Several departments at Cornell offer pertinent courses in such subjects as descriptive linguistics, psycholinguistics and the philosophy of language.

All PhD degree candidates are guaranteed five years of funding (including a stipend , a full tuition fellowship and student health insurance):

A first-year non-teaching fellowship
Two years of teaching assistantships
A fourth-year non-teaching fellowship for the dissertation writing year
A fifth-year teaching assistantship
Summer support for four years, including a first-year summer teaching assistantship, linked to a teachers’ training program at the Knight Institute. Summer residency in Ithaca is required.

Students have also successfully competed for Buttrick-Crippen Fellowship, Society for the Humanities Fellowships, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), Shin Yong-Jin Graduate Fellowships, Provost’s Diversity Fellowships, fellowships in recognition of excellence in teaching, and grants from the Graduate School to help with the cost of travel to scholarly conferences and research collections.

Admission & Application Procedures

The application for Fall 2024 admission will open on September 15, 2023 and close at 11:59pm EST on December 1, 2023.

Our application process reflects the field’s commitment to considering the whole person and their potential to contribute to our scholarly community. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of academic preparation (e.g., performance in relevant courses, completion of substantive, independent research project). An applicant’s critical and creative potential will be considered: applicants should demonstrate interest in extensive research and writing and include a writing sample that reveals a capacity to argue persuasively, demonstrate the ability to synthesize a broad range of materials, as well as offer fresh insights into a problem or text. The committee will also consider whether an applicant demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity and offers a substantive explanation for why study at Cornell is especially compelling (e.g., a discussion of faculty research and foci). Admissions committees will consider the entire application carefully, including statements and critical writing, as well as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a resume/cv (if provided). Please view the requirements and procedures listed below, if you are interested in being considered for our PhD in English Language and Literature program.

Eligibility: Applicants must currently have, or expect to have, at least a BA or BS (or the equivalent) in any field before matriculation. International students, please verify degree equivalency here . Applicants are not required to meet a specified GPA minimum.

To Apply: All applications and supplemental materials must be submitted online through the Graduate School application system . While completing your application, you may save and edit your data. Once you click submit, your application will be closed for changes. Please proofread your materials carefully. Once you pay and click submit, you will not be able to make any changes or revisions.

Deadline: December 1st, 11:59pm EST. This deadline is firm. No applications, additional materials, or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

PhD Program Application Requirements Checklist

Academic Statement of Purpose Please describe (within 1000 words) in detail the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies and why they are significant. Additionally, make sure to include information about any training or research experience that you believe has prepared you for our program. You should also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own specific questions. Note that the identification of faculty is important; you would be well advised to read selected faculty’s recent scholarship so that you can explain why you wish to study with them. Do not rely on the courses they teach. Please refrain from contacting individual faculty prior to receiving an offer of admission.
Personal Statement Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and the research you wish to conduct. Explain, for example the meaning and purpose of the PhD in the context of your personal history and future aspirations. Please note that we will pay additional attention to candidates who identify substantial reasons to obtain a PhD beyond the pursuit of an academic position. Additionally, provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn (productively and positively) together.
Critical Writing Sample Your academic writing sample must be between 3,000 and 7,500 words (12-30 pages), typed and double-spaced. We accept excerpts from longer works, or a combination of shorter works.
Three Letters of Recommendation We require 3 letters of recommendation. At the time of application, you will be allowed to enter up to 4 recommenders in the system. Your application will be considered “Complete” when we have received at least 3 letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are due December 1 . Please select three people who best know you and your work. Submitting additional letters will not enhance your application. In the recommendation section of the application, you must include the email address of each recommender. After you save the information (and before you pay/submit), the application system will automatically generate a recommendation request email to your recommender with instructions for submitting the letter electronically. If your letters are stored with a credential service such as Interfolio, please use their Online Application Delivery feature and input the email address assigned to your stored document, rather than that of your recommender’s. The electronic files will be attached to your application when they are received and will not require the letter of recommendation cover page.
Transcripts Scan transcripts from each institution you have attended, or are currently attending, and upload into the academic information section of the application. Be sure to remove your social security number from all documents prior to scanning. Please do not send paper copies of your transcripts. If you are subsequently admitted and accept, the Graduate School will require an official paper transcript from your degree-awarding institution prior to matriculation.
English Language Proficiency Requirement All applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency. For more information, please view the Graduate School’s English Language Requirement .
GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test are NO LONGER REQUIRED, effective starting with the 2019 application In March 2019, the faculty of English voted overwhelmingly to eliminate all GRE requirements (both general and subject test) for application to the PhD program in English. GRE scores are not good predictors of success or failure in a PhD program in English, and the uncertain predictive value of the GRE exam is far outweighed by the toll it takes on student diversity. For many applicants the cost of preparing for and taking the exam is prohibitively expensive, and the exam is not globally accessible. Requiring the exam narrows our applicant pool at precisely the moment we should be creating bigger pipelines into higher education. We need the strength of a diverse community in order to pursue the English Department’s larger mission: to direct the force of language toward large and small acts of learning, alliance, imagination, and justice.

