01  MW8   CAC  69754  ELLIS  SC-102

The word "romance" identifies a cluster of ideas that has a long history in Western culture. In its current mass-market version, it would seem that women are its central agents and its most enthusiastic readers. However, for most of this history, the romance genre grew up alongside the epic. Male heroism has been its central subject, and women were viewed as distracting at best and dangerous at worst. What brought about this change in gender emphasis in the eighteenth century? What role was played by the rise of the "realistic" novel in this period? This course will take advantage of the chronological breadth of its rubric to investigate points of commonality as will as differences in works so labeled, paying special attention to issues of gender politics.

Unexcused absences will be penalized.
Two shorter papers, one in-class presentation, and one longer paper, no
exams.