Societal and political themes – such as class struggle, race/race relations, national/cultural identity, the rights of workers, gender and sexuality – are inextricable from the novel, as the form that seeks to encapsulate the experience of life in the modern world. But although every novel is political, some novels are deliberately so. This seminar will discuss notable novels that engage with political themes as well as the political implications of the novel as a genre. We will also be screening major works of what we might call “political cinema” to complement and enhance our discussion of these political narratives.
