The Brain and the Book: Thinking and Reading in the Victorian Novel

Considers two nineteenth-century novels in light of theories of cognition, both nineteenth-century and contemporary. This course proposes to study how some of the foundational questions of literary study—the nature of language, the location of meaning, the experience of reading, the power of metaphor, and the sources of creative thought—can also be studied from the perspective of mental science. We will read two Victorian novels in serial installments simultaneously, alongside shorter readings. Limited to juniors and seniors only. Banner registrations after classes begin require instructor approval. Enrollment limited to 20.