Problems in 18th-Century Literature

3 units

This course will trace the development of the novel through the eighteenth century, focusing on narrative techniques of the Enlightenment. Among our concerns will be the question of "realism" as we examine the memoire, epistolary and dialogic forms. We will also explore the novel as cultural artifact, philosophical treatise and utopian critique. Critical essays will accompany our readings of authors such as Prévost, Marivaux, Rousseau, Diderot, Charrière, and Sade.