General Information for All Applicants

Application Fee: Visit the Graduate School for information regarding application fees, payment options, and fee waivers .

Document Identification: Please do not put your social security number on any documents.

Status Inquiries: Once you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also be able to check the completion status of your application in your account. If vital sections of your application are missing, we will notify you via email after the Dec. 1 deadline and allow you ample time to provide the missing materials. Please do not inquire about the status of your application.

Credential/Application Assessments: The Admission Review Committee members are unable to review application materials or applicant credentials prior to official application submission. Once the committee has reviewed applications and made admissions decisions, they will not discuss the results or make any recommendations for improving the strength of an applicant’s credentials. Applicants looking for feedback are advised to consult with their undergraduate advisor or someone else who knows them and their work.

Review Process: Application review begins after the submission deadline. Notification of admissions decisions will be made by email by the end of February.

Connecting with Faculty and/or Students: Unfortunately, due to the volume of inquiries we receive, faculty and current students are not available to correspond with potential applicants prior to an offer of admission. Applicants who are offered admission will have the opportunity to meet faculty and students to have their questions answered prior to accepting. Staff and faculty are also not able to pre-assess potential applicant’s work outside of the formal application process. Please email [email protected] instead, if you have questions.

Visiting: The department does not offer pre-admission visits or interviews. Admitted applicants will be invited to visit the department, attend graduate seminars and meet with faculty and students before making the decision to enroll.

Transfer Credits: Students matriculating with an MA degree may, at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, receive credit for up to two courses once they begin our program.

For Further Information

Contact [email protected]

UCL English

MPhil/PhD in English Literature and Language

One of the highest-ranking English Departments in the UK, UCL provides fantastic opportunities for PhD students to study in the heart of literary London, with access to vast quantities of resources and research materials, and a high number of academic staff working on a diverse range of specialist topics.

Note that you should identify a prospective supervisor yourself (see our list of staff ) and contact them before you make your formal application, to check that they are in a position to support the project that you are proposing.

Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) is the English Department's Graduate Tutor. Application enquiries can also be directed to Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ), Senior Education Administrator.

With access to a vast collection of archival materials, and world-leading supervision in a wide range of literary periods and topics, UCL is one of the best universities in which to study for an English PhD.

There are normally about 45 students undertaking research degrees in the department. Graduate students initially register for the MPhil degree, but usually in the second year, when a realistic and workable thesis has been confirmed, and work-in-progress and a future plan have been discussed, students are upgraded from MPhil to PhD status.

Students accepted for admission are given a principal supervisor with whom the student will work closely during the course of the degree. A secondary supervisor is also appointed to provide additional advice. Great importance is attached to matching student and supervisor, and ensuring that students' progress is well monitored. Students meet either one or other supervisor approximately ten times during the academic year. The Department is eager to ensure PhD completion rates within four years, and therefore reviews each student's progress by means of an interview at the end of each year. When completed and submitted, the thesis is defended in an oral examination.

Students are expected to complete the PhD within three or four years of registration, and the minimum period of registration is two years. Part-time students complete the degree within five to seven years of registration.

The Department offers MPhil/PhD supervision in a wide range of topics, including English and English-related language and literature from Old English to the present day. Information on the research interests of staff can be found here (click on the name of each member of staff to access their personal profile).

Research Resources

UCL Library has outstanding physical and digital collections for literary research, as well as specialist materials in its excellent Special Collections department. Among these are the George Orwell Archive; Little Magazines; the Routledge and Kegan Paul Archives (publishing history); the Brougham Papers and papers of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (19th-century liberalism); and the Chadwick Papers (19th-century sanitary reform). UCL Library also has superb holdings in London history. For language topics the Department is especially well placed, as it houses the world-renowned Survey of English Usage.

Other London archives with manuscript and rare book resources relevant to the Department’s research interests include (but are by no means limited to):

British Library
University of London Library (Senate House Library)
Guildhall Library
London Library
Library of the London School of Economics
Dr Williams’s Library
Bishopsgate Institute Library
Library of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Archives of the Royal Society
The Women’s Library at London School of Economics

Research is expected to take students into numerous libraries and archives, not only within London, but also throughout Britain, and often internationally.

Research Environment

The Department places great emphasis on opportunities for students to discuss their work and participate in the exchange of knowledge and ideas. There is a programme of regular departmental Research Seminars at which PhD students are invited to present their work; speakers may also include members of the department’s academic staff and invited guests. The department also hosts a seminar series on Race, Power, and Poetics , and a wide range of informal discussion groups and reading groups.

The Institute of Advanced Studies (part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities) hosts an exciting programme of research events and activities. UCL students also have access to the abundance of seminars and conferences available across London, including those of the Institute of English Studies at the University of London.

The English Department’s graduate students organise a one-day conference each year; many of the papers delivered at the conference are published in Moveable Type , the Department's graduate-led online journal. There is a Graduate Common Room in the English Department. Many PhD students spend much time working at the British Library, to which UCL has unrivalled proximity, which also functions as a hub for academic networking.

Details of current PhD students and their projects can be found here .

Your research proposal does not need to be long (typically somewhere between 800-1000 words). The most important things we are looking for you to explain are:

1) What primary literature/texts will you be studying?

2) What is your idea/approach to this literature?

3) How does your project fit in to the secondary literature/criticism on this topic?

4) Practical details, like which archives you will use, roughly how long you will spend on each chapter, what each chapter may be about, etc

5) That you have considered how the chosen project will work within a 100,000 word limit (so it's clearly not something so small that it's 20,000 words maximum, nor have you chosen something so big that you couldn't possibly do it justice in 500,000).

Proposals and intentions often change a little/quite a lot once they are on the course, but the important thing is just to demonstrate that you have thought about the practicalities and you have a clear, viable research topic that we could supervise in the Department, and which you could complete within three years.

Applicants should usually expect to begin their studies in September at the start of an academic year (although in some cases, a January start can be discussed). UCL’s application process usually opens in mid-October, and you are encouraged to apply as early as possible, as there are a number of stages to the process.

It is essential to understand that your application for a place must be fully processed, and an offer of a place at UCL secured, before you can apply to any of the various funding schemes (see under ‘Applying for Funding’ below). You should allow time for this, and for us to advise you on your funding application(s). For this reason your full, formal application for a place via UCL’s online system must be submitted by Friday 5 January 2024 at the latest . This is an internal departmental deadline and supersedes any dates given on external websites.

We strongly recommend that all candidates should apply for funding; but those candidates who intend to self-fund may apply for entry in September 2024 at any time up to 31 March 2024.

