The artists and writers at work during the last years of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th produced a rich stew of aesthetic and literary innovation, often daring in tone, style and subject matter. The cultural movements which are combined under the general heading of the ‘fin-de-siècle’, including symbolism and decadence, also contributed to the development of modernism.
The literature of the British fin-de-siècle is often gothic, mordant and melodramatic; it may seem to be symptomatic of a hysterical and anxious period, full of images of split selves, monstrous doubles, infection, and disintegration of all kinds, undoubtedly influenced by the scientific and pseudo-scientific theories of the time. However, the texts which will form the focus of this course also experiment with complex and contested ideas about the self and society, about race and empire, and about gender roles and sexual identity. Our aim will be to attend to the literary representation of these complicated and intertwining contexts, and to notice how Stevenson, Wilde and Stoker created characters who spoke not only to their own times but have survived and persisted into our own era.
What our students say
"Dr Bavidge is exceptional...she kept the class engaged and fostered the discussion without taking over. She provided both expert analysis and also context to the period and authors...she truly made me think."
