British Literature from 1800, "The Mythmakers"

John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew (1893)  Feel free to read the entire play (it's pretty short) for Tuesday, but we'll only discuss Acts One and Two. But be careful--the dialogue is suspiciously smooth and you can race over ten pages without really thinking about what you've read. Read slowly and really try to think about his little witticisms, and how seriously (or not) we're supposed to take them.  Answer TWO as usual: Q1: This is the first play we've read in class, even though the theater was huge throughout the 19th century, even though it produced very few great playrwights (Wilde being an exception). Why do you think this work--its story, characters, themes, etc.--is more suited to a play than, say, a novel or a short story? Why might it be beneficial to see it being acted in front of you on a stage?  Q2: One of the most repeated lines of dialogue, usually by Jack, is "Oh, that's nonsense!" How does Wilde use nonsense very similarly to the way Carr...

Remember that on Tuesday we're going to take the Mid-Term over the first three books. The Mid-Term will be a series of THREE questions, of which you have to respond to any TWO of them, by explaining the signfiicance of the passage to the novel and doing a brief close reading of the scene, to explore what makes this passage so unique and exciting. Here are some passages I intend to choose from, so you'll see at least three of these on the exam next week:  Thus the poor sufferer tried to comfort others and herself. She indeed gained the resignation she desired. But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope or consolation. Elizabeth also wept, and was unhappy; but her’s also was the misery of innocence, which, like a cloud that passes over the fair moon, for a while hides, but cannot tarnish its brightness. Anguish and despair had penetrated into the core of my heart; I bore a hell within me, which nothing could extinguish. We sta...

  REVISED COURSE CALENDAR FOR WEEKS 8-16   Part 2: A Satire of Polite Society   WEEK EIGHT: October 5-9 Carroll, Alice in Wonderland , part 1 Carroll, Alice in Wonderland , part 2   WEEK NINE: October 12-16 Mid-Term Exam (in class) Context: The Mystery of Madame X/ Art Paper #3 due   WEEK TEN: October 19-23 Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest , part 1 Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, part 2   Part 3: Journeys Off the Map   WEEK ELEVEN: October 26-30 Context: The Madness of Munch/ Art Paper #4 due Conrad, Heart of Darkness , part 1   WEEK TWELVE: November 2-6 Conrad, Heart of Darkness , part 2 Critical Readings about Conrad (handout)   WEEK THIRTEEN: November 9-13 Context: Burne-Jones’ Modern Myths/ Art Paper #5 due Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring , part 1   WEEK FOURTEEN: November 16-20 Tolkien, The...

For Tuesday's class, read at least through the "Pig and Pepper" Chapter (VI), though read more if you like. However, we're going to break this into two parts, so we'll finish the rest on Thursday.  Answer TWO of the following: Q1: How might Alice in Wonderland be a satire of a Victorian childhood, much as Austen satirized early 19th century womanhood? From what we read here, what might have been expected of young girls or children in the 1860's? What is Carroll specifically making fun of or parodying through Alice's adventures? Q2: When Carroll originally wrote the book for Alice Liddell (the daughter of a friend), he included his own illustrations throughout. When the book was properly published, the publisher insisted on more professional illustrations, and John Tenniel (a popular artist) was hired to provide illustrations throughout. Why are the illustrations as important as the text of the story? What do they add to the experience of reading Alice in W...

  Answer TWO of the following:  Q1: Why, after the slow lead-up to Darcy's final proposal, does Austen suddenly race through the subsequent marriages and get everyone settled in a single chapter, stopping only to include a brief letter from Lydia? In other words, why does she end with a telescope where many people would have preferred a microscopic approach? Q2: After meeting with Lady Catherine (see Q3), her mother asks her about their conversation, and the narrator reflects, "Elizabeth was forced to give into a little falsehood here; for to acknowledge the substance of their conversation was impossible" (Ch. XIV). Why does Lizzie continue to withhold information from her parents, even after berating herself earlier for not telling them about Wickham? Is this a testament to her pride, or her prejudice (against her parents)?  Q3:One of the greatest scenes in the book is the verbal duel between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine in Chapter XIV. In many ways, this scene illus...

