ENG 281 - Special Topics in 19th-C American Literature

F’21 Special Topic: 19^th C Utopian Literature

Utopian literature is, inherently, a social and political critique. It embodies an idealistic outlook but also a profound dissatisfaction with the status quo. Through utopian fiction, authors attempt to imagine cultural perfection, thereby expressing what they believe to be both right and wrong within their present-day surroundings. This course will focus on the intersections of utopian literature and history in the nineteenth century in the United States with an emphasis on fiction but a grounding in fact. Students will read a wide variety of utopian literature while also examining real-life utopian experiments in 1800s America along with related events in American history. The course will also engage with utopian fiction’s transnational roots and influences. Students will also study what is lacking in some utopian expressions along with the results of both realized and unrealized utopian hopes.  

 

Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically