FYS 11 Isn't It Romantic? Romance Novels as the People's Genre
While the term "romance novel" today often brings to mind tawdry love stories featuring heaving bosoms and uncontrollable passions, the genre of romance is much more complex than these stereotypes would make it seem. The modern romance novel not only celebrates love, but also questions gender, sexuality, family and friend relationships, and professional success. In this course we will explore the modern romance novel, asking what constitutes a romance novel and what the continuously popular genre can teach us about readers' desires and discontents.
Open only to first-year frosh.