Self-Portrait by Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun, 1790 For Thursday, start reading Vol.3, getting to or around Chapter 9. But again, if you fall short, you will still be able to contribute to the in-class writing.  Here are some general ideas to consider (you DON'T need to answer these): * Note Elizabeth’s reaction to arriving at Pemberley: what do you make her reaction to the feel of the place, and of the account of Darcy his housekeeper gives her? Is she dazzled by the sheer wealth and spectacle of the place, or something else? * How does Darcy signal a change in his attitude (if not his love) at their next meeting? How should Elizabeth and the reader ‘read’ this? * Think, too, about how letters continue to play an important role in the novel, even when we can’t literally read them. It’s possible that First Impressions was an epistolary novel before Jane Austen re-wrote it as Pride and Prejudice . So why might she have retained some of the letters, and/or their role in the plot? * ...

Gainsborough, Portrait of Molly and Peggy (c.1760) REMEMBER: No class on Thursday--go to the 1920's event in the UC instead!  Try to read all or as much of Part II as you can for Tuesday's class since you have a few extra days (and what else would you want to do, except spend all day reading Austen?!).  Answer TWO of the following: Q1: How does Austen satirize the upper classes ala Mr. and Mrs. Andrews (the Gainsborough painting) at  Rosings? Consider how Lady Catherine treats her social inferiors--the Collins and Elizabeth--and how might Austen be sharing Elizabeth 's delight here in "anything ridiculous"?   Q2: How does the manner of Darcy’s proposal echo, in some particulars, that of Mr. Collins? Why is each one incapable of a truly flattering, romantic proposal? What factors does Darcy apparently have to overcome to express his love and affection to Elizabeth ? Q3: Why do you think Elizabeth conceals the proposal from her family, as well as the truth about Wi...

Rare painting by a woman of a woman from the 19th century: Marie Denise Villers, portrait of  Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d'Ognes NOTE: If you want to know more about the painting above, which is by one of only a handful of female painters of this period, check it out at the Met Museum's website here:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437903 Answer TWO of the following as usual... Q1: After a fairly short acquaintance, Elizabeth Bennet uncharacteristically falls for George Wickham, a “red coat,” one of the officers that Kitty and Lydia chase about. As she herself says, "he is, beyond all comparison, the most agreeable man I ever saw." Why does she fall for him? IS this really out of character for her? Or might it tie into the overarching themes of the novel itself (hint: remember the original title)? Q2: Why does Charlotte agree to marry Mr. Collins after Elizabeth has already refused him? And more importantly, why doesn't Elizabeth  b...

  Joseph Ducreux, Portrait of a Gentleman As always, answer TWO of the following, and get as far as you can in the novel before Friday's class, even if you don't finish all 13 chapters (but go further if you like!):  Q1: Some of the most famous lines in English literature are the opening lines of this novel, which begin, "It is a truth generally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife..." These lines are of course deliciously satirical, and suggest that everything that follows is an elaborate lampoon, sort of like Gainsborough’s painting of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. But is that the only way to read this? Can this be more than just a good-natured ribbing of small-town society? Are there darker implications to this fortune-cookie like wisdom? Q2: Though the novel isn't a first-person account of English life in the country, the narration seems to borrow something from a first-person perspective. Discuss a passage whe...

Actual photo of Antarctica--wrong Pole, but the right idea NO QUESTIONS for Thursday's class, but try to get close to finishing and consider some of the following ideas for Thursday's in-class response: * Why doesn't Victor anticipate the Creature's threat when he promises, "I will be with you on your wedding night."?  * Also, what connotations does this threat carry besides the one Victor hears? * How does Mary Shelley give Elizabeth a little life and agency before she dies in the book? In other words, what does she say before she is silenced forever? * Anything strange about her death scene, or Victor's response to it? * In the final chapters, does Shelley hint at the possibility that the Creature only exists in Victor's mind? * How does Victor undercut his own 'moral' in telling Walton the story of his life?  * In the last letter, Walton seems to conclusively prove the Creature's existence, since he not only sees him but converses with h...

