76-810 The Long Eighteenth Century

6–12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Angela Davis wrote that freedom is a constant struggle how do the freedom struggles of the long eighteenth century continue into the present How were modern categories of race and gender forged and navigated in the long eighteenth century In this course, we will study literature and culture between roughly 1660 and 1820, an era in which historical phenomena such as European empires, the Rights of Woman, and slavery and abolition coincided with changes in print and media culture to produce profound cultural changes that are still with us. Through reading, discussion, and graded assignments including short essays and oral presentations, we will examine the interanimating relationship of literature and history in moments of crisis. Examples of primary readings include Aphra Behns Ooronoko, selections from Miltons Paradise Lost, Jane Austens Mansfield Park, Mary Princes The History of Mary Prince, and William Wordsworths To Toussaint LOuverture. Secondary readings will draw from a variety of critical traditions such as post and decolonial studies, Black studies, poststructuralism, and material culture studies.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027

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