The steps for applying for a place take some time, and are as follows:

1. Contact a member of staff in the English Department to establish whether they are available and interested in supervising your project. They may ask to see your CV and a brief research proposal (see above, ‘The Research Proposal’). You can find details of the research interests of individual members of staff here (click on each name to see the staff member’s profile). If you are not sure who to approach, you may consult the English Department’s Graduate Tutor, Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) .

Please be aware that members of staff cannot give detailed advice on how to improve your research proposal. This is because evaluation of the proposal is an important part of the process for the selection of candidates, so it must be your own independent work. If we invite you for interview (step 3 below) this will be an opportunity for you to discuss your proposal with your prospective supervisor. If we offer you a place (step 4 below), we will then advise you on how to make your research proposal as strong as possible for your funding application(s).

2. If you have been encouraged to make a full, formal online application, please do so, following the instructions here . Your application must include a research proposal, two references, a CV, and transcripts from your previous academic courses. If you intend to proceed to funding applications, your application for a place must be submitted by 5 January 2024 . When you submit your application, please also send your research proposal and academic CV directly by email to the English Department’s Graduate Tutor, Dr Julia Jordan ( [email protected] ) .

Applying as an international student

Further information about English language requirements and applying as an international student can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/applying-international-student .

3. The English Department will consider the strength of each applicant’s proposed research project, the applicant's grades in undergraduate and Masters level study, and the suitability (and availability) of academic staff in the Department to supervise the proposed project. If we decide to proceed with the application, the applicant will be invited to a short interview to discuss the research proposal in more detail. This will normally be with the applicant's proposed primary supervisor, a potential secondary supervisor, and/or the Tutor for Graduates. UK applicants will normally be interviewed at UCL; international students, or those who are unable to attend for other reasons, will be interviewed online. Please try to ensure that you are available for interview from November to January.

4. If your interview is successful, we will offer you a place. You can now proceed to funding applications (see ‘Applying for Funding’ below). PLEASE NOTE: it is your responsibility to be aware of the deadlines for different funding schemes, and to ensure that there is time for your application for a place to be fully processed before you proceed to funding applications.

Scholarships for which you may be eligible to apply are listed here .

Studentships for PhDs in English at UCL are available from LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership), funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council). LAHP is a consortium of Higher Education Institutions in London. More information, including eligibility for a studentship and how to apply, is available from their website . Around 10% of applications for studentships are successful.

Applicants who are interested in LAHP funding must also have submitted a completed PhD application to UCL by Friday 5 January 2024. Once we have confirmed your offer of a place, you must then submit a completed LAHP application form, including the supervisor statement, by their deadline ( 26th January 2024 at 5pm ). Your prospective supervisor will advise you on how to make your LAHP application as strong as possible. It is your responsibility to allow sufficient time for all of these processes.

If you have any further questions about the LAHP application procedure, please email Ms Natasha Clark ( [email protected] )

Research Excellence Scholarship (RES)

UCL Research Excellence Scholarships aim to attract high-quality students to undertake research at UCL. Up to 40 UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) are available to prospective and current research students from any country.

More details about the application process for the Research Excellence Scholarships, including deadlines, can be found here .

Wolfson Scholarships

The Wolfson Foundation is offering six postgraduate research awards in the humanities for 2024/25. These will be for three areas in history, literature and languages.

Details about the award scheme and the application process can be found here .

Applicants should send the mandatory documents to Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ) by the end of 12 January 2024.

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship

UCL's Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) supports UK BAME postgraduate research degree students. Details about eligibility, the award and the application process can be found here .

Each student works closely with their supervisor to develop research skills specific to their project. Regular completion of an online research log helps the student and supervisor to assess training needs.

The English Department provides a course in PhD Skills Training. The first term is on Research Skills and Methods, and is aimed at first-year students, who are required to attend. The second term is on Professional Academic Skills, and is open to all PhD students.

Across UCL, PhD training is co-ordinated by the Doctoral School . The Doctoral Skills Development Programme is delivered via the Inkpath platform, and benefits from participation by the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network , a consortium of leading Higher Education Institutions.

