Welcome to the Course!
In this British literature
survey, I want to focus on the literary myths authors created between 1800-1940
that have become a cultural shorthand on both sides of the pond. England was a
virtual laboratory of new ideas in this era, giving birth to some of the most
disturbing, provocative, and prophetic characters in the entire history of
English literature (or any other!). From Frankenstein’s Monster to 1984’s Big
Brother, we are constantly revisiting and re-writing these myths in an attempt
to understand their attraction, or perhaps to exorcise their influence. Just
think about how many songs and movies reference the books on this syllabus!
What would pop culture be without Alice in Wonderland (Jefferson
Airplane and The Matrix!), and where would the genre of True Crime be
without Sherlock Holmes? I think we can all agree we live in a better
world thanks to these Victorian and Edwardian nightmares…so the question is,
how did they dream them up? What gave this era the combination to the vaults of
our collective consciousness?
Be sure to buy the books for the course as soon as possible--we start with Frankenstein next week! :)
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