Title of the course "Happiness and unhappiness in the sentimental fiction of the eighteenth century."
The course will provide an analysis on the treatment of happiness and unhappiness in the eighteenth century. The search for happiness was one of the most important issues and themes of eighteenth-century thought. Happiness ceased to be the mere object of theological or philosophical inquiry and became a central tenet in the practical life of all eighteenth-century people, from the humblest to the highest members of the social ranks. For instance, happiness became one of the keywords of the American Declaration of Independence, the first modern national constitution, which said that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Writers too were concerned with the people's pursuit of happiness, and their characters became increasingly observed in their capacity (or inability) to obtain happiness on earth. Conversely, the century saw an increased interest in finding the reasons why man is unhappy. Writers and thinkers progressively shaped a culture of melancholy and dejection that would have its peak in the pre-Romantic and Romantic age. The course will see how writers treated the themes of the search for happiness and the difficulty of achieving it through the analysis of three novels dealing with "sentimental characters" in which the representation of emotions and feelings are heightened and become the focus of the narration.
A basic knowledge of English 18th century is necessary to take this course and comprehend text analyses (see texts to read below, section B.3)
Texts to read:
Section A. Primary literature (these texts will be discussed in class)
All students are asked to read the following novels entire:
1. Charlotte Lennox, "Sophia" (ed. by Norbert Schürer, Broadview Press)
2. Henry Mackenzie, "The Man of Feeling" (ed. by Maureen Harkin, Broadview Press)
3. Sarah Fielding, "David Simple" (ed. by Peter Sabor, University of Kentucky Press), volumes I and II ( see https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/232563875.pdf )
4. Jane Austen, "Persuasion" (ed. by James Kinsley, Oxford Classics)
For non-attending students, additional materials will be uploaded on the Moodle page.
It is recommended to read the introductions provided in the editions quoted above.
Section B. A general knowledge of the cultural history of the eighteenth century is required to understand the module's contents.
These are the background readings on the cultural context of the eighteenth century and of happiness (which students are requested to read on their own):
1. R. Porter, "Enlightenment: Britain and the Creation of the Modern World" (Penguin, 2000), chapter 11 ("Happiness"), pp. 258-75; BALI library EX4 POR.R/En
2. R. Robertson, "The Enlightenment: The Pursuit of Happiness 1680-1790" (Penguin 2022), chapter 1 ("Happiness, Reason, and Passion", pp. 1-41.
3. P. Goring, "Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture" (Continuum, 2008), BALI library EX4 Gor/Eig
(or another introductory text to eighteenth-century culture instead of B3, which can be agreed upon with the teacher)
Exam: Written exam
The written test will be made of questions with open answers and will be divided into three parts:
A. General themes and topics: history of 18th-century literature and culture, general aspects of the course taught in the module, general background as in the critical books (see "Texts" section ) (Aim 1)*
B. A short essay (one sheet long) based on one of the literary texts discussed in class (see "Texts section A") (Aim 2)
C. Three questions (each with 8-10 lines answers) on the topics, contents, style, of the "Texts section A" (Aim 3)
Students will be allowed to use a monolingual English dictionary only. The use of smartphones, tablets and other devices is not allowed during the exam.
Time allowed: 2 hours
Students attending *at least 70% of classes* may take pre-assessment tests during the semester. These tests will partly substitute for the final exam. The format and timing of the pre-assessment tests will be agreed upon with the teacher during classes.
* Aims: see "Inquadramento dell'insegnamento" above.
Metodi didattici
Front lectures
Students are kindly requested to read the novels and poems in the programme ahead of the lectures. The teacher will discuss them in class with the students.
All lessons will be given in English
The course will provide an analysis on the treatment of happiness and unhappiness in the eighteenth century. The search for happiness was one of the most important issues and themes of eighteenth-century thought. Happiness ceased to be the mere object of theological or philosophical inquiry and became a central tenet in the practical life of all eighteenth-century people, from the humblest to the highest members of the social ranks. For instance, happiness became one of the keywords of the American Declaration of Independence, the first modern national constitution, which said that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Writers too were concerned with the people's pursuit of happiness, and their characters became increasingly observed in their capacity (or inability) to obtain happiness on earth. Conversely, the century saw an increased interest in finding the reasons why man is unhappy. Writers and thinkers progressively shaped a culture of melancholy and dejection that would have its peak in the pre-Romantic and Romantic age. The course will see how writers treated the themes of the search for happiness and the difficulty of achieving it through the analysis of three novels dealing with "sentimental characters" in which the representation of emotions and feelings are heightened and become the focus of the narration.
A basic knowledge of English 18th century is necessary to take this course and comprehend text analyses (see texts to read below, section B.3)
Texts to read:
Section A. Primary literature (these texts will be discussed in class)
All students are asked to read the following novels entire:
1. Charlotte Lennox, "Sophia" (ed. by Norbert Schürer, Broadview Press)
2. Henry Mackenzie, "The Man of Feeling" (ed. by Maureen Harkin, Broadview Press)
3. Sarah Fielding, "David Simple" (ed. by Peter Sabor, University of Kentucky Press), volumes I and II ( see https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/232563875.pdf )
4. Jane Austen, "Persuasion" (ed. by James Kinsley, Oxford Classics)
For non-attending students, additional materials will be uploaded on the Moodle page.
It is recommended to read the introductions provided in the editions quoted above.
Section B. A general knowledge of the cultural history of the eighteenth century is required to understand the module's contents.
These are the background readings on the cultural context of the eighteenth century and of happiness (which students are requested to read on their own):
1. R. Porter, "Enlightenment: Britain and the Creation of the Modern World" (Penguin, 2000), chapter 11 ("Happiness"), pp. 258-75; BALI library EX4 POR.R/En
2. R. Robertson, "The Enlightenment: The Pursuit of Happiness 1680-1790" (Penguin 2022), chapter 1 ("Happiness, Reason, and Passion", pp. 1-41.
3. P. Goring, "Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture" (Continuum, 2008), BALI library EX4 Gor/Eig
(or another introductory text to eighteenth-century culture instead of B3, which can be agreed upon with the teacher)
Exam: Written exam
The written test will be made of questions with open answers and will be divided into three parts:
A. General themes and topics: history of 18th-century literature and culture, general aspects of the course taught in the module, general background as in the critical books (see "Texts" section ) (Aim 1)*
B. A short essay (one sheet long) based on one of the literary texts discussed in class (see "Texts section A") (Aim 2)
C. Three questions (each with 8-10 lines answers) on the topics, contents, style, of the "Texts section A" (Aim 3)
Students will be allowed to use a monolingual English dictionary only. The use of smartphones, tablets and other devices is not allowed during the exam.
Time allowed: 2 hours
Students attending *at least 70% of classes* may take pre-assessment tests during the semester. These tests will partly substitute for the final exam. The format and timing of the pre-assessment tests will be agreed upon with the teacher during classes.
* Aims: see "Inquadramento dell'insegnamento" above.
Metodi didattici
Front lectures
Students are kindly requested to read the novels and poems in the programme ahead of the lectures. The teacher will discuss them in class with the students.
All lessons will be given in English
- Teacher: Flavio GREGORI