Training courses and events are also available from LAHP (the London Arts and Humanities Partnership). LAHP-funded students are given priority for booking, but places may also be available to other students.

Teaching opportunities for research students

PhD students who are making good progress with their research project are offered teaching opportunities. Those in their second year are normally offered experience in teaching one-to-one tutorials. Those in their third year are normally offered experience in teaching seminars.

PhD students in English also work with UCL’s Access and Widening Participation team to deliver a highly successful Summer School for Year 12 school students.

Employment Prospects

PhD graduates from the Department have an excellent record of securing employment in institutions of higher education. In recent years PhD alumni have progressed to academic positions here at UCL, as well as at Oxford and Cambridge, in the wider University of London, and at other universities across the UK. Others have successfully gained international appointments, in destinations including the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Our PhD graduates are also well placed to pursue careers outside academia, as the skills in research, analysis, writing, and communication obtained during the PhD transfer easily to high-level work in many sectors.

UCL prospectus page for the MPhil/PhD programme.

For further information, please email Natasha Clark ( [email protected] ).

Apply Online

You can find a link to the online application form on the main UCL website at the bottom of this page: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/apply

We do accept some visiting students, if there is a suitable academic to act as supervisor. The first step is to identify someone who looks like a suitable supervisor by looking through the list of academic staff yourself: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/english/people/academic-staff . Then, you should contact them with your research proposal to see if they think they would be well-positioned to supervise and will be available to do so over the period of time you’d like to visit. If they are happy to supervise you, you must submit an application via our online system. Further details about this and the link for applying can be found on this page: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international/study-abroad-and-exchange/visiting-research-students .

Student Views

"I am currently completing my PhD on Shakespeare. The English department at UCL is a very special place: the academic staff are dedicated, supportive. I would whole-heartedly recommend applying to study English at UCL."

Shani Bans, PhD Candidate

PhD in English

The English Department offers small graduate seminars in a variety of fields and topics each term. Students may also take approved courses in other Tufts departments, as well as enroll in classes in a consortium of schools that includes Boston College, Boston University, and Brandeis University, and in the interdisciplinary Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality (GCWS) located at MIT. After undergoing supervised training to help them master the necessary skills, our PhD students gain valuable teaching experience, designing and offering their own courses as Graduate Instructors in Tufts' First-Year Writing Program. The Experimental College and the OSHER Program for Lifelong Learning provide additional opportunities for students to design and teach courses at Tufts. The strong training in pedagogy that the department provides and the experience our students gain as classroom instructors prepares our PhD candidates well for a competitive job market. Our recent PhD recipients have secured faculty positions, including on the tenure-track, as well as other academic positions, such as directing a writing center and in college and independent school administration. Our students have also been successful in winning prestigious post-doctoral fellowships, including multi-year teaching fellowships.

Program Requirements and Policies

Students entering with a BA will normally be evaluated and receive their MA after two years of classes.

Foreign Language Requirements

Students must demonstrate reading knowledge in one approved foreign language to receive a PhD in English at Tufts. Satisfaction of the Foreign Language Requirement should occur by the end of the third year, and may be completed by examination, by course, or any combination of the two. Graduate students may satisfy the language requirement by passing a two-hour examination in a foreign language. Exams are coordinated through the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and are offered in September, January and April each year. Contact the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to make arrangements for taking an exam. Native speakers of a language other than English may petition to waive the requirement by affirming that the language in question is relevant to their proposed area of doctoral study and by submitting relevant transcripts. Passing a course in "Reading Knowledge" will also be accepted as fulfillment of the foreign language requirement. Tufts offers two such courses, "French for Reading Knowledge" and "German for Reading Knowledge," which are only available during Summer Session. Boston University makes similar courses available to Tufts students during the academic year. Students may also present appropriate evidence of competence achieved in a foreign language in another graduate program.

Oral Examinations

During the semester after coursework is complete, students study for and take a two-hour oral comprehensive examination. No standardized list of texts is issued for this examination. Each student selects six fields from those below for which they will generate a set of works in consultation with faculty for the examination. One of the six fields may be a "special topic," which students design in collaboration with a member of the faculty.

