This course is not currently offered, please contact the school or faculty of your program.

Course description

The eighteenth century is often regarded as the moment at which modern literary culture begins, and hence as essential to its understanding. This course introduces students to key debates about commerce, empire, human nature, popular culture, revolution, religion, slavery, and women's education as they shaped the literature of eighteenth-century Britain, triggering the emergence of new literary genres (such as the modern novel, musical theatre and journalism) as well as the revival of traditional forms (including satiric poetry, `Gothic' romance and the marriage plot). Our focus is on major texts and authors from the period, including Jane Austen, Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, John Gay, Laurence Sterne, and Mary Wollstonecraft. NOTE: Course offering may be cancelled unless a minimum of 20 students enrol.