Travails of the Self: Eighteenth-Century Literature (Pre-1800)

The 'long' 18th century opens with poems of affairs of state and ends with intensely private and often anguished meditations on the self. In this course we will examine the rich range and complexity of 18th century literary concerns through a loosely chronological look at major works of poetry, drama, and fiction of the period: poems of Gay, Pope, Swift, Cowper, and Gray; Congreve's The Way of the World and Sheridan's The School for Scandal; and Fielding's Joseph Andrews and Inchbald's A Simple Story. 3 hrs. lect./disc.