Since at least the time of Thucydides, historians have noted the transformative effect of political upheavals on language. In this course, we will explore the connection between revolution and writing, thinking about the ways that political changes shape literary, historical, and philosophical expression. The course will focus on British responses to the French Revolution (though this will require some attention to the American revolution and the revolutionary moments of 1830 and 1848 as well), the idea of "radicalism" in politics and literature, the role of trauma, and the difficulties involved in narrating contested history, both within the nations suffering these displacements and abroad. Readings will include central revolutionary documents, as well as writing across genres that grapples with the issues most important to revolutionary projects. Authors to be discussed may include Rousseau, Burke, Paine, Blake, Williams, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Carlyle, and Dickens. We will also spend some time considering various theoretical responses to revolution, including those of Hegel, Marx, and Arendt. Format: seminar. Requirements: two 8- to 10-page essays. Prerequisites: a 100-level English course, except 150. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 20). Preference to English majors. (1700-1900)

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