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In this class we will read, analyze, and criticize four literary works about problems of love, marriage, and the family in various countries, especially in relation to economic, social, and political conditions: Jane Austen's novel EMMA and Emily Bronte's WUTHERING HIGHTS in 19th century England, Oscar Wilde's play AN IDEAL HUSBAND in England at the end of the 19th century, and Natsume Soseki's THE WAYFARER (KOJIN) of the early 20th century Japan. In these outstanding works, characters face such conflicts as those between romantic love and financial practicality, idealism and realism, privacy and the public life, passion and rationality.We will explore the artistic ways in which these themes are examined through characterizations, plots, styles, and other techniques. some cross-cultural comparisons will be made concerning customs, moral judgments, psychological insights and ideas.
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