Carly Stevenson
PhD English Literature student at the University of Sheffield. Research interests include: John Keats, Romanticism and the Gothic. Twitter: @stevensoncarly
Location Sheffield, UK
Activity
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Carly Stevenson replied to Dana Rice
Thank you for this marvellous piece, Dana. It really showcases your depth of learning and understanding of the ECH. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the course and hope you'll join us again for ECH MOOC revivals in the future!
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I'm glad you both found the article moving. It's a very well-written and sensitive piece, I think. I'm particularly interested in this part:
'he sees his sufferings as the occasion for a "fresh mode of self-realization". He adds, "That is all I am concerned with". That is, Wilde's self-ruination does not lead him to look outside the self for salvation, but...
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Interesting, Mary. Do you think Wilde wanted the reader to feel a sense of detachment from the characters?
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Hi Anne, I too find Wilde's repeated use of the theme of redemption very interesting and thought you might enjoy reading this article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/jan/14/religion-wilde
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One of Wilde's other short story collections 'The Happy Prince and Other Tales' (1888) was indeed written for children. However, 'The Canterville Ghost' appeared in the later collection 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories' (1891).
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Thanks Martin! I'm sure there'll be a fair few budding Gothicists interested in that, myself included!
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You're on the right track, Ruth! Gothic is a literary genre that combines elements of horror and Romance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction - think ghosts, vampires, supernatural events that can't be explained, etc...
You might find this 'bonus video' interesting (made by Adam & I for the first run of this course) in which several PhD students...
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I visited Whitby around this time last year for the annual Goth weekend and I did the 'Dracula experience', which was very frightening. Frighteningly bad, anyway!
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As a seasoned Gothicist, there aren't many books out there that frighten me ;) However, I have to admit, Dracula did spook my teenage self. I was about 13 years old when I first read it and I can vividly recall the moment when Harker sees Dracula crawl up the walls of the castle...
Very chilling stuff!
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You're right there, Petra! Gothic was an architectural style long before it was 'in vogue' with literary crowds.
Edmund Burke's 1757 treatise 'A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful' goes some way to contextualise this renewed interest in the Gothic style. He stated that any object that induces simultaneous fear...
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She was certainly as prolific, not to mention walking that King-esque line between horror and sensation!
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The portrayal of female and/or national identity in 19th century (colonial?) writing could be a very fruitful topic. I imagine women's journals and letters would offer an interesting angle. What did you write your MA thesis on?
Getting an article published before embarking on a PhD is very ambitious. I wish you all the best in this endeavour, but I...
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Hi Virginia, if you'd like to watch the recording, skip to the 10 minute mark (to avoid sound issues) and watch from there :) Sorry about the technical difficulties!
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^ Which, of course, was prefigured by the mighty 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley! (1818 and 1831)
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You're welcome, Emily. There are plenty of lesser known examples of late Victorian and fin de siècle Gothic that focus on themes of degeneration, decay and psychology. Here's a link to a great article from the British Library website that illustrates this movement towards a more Urban, scientific kind of horror:...
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I'm glad you're enjoying the course, Christina. That's great news! Do you know what area of Literature you'd like to research? I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about the PhD.
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Hi Emily, sorry your question didn't get answered before the end of the hangout! Many Gothic texts were written and/or published towards the end of the 19th century, most notably Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' (1897) and Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1891) and RL Stevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' (1886). Much 'Fin de Siecle'...
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Thanks, Mark!
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Carly Stevenson made a comment
Thank you all for a thought-provoking array of questions! Unfortunately, it wasn't possible for our educators to respond to everything, however, I'll be checking this thread regularly for the remainder of this week and I'm more than happy to discuss all things Gothic!
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Thanks Christina!
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Yes, Barry, I think context is key here! Radcliffe's Gothic style was certainly an emerging genre at the time and would have been quite exciting for young people to read! Radcliffe was prolific in her day, too. She published an immense amount and actually earned a living from writing, which was pretty rare back then!
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Hi Astrid, this exercise is asking you to think about whether Austen invites the reader to lightly mock the nature of Catherine's character as she responds to the Gothic novel. How we we, as readers, judge Catherine from this excerpt? I think she is certainly imaginative, perhaps to a fault, as her imagination ends up getting her into trouble later on in the...
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That's great, Stephanie. Really pleased you're enjoying the course so far. I share your enthusiasm for lifelong learning and I agree that Futurelearn is a fantastic platform for this :) Best of luck with getting your book in print, if you're planning on sending it off to the publishers! I'm looking forward to seeing people make connections at the end of next...
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Carly Stevenson replied to Tricia Roberts
You're welcome, Tricia :)
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I agree, I think Austen is playfully mocking the Gothic genre whilst making a nod to Radcliffe as a literary ancestor!
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Glad you enjoyed the video, Stephanie! I have the privilege of having both Angela and Andy Smith (who'll you'll meet next week) as my PhD supervisors :) Are you a fan of Gothic literature?
