HONC 357 - Romance, Revolution, and Exile

Unit(s): 4

This course examines the themes of romance and exile in an age of global revolution (1776-1848) by closely tracking the lives and works of several authors from the period. The course first tracks the writings and lives of eminent “romantic” individuals in exile (the first true celebrities) and then investigates the representations of romance and exile through the birth of science fiction writing in the hands of Mary Shelley. The “revolutions” the course considers are several: the political independence movements around the world; the advancements in science, technology, and literature; the birth of celebrity culture and how it transformed the public sphere; the emergence of a free-market (and capitalist) economic system; and the rise of the aristocratic vampire legend that forever changed literary and popular culture.

College of Arts and Sciences