Neo-Victorianism - Einzelansicht

Contemporary literature and culture show an immense fascination with the Victorian age. The period is frequently represented as modernity’s other, characterised by prudery and the repression of sexuality. Yet, as Michel Foucault has famously stressed, we remain profoundly influenced by the discourses, conventions and ideas of the nineteenth century. Our course will study Neo-Victorian texts from the past two decades that often playfully engage with the period, challenging and revising Victorian themes and throwing a light on those forgotten in standard accounts of the nineteenth century. Discussing Sarah Waters Tipping the Velvet (1998), Matthew Kneales’ English Passengers (2002) and the BBC series Sherlock (2010-17), we will gain insights into the complex interactions between our (post)modern present and the Victorian past. Our focus will lie on contemporary revisions and (re)constructions of Victorian notions of gender/sexuality, race, and class.

Students are expected to have read Sarah Waters' novel Tipping the Velvet by week 5 and Matthew Kneales’ English Passengers by week 10 of class.

Testat: Students are expected to prepare a brief discussion handout (2 pages) and to submit a response paper of 800 words.