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Carly Stevenson replied to Tricia Roberts
Absolutely, Tricia. Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber' is a great example of how the Gothic genre has evolved in recent years. You may find this article of interest: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jun/24/classics.angelacarter
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A good example would be:
'Such a change in a man of so much pride exciting not only astonishment but gratitude—for to love, ardent love, it must be attributed; and as such its impression on her was of a sort to be encouraged...'
This passage allows the reader to experience the character's private thoughts and feelings. It also blurs tenses so you feel...
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That's right - when the narrative slips into the character's private thoughts and feelings, that's free indirect discourse.
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That's an interesting point, Jyade and Antonia. There's certainly some overlap between the two voices. Do you think the narrator shows empathy for Elizabeth in this passage? Does the use of free indirect discourse help the reader to empathise? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!
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That's part of the beauty of Austen's storytelling, Philippa - the FID is interwoven with the narrative in such a crafted way that it's a challenge to distinguish between the 'voices' that make up the fabric of the novel.
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Hi Claire, thanks for bringing this up - Burney certainly had an influence on Austen's writing and we know that Austen was a reader of Burney. Austen's style is quite different, of course, but she is certainly indebted to Burney. What parallels and similarities have you noticed in your own reading of both women's work?
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A Google Hangout enables you to watch an event live from your screen and write comments/questions as it's playing. The full video is available on YouTube if you'd like to see it!
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Carly Stevenson made a comment
Aaaaaand that's a wrap! Thank you all for taking part. Remember, you can watch the Hangout on YouTube if you missed it live. And you can keep the discussions going here!
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Thanks for flagging this up, Christina. The Hangout is about to end in a few minutes, but I'll let the team know. Hopefully it's just signal failure and won't happen in the recording!
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Carly Stevenson made a comment
Hi everyone!
Thank you for the fantastic questions you've asked so far! Adam and Susan won't be able to answer all of your question during the Hangout, but rest assured, they'll try to get through as many as possible in the time they have. -
Hi Trevor, I've tried to condense your question for the hangout and I think what you're asking (in a nutshell) is: how important is context when reading literature of a previous era? I'll put this question forward now. If you're watching live, you should be able to see if A & S get around to answering it :)
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I think that's a persuasive suggestion, Lisbeth. Hamlet is overruled at court by his uncle's authority, so the stage becomes his substitute arena.
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You're most welcome, Angela. I think intuitive reading is really important, particularly when reading poetry: you can get a 'feel' or 'sense' of the poem without necessarily grasping how the words produce that effect. Close reading simply allows you to back up your reading with evidence. I hope you enjoy the next few weeks! And remember, you don't have to...
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I have no idea, Mark! I suspect these establishments attract a rather different crowd to Addison's haunts, though!
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Hi Mark, that's a good idea. I used to be a member of a reading group held at Waterstones after opening hours. That was a nice atmosphere.
I wondered if anyone on this course attends a reading group in a coffee shop? And if so, how do these meetings compare with Addison's vision of the coffee house?
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Enjoy!
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Hopefully you'll enjoy Weeks 4 and 6 then! :)
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I follow your meaning, Amy!
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Hi Richard, the Wikipedia page for coffeehouses is actually a pretty useful starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehouse
You might find this line in the section on European coffeehouses useful: 'The coffee houses were great social levellers, open to all men and indifferent to social status'. Although this wasn't necessarily the case in all...
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Great example, James!
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Joan's right, Mark. You'll be able to view it afterwards.
If you have a specific question, let me know and I'll see what I can do in the way of including it in the hangout :)
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Carly Stevenson replied to chris reynolds
Hi all, thanks for the feedback.
The links between texts and particular houses are deliberately vague to encourage debate about the English Country House as a concept and a genre. Whilst we do use some interdisciplinary approaches, it's worth mentioning that this is a Literature FutureLearn course, so the focus is really on the texts, which we read in...
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Virginia Woolf, 'Orlando' :)
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Hi Pat. I'm interested to know if you have a preference for these meetings? How does place influence the atmosphere of your discussions? The reading groups I'm a member of usually meet in coffee shops, cafes or in the University, so I'd be interested to hear how the group dynamic works in a pub or hotel lounge!
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That's a really important point, Angela and Shaun.
Coffee houses were mostly frequented by men in the 18th century. And, as Adam Smith points out elsewhere, the periodicals circulated in these places were written by men for men! These spaces attracted educated people of 'polite society' - an arena for political discussion and lively debate!
To what...
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I agree, Ann. For me, the coffee house is both a public and a private space. I wrote my first dissertation almost entirely in coffee shops because I enjoy the atmosphere: it lacks the oppressive silence of the library, without being distractingly noisy!
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Hi Lisa, have you tried left clicking the link and selecting the 'open in a new tab' option?
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Hi Peter, that depends on the language used by the writer. Modern literature isn't necessarily easier to understand, it's just presented in a way that we're more familiar with. Are you having any particular difficulties so far? I understand that many learners didn't get on well with Shakespeare.
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Hi Angela, you can do as much or a little as you're schedule permits. This activity should help you to develop your close reading skills and research techniques in a way that isn't too time-consuming. We'll be looking at extracts rather than whole texts, as in the previous weeks. Maybe select a sentence of two to read closely and focus on this? And of course,...