Old English Literature
Medieval Literature
Sixteenth-Century English Literature
Seventeenth-Century British Literature
Eighteenth-Century British Literature
American Literature Before 1820
Nineteenth-Century British Literature
Nineteenth-Century American Literature
Twentieth-Century British Literature or Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature
Twentieth-Century American Literature
Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Global Anglophone Literature (other than British or North American)
Twenty-First Century Transatlantic (British, Irish, and American) Literatures
Literary-Critical Theory
Special Topic

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

Arts & Sciences
Graduate Studies in A&S

Topics in Literature:

English literature 3525.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Literature Topics and Research

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This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics, how to begin to research, how to use information, and formatting.

What kinds of topics are good ones?

The best topics are ones that originate out of your own reading of a work of literature, but here are some common approaches to consider:

A discussion of a work's characters: are they realistic, symbolic, historically-based?
A comparison/contrast of the choices different authors or characters make in a work
A reading of a work based on an outside philosophical perspective (Ex. how would a Freudian read Hamlet ?)
A study of the sources or historical events that occasioned a particular work (Ex. comparing G.B. Shaw's Pygmalion with the original Greek myth of Pygmalion)
An analysis of a specific image occurring in several works (Ex. the use of moon imagery in certain plays, poems, novels)
A "deconstruction" of a particular work (Ex. unfolding an underlying racist worldview in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness )
A reading from a political perspective (Ex. how would a Marxist read William Blake's "London"?)
A study of the social, political, or economic context in which a work was written — how does the context influence the work?

How do I start research?

Once you have decided on an interesting topic and work (or works), the best place to start is probably the Internet. Here you can usually find basic biographical data on authors, brief summaries of works, possibly some rudimentary analyses, and even bibliographies of sources related to your topic.

The Internet, however, rarely offers serious direct scholarship; you will have to use sources found in the library, sources like journal articles and scholarly books, to get information that you can use to build your own scholarship-your literary paper. Consult the library's on-line catalog and the MLA Periodical Index. Avoid citing dictionary or encyclopedic sources in your final paper.

How do I use the information I find?

The secondary sources you find are only to be used as an aid. Your thoughts should make up most of the essay. As you develop your thesis, you will bring in the ideas of the scholars to back up what you have already said.

For example, say you are arguing that Huck Finn is a Christ figure ; that's your basic thesis. You give evidence from the novel that allows this reading, and then, at the right place, you might say the following, a paraphrase:

According to Susan Thomas, Huck sacrifices himself because he wants to set Jim free (129).

If the scholar states an important idea in a memorable way, use a direct quote.

"Huck's altruism and feelings of compassion for Jim force him to surrender to the danger" (Thomas 129).

Either way, you will then link that idea to your thesis.

Research Topics For PHD in English Literature

Research Topics For Ph.D. in English Literature - Are you looking to do a Ph.D. in English? Have you decided on your thesis topic yet? If no then you are in the right place. I have listed some of the best topics for you. You can choose one of the topics or you can replicate one of them.

Choosing a Ph.D . thesis is tough unless you have a good guide and passion for a particular area. If you are interested in one particular area like British poetry or Tribal literature. Before choosing the Ph.D. thesis topic you must have a conversation with your guide or mentor.

