Courses

This course pairs Virginia Woolf and H. G. Wells with the guiding task of understanding how their work offers a new and deeper perspective on war and conflict. Critics have studied Woolf’s work in the context of war, and more broadly, she stands at the very center of academic literary studies; Wells barely registers. In fact, they represent two of the greatest civilian thinkers about war in the 20^th century. In this course, it will be our task (and I hope, our pleasure) to connect these two visionaries of English twentieth century thought and writing on a subject that concerned them and their culture to the greatest possible degree. The aim of this course is to read these geniuses side by side, as they engage the pressing issues of war from many angles (including pacifism, technology, empire, form, the status of the civilian, postwar memory, the body, gender, and more). We will also depart from Woolf and Wells for several classes in the middle of the semester, to engage other voices from the period, including on the issue of war and empire.