LAPI 823 - Victorian England: Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

3 credits

This course is a study of the two faces of Victorian England: 1) the respectable and highly moralistic image reflected in much of the art as well as in social and cultural norms, and 2) the underbelly of violence and perversion, reflected not only in the decadent artists of the 1890s but also in the social underworld of Jack the Ripper and the increasing population of prostitutes. The course also examines the historical background and the political, social, and economic issues that made such a dichotomy virtually inevitable. Artists who understood this dichotomy, in varying terms, are emphasized: Stevenson, Tennyson, Browning, the Pre-Raphaelites, Gilbert and Sullivan, Wilde, and Beardsley. Through reading, lectures, class discussion, and independent study students investigate the two faces of Victorian England and explore possible parallels in contemporary U.S. society.

Prerequisites LACR*210

Student must have completed the 1st semester of their Sophomore year (45 credits).