Research Topics For Ph.D. in English Literature

Sons and Lovers As The Poetry of Love In Fiction: A Study
Method of Teaching English Literature
Dancing through English Literature
MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Women Writers and the Survey of English Literature: A Proposal and Annotated Bibliography for Teachers
Seventeenth-Century English Literature on Painting
The Influence of the Bible on English Literature
The Influence of the Classics on English Literature
The Neoclassical Period in English Literature: A Psychological Definition
The Scope of English Literature in Education
John Ruskin: Master of English Literature
The Influence of Darwin on Literature
Medieval English Literature and the Idea of the Anthology
Islam in Medieval and Early Modern English Literature: A Select Bibliography
Canonizing the Canonized: A Short History of The Norton Anthology of English Literature
English Literary Studies, Women’s Studies and Feminism in India
The Return to Nature in English Poetry of the Eighteenth Century
English Literature Becomes a University Subject: King’s College, London as Pioneer
The Development of English Prose from Elizabeth to Victoria
Colonialist Nationalism in the Critical Practice of Indian Writing in English: A Critique
Three Women’s Texts and a Critique of Imperialism
Dancing through the Minefield: Some Observations on the Theory, Practice and Politics of a Feminist Literary Criticism
FUNCTION OF LITERARY CRITICISM IN INDIA
A Survey of Jungian Literary Criticism in English
Some Notes on Defining a “Feminist Literary Criticism”
Stylistics and the Theory of Literature
METAFOLKLORE AND ORAL-LITERARY CRITICISM
Dialogics as an Art of Discourse in Literary Criticism
Romantic Criticism and the Meanings of the French Revolution
Navigating the Wide Sargasso Sea: Colonial History, English Fiction, and British Empire
Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber” and the Decolonization of Feminine Sexuality
Unaccommodated Woman and the Poetics of Property in Jane Eyre
Medieval Feminism in Middle English Studies: A Retrospective
Charlotte Brontë’s Haunted Text
FEMINISM AND MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE
Where are the Mothers in Shakespeare? Options for Gender Representation in the English Renaissance
“Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”: Readers’ Reflections on Literature through Literary Theories
Writing the Discipline: A Generic History of English Studies
Constructing an Interdisciplinary Course on Literature and Environmental Feminism
What Has Never Been: An Overview of Lesbian Feminist Literary Criticism
Expanding the Archives of Global Feminisms: Narratives of Feminism and Activism
A Map for Rereading: Or, Gender and the Interpretation of Literary Texts
SHAKESPEARE’S “ROMEO AND JULIET”, AND MALE MELODRAMA
Reading the House: A Literary Perspective
Comparatist Trends within Literary Studies (1914–1950)
English in North America: Accounting for its Evolution
American Indian Literature and a Legacy of Misappropriation
Tribal Strengths and American Indian Students
LANGUAGE, TRIBE AND THE CONCEPT OF ‘ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION’
Literary Representation: Partition in Indian and Pakistani Novels in English
NISSIM EZEKIEL: The Father of Contemporary Indian English Poetry
WOMEN IN INDIAN-ENGLISH LITERATURE: THE QUESTION OF INDIVIDUATION
Anglo-Indian English: A Nativized Variety of Indian English
THE CONCEPT OF ‘INDIANNESS’ IN INDIAN FICTION IN ENGLISH
The Perversion of Manliness in Macbeth
Glimpsing a “Lesbian” Poetics in “Twelfth Night”
Women and Migration: The Social Consequences of Gender
Unfallen Marriage and the Fallen Imagination in Paradise Lost
Recent Studies in the English Renaissance

How to Choose Topics For Ph.D. in English

Choosing a Ph.D. topic is tough, especially when it comes to the English language and literature. It is not easy to select a Ph.D. thesis topic, it needs lots of hard work and mental work to get to a point when you think is ready.

one of the hardest parts is choosing your thesis topics. Some spending months even years this research projects because they did not know; how to choose a great topics? Choosing a great dissertation or thesis topic is a difficult decision to make.

Tips to choose Ph.D. topics

Broaden Your Thinking
Choose the topic that you are interested
Be realistic by choosing topics
Pic a topic that is related to your field
Select topics that your advisor finds interesting and is knowledgeable about
Find a topic that you already have some expertise
Select unique topics
Choose manageable topics
Read everything you can relate to the topics
Find documents that support your topics
Take advantage available in the locality
Consult your mentor
Find available data

Seminar Topics For MA, MPHIL, PHD PDF Download

PhD Research Topics in English Literature

December 11, 2023
by IdeaLaunch
Ph.D. Guidance , Research Projects

If you are considering pursuing a PhD in English Literature, you may be currently grappling with deciding which thesis /research topic to select. To assist you with this endeavour, I have carefully curated a list of the most noteworthy research topics for your consideration. You are presented with the option of selecting one of the suggested topics or utilizing it as a source of inspiration to develop a distinctive research topic of your own.

