It's Good to Be Bad! Criminals and Deviants in the 18th Century cancelled
In this course, we will trace the representation of inappropriate, deviant, and downright criminal behavior in fiction written during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. These centuries witnessed profound changes in the definitions of criminality and morality, the legal consequences of crimes, and the understanding of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. A central question of this course will be how pre-conceived ideas of morality affect the way novels represent deviant behavior. We will also consider the ways in which these representations reflect social anxieties about (and fascination with) class mobility, industrialization, and changing gender relations. Texts may include: Joseph Andrews, Moll Flanders, Caleb Williams, Frankenstein, and Mansfield Park. These readings may be supplemented by exploring eighteenth century prints depicting street life, writings by criminal reformers, and personal writings from convicted inmates sent to penal colonies in America and Australia. Assignments will include three short papers and one longer paper as well as class participation and attendance.