Kursinformation

This seminar examines the late Victorian and early Edwardian period (c. 1870-1910), commonly also referred to as the fin-de-siecle. By reading some key texts belonging to different genres (the novel, drama, short stories, poetry, essay writing) we will explore several literary and cultural developments and trends, most centrally aestheticist and decadent writing as exemplified by Oscar Wilde and Walter Pater. We will, however, also consider important socio-historical contexts provided by imperialism (by reading Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness), the emergence of the New Woman (by reading Henry James’ novella Daisy Miller together with excerpts from Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House and Amy Levy’s novel Romance of a Shop) as well as first forays into speculative writing (H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine). In sum, this seminar provides a survey of this particular and multi-facetted period wedged between high Victorianism and first modernist stirrings.