Choosing the right doctoral dissertation can be daunting, especially when no expert guidance or personal inclination towards a particular field exists. It is vital to thoroughly discuss with one’s mentor before finalizing a topic, especially if one is interested in British poetry or Tribal literature. This will ensure the dissertation topic is well-researched and aligns with the student’s academic and professional goals.

How to Select Topics for PhD in English

Choosing the right topic for a PhD in English language and literature is a challenging task that demands much cognitive and physical effort. A particularly formidable aspect of this process is identifying a suitable thesis topic, which may require several months or even years of research. Many people find it difficult to decide because they need more relevant expertise to pick a topic that will stand out. Ultimately, selecting a distinguished dissertation or thesis topic is a crucial choice that demands thoughtful deliberation.

Tips to Select PhD Topics

When selecting a topic for your phd research project, expanding your thinking and considering various options is imperative. It is recommended that you select a topic that piques your interest while also remaining realistic by choosing a topic that is related to your field and manageable to research. It is helpful to select a topic your advisor finds interesting and has knowledge about or one in which you already possess some expertise. Furthermore, it is advised that you select a unique topic that has yet to be extensively researched in the past. Thorough research and reliable sources are crucial for producing successful work in business or academia. Ensure your arguments are well-supported with evidence. Be aware of the local resources available to you and seek guidance from your mentor throughout the process.

Selecting the ideal research topic for a PhD in English Literature can be challenging. However, there are numerous potential topics available for research. Here are some guidelines to assist you in selecting the appropriate PhD research topic in English Literature:

Begin by identifying a poet or author who is relevant to your area of interest. Consult with your PhD supervisor to ensure the poet is suitable for research. Examine previous research areas to determine whether your chosen topic has been explored before. Consider exploring a new topic that has yet to be researched previously.

Determine if there are sufficient primary sources available for your chosen topic. Seek assistance from professors in your academic circle. Acquire relevant books on English Literature. Dedicate time to reading about your research topic and literary theories, and apply them to your PhD topic.

Attend several interviews to take the topic.

When selecting or finalizing a research topic, attending specialized lectures, workshops, and university interviews can be a valuable tool. These events provide insights and knowledge related to the researcher’s chosen topic. Interviews can take the form of meetings or lectures.

Attending numerous public lectures, book readings, and similar events related to the researcher’s topic of interest is recommended. If the researcher is still trying to decide their topic, it is advisable to interview as many experts as possible. Conducting a wide range of interviews and gathering diverse ideas before settling on a topic is crucial.

One-on-one interviews or meetings can be particularly advantageous. As the researcher, it is important to listen attentively during these sessions. The interviewer can offer guidance and insights that stimulate critical thinking. If an interviewer can inspire the researcher to think, imagine how the researcher’s writing will impact readers. It is essential to remember that people possess unique ideas to assist the researcher in their research.

We understand that composing an English literature research paper can be arduous. In light of this, we have compiled a comprehensive list of English research topics to facilitate the process. Please select a subject that piques your curiosity and can be thoroughly researched beyond the current literature. It is crucial to select a subject that is not only compelling but also deserves further investigation. Using this method for topic selection leads to a deeper understanding of the subject and the chance to contribute to the research community. It is imperative to scrutinize the selected topic meticulously before embarking on the writing process.

This blog has proven to be a valuable resource for you.

If you are still not sure about how to choose your research topic, then IdeaLaunch is the perfect place to get complete guidance for your research projects . Get a consultation from our experts to prepare a PhD research topic proposal , Call us at +91- 7904479887 / +91-7548889787

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Ph.D. Thesis Writing

Tools and resources for ph.d. researchers to maximizing productivity.