Self-portrait of Goya (c.1790's)  NOTE: I updated Q3 since it included a passage that is outside of today's reading--I jumped the gun! Sorry!  Answer TWO of the following: Q1: When Victor bids farewell to Elizabeth (in Vol.3, Chapter 1), the 1831 text says that she “acquiesced; but she was filled with disquiet at the idea of my suffering, away from her, the inroads of misery and grief...she bade me a tearful, silent farewell.” However, the original 1818 version of the novel reads: “ Elizabeth approved of the reasons of my departure, and only regretted that she had not the same opportunities of enlarging her experience, and cultivating her understanding...We all, said she, depend upon you; and if you are miserable, what must be our feelings?"  What does the original text seem to communicate about Elizabeth ’s experience that the 1831 version wipes away? Why might Shelley have wanted to 'silence' Elizabeth here and in other parts of the novel (for example, her big s...

If you want to do the first Art Paper for Frankenstein , but aren't sure how to find just the right art, here are some contemporary suggestions that might work for you. Remember, you can do ANY work of art, so long as it's not literal (not an actual illustration of Frankenstein from some other source), and you can make the connection make sense. You want to use the work of art to explain, illustrate, or even complicate a passage in the text that seems to resemble it thematically.  FOR EXAMPLE: In class last Tuesday, I showed the famous Goya etching "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters," and connected that to Victor's horrific dream of Elizabeth turning into his mother. The connection I wanted to explore is that once Victor is asleep, his reason slumbers and the truth of his heart/soul seems to come out, becoming a nightmarish image of his fear of abandonment by his mother, and perhaps his resentment against Elizabeth for 'killing' her. Or it could be his...

Gustave Dore, illustration from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (the poem quoted more than once throughout Frankenstein) For Thursday's class, we'll have an in-class response/question at the beginning of class to start us off, so I won't give you a set of questions to answer. However, the ideas below are things to consider for Thursday's reading, and we might write about something related to them.  Some ideas to consider: * How does Elizabeth change over the course of the novel, especially once the tragedies start occurring? Does Victor notice this? * How does the Creature's narrative differ from Victor's? Does it sound like a completely different narrator? Or like Walton, is he merely another version of Victor himself? * Why does Shelley never really explain the science of creating the Creature, nor of why the Creature is so superhumanly strong and resistant?  * Are there any gaps or inconsistencies in Victor's (or Walton's) narrative that make you ques...

In case you lose it, or just want to see it conveniently on the blog, here is the assignment sheet for the Three Art Papers. Read it carefully and let me know if you have any questions about due dates (they're all on the syllabus). Also, I'll be posting links and images to artists throughout the semester to help you, so keep checking the blog!  THE THREE ART PAPERS   INTRO: For each book we read, I’ll begin our discussion with an examination of a pivotal artist whose works I feel are in dialogue with the book in question. We will always do an in-class writing to get us thinking about the work, and then we’ll continue to use the artists’ work and ideas as a frame for our class discussions. Ideally, this will help you see the many of the themes of the novel visually, which will also remind you that different forms of art aren’t created in a vacuum. Writers are looking at paintings and listening to music and living in a world that continually inspires them. It quickly becomes a...

NOTE: Be sure to read the opening Letters as well as Chapters 1-5 for Tuesday's reading (some people skip them, thinking it's not the 'real' book). Use the questions below as a reading guide, since they'll help you see things or at least think about some of the chapters as you do. But you only have to answer any TWO of the questions for Tuesday's class (bring them to class if possible, but you can also e-mail them to me).  ALSO: Please avoid using AI or internet summaries to answer these questions. It will be obvious, because your answers will sound stilted and generic, and worse, you won't learn a thing or enjoy the reading! 'Nuff said?  Q1: Most first-time readers of Frankenstein are surprised to find that the novel begins with a frame narrative: that of Walton, the Arctic explorer, who is writing home to his sister, Mrs. Saville. Why do you think Shelley found this a necessary intro to the story? Why not simply open up with Frankenstein’s story? Als...

This is the course blog for British Lit from 1800, so come here to find all your reading assignments/questions, the Art Paper assignment, Mid-Term and Final information, and links related to literature and art. Everything here is supplementary, and you don't need to comment on this site or really do anything with it. It's just a virtual bulletin board so you can find material you might have lost or forgotten about, and where I can offer you some 'behind the scenes' material in case it helps you along the way. Be sure to buy the SIX book for class in any edition: Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, The Importance of Being Earnest, Heart of Darkness, and Fellowship of the Ring. And please be prepared to dig into this books and explore them with the class. Don't rely on internet or AI summaries, since then you're only reading someone else's point of view, and you'll never discover your own.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel fr...