The long eighteenth century was an exciting period for the novel: It witnessed the publication of such popular titles as Samuel Richardson‘s Pamela, Laurence Sterne‘s Tristram Shandy, or, at its outskirts, Austen‘s still widely read novels.
Intriguingly, the period saw a rise in the number of female novelists who entered the literary market with fictions of young heroines and heroes navigating the turbulent period of early adulthood up to the supposedly safe haven of marriage - so-called courtship fictions. In this seminar, we will investigate this fascinating genre and go into the question of why - and importantly, how - so many especially female writers made use of this ostensibly formulaic genre. The aim will be to investigate examples of this popular form for their particular literary aesthetics, but also to locate them in their wider contexts and engage with this fascinating period in (literary) history.
We will be discussing two primary texts which you are required to purchase and read. Everything else will be made available.
The primary texts to be purchased and read, in the following editions:
Maria Edgeworth, Belinda - Oxford World Classics Edition, ISBN: 978-0-19-968213-3
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park - Oxford World Classics Edition, ISBN: 978-0-19-953553-8
Please note that Belinda can sometimes take a little longer to deliver, so make sure to order it in a timely manner!
- Dozent/in: Alina Aulbur