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Carly Stevenson replied to chris reynolds
Hi all,
Firstly, I can assure you that there's no more Shakespeare to come over the remaining weeks, so you can breath a sigh of relief if the Bard isn't your cup of tea! ;)The course focuses on country house Literature rather than the houses themselves, though of course, the estates (and indeed the historical context surrounding them) are central to our...
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I agree, Aileen. Cavendish presents the reader with a scene to scrutinise - we (the readers) are invited to cast judgement on both women and indeed their husbands!
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It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? Cavendish (or at least, the narrative persona she projects in this letter) seems to disapprove of the rowdy woman's behaviour, but perhaps she is inviting the imagined reader to cast a critical eye over both extremes? Cavendish was a philosophical thinker, so I'm tempted to read this piece satirically.
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Hi Karen, do take a look at the transcript and perhaps try the video again on a different device? If the problem persists, please could you report the problem to FutureLearn. I hope the rest of the videos work for you!
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Hi Elizabeth, I see your point - it is observational and playful, rather like gossip. Do you think she endorses either of the women's behaviours, or does she attempt to take a more neutral stance?
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Hi Laura, deciding what literature is and isn't is tricky. In some ways, it resists any fixed definition. Literature refers to written works - particularly those of artistic 'value' (which is, of course, totally subjective). I'd argue that the 'literariness' of a text depends on a variety of factors beyond the words themselves: form, context, reception and so...
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Hi Nicola-- that's an interesting question. Perhaps the spot has a double meaning in this poem? The Oxford Dictionary defines 'spot' as both a physical stain or a blemish on one's character: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/spot
We might ask: why would a baby have a blemish on his character? I think you're right in suggesting that the...
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I'd agree, Laura. The overripe imagery seems to mirror Jonson's excessive flattery and the phrase 'ripe daughters' reduces the female body to the same status as the fruits they bear.
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Agreed! The lavish food is mentioned without any description of the toil that inevtiably produced it. Penshurst seems to depend on the sacrifices of animals and workers ('tribute fish', for example), so Jonson's picture of a harmonious paradise is unbalanced.
'To Penshurst' is often considered the model of country house poetry - it was intended to...
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Hi Megan, what about the line when Hamlet refers to the players as 'friends'? Do you think he's being false and using the actors for his own purposes, or is there anything in this excerpt (or indeed other moments in the play) that suggest he holds actors in high esteem? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!
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Hi Zela, I think the comparison between the players and reporters is an interesting one, supported by Hamlet's line: 'let them be well used: for they are the abstracts and brief
chronicles of the time'. He's certainly aware that they serve a greater purpose than mere entertainment - something that Polonius clearly misses. Hamlet shows his esteem for the... -
Absolutely. Dramatic irony in action!
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Lydia -- yes, it's great that the Globe are holding up the tradition! I also enjoy the live cinema screenings from the Globe and the National Theatre. I do hope to see Benedict's Hamlet, but I'll have to queue for tickets on the day and hope for the best! This 'method' has worked well for me in the past! :)
Katherine and Aileen -- that's an interesting...
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Hi all,
Thanks for the comments. I've seen a few different Hamlets now but this by far my favourite. I had to register at the V&A film archive to be able to view a recording of the entire play but it was well worth my time. Whishaw's petulant, student-like Hamlet was refreshing. I can hardly believe he was just in his early 20s when he was cast!Aileen --...
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Hi Sue,
R & G hope that the players will cheer Hamlet up, so the performance (the play within the play) is partly orchestrated by them, however, the players were already touring, so it's likely they would've visited regardless of Hamlet's melancholia. I suppose the fact that the players happened to be touring at that time is a coincidence, but hardly an... -
Carly Stevenson made a comment
Hello all,
Some of you might be interested to see this short clip from dir. Trevor Nunn's acclaimed production of Hamlet (Old Vic, 2004): https://vimeo.com/16882678 shared from the V&A museum.
This clip shows Hamlet addressing the players and offering them advice on how to perform. What might this excerpt from the play reveal about the relationship...
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How strange. I think they offer 30 day free trials if that's any good? :)
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Perhaps he'd argue there is no wrong way to interpret the text? :)
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Thanks for all the fantastic suggestions! I'll add these to my reading list...
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Carly Stevenson replied to Kath C
That's how I interpreted those lines, too. The past-tense imperative 'sent' is very effective. Katherine, I really like your reading of the pear as symbolic of the 'ripe' female body. This imagery leaves a bad taste, if you'll excuse the pun! In this seemingly ideal, 'non-hierarchical' setting, there's an underlying reliance on animals (or indeed people) as...
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That's an interesting reading of the veil sequence, Danielle. The veil carries connotations of chasteness and modesty, so the act of unveiling is almost like a symbolic striptease.
Lance-- I didn't have to enter any details to access the OED site, but if you're having trouble viewing it, try typing 'OED definition veil' into Google search instead.
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Hi Virginia,
Do you think there is still a sense of hierarchy in Jonson's rural idyll? And if so, is this in harmony with the concept of Utopia? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this! -
Carly Stevenson replied to Kath C
Hi Katherine - I think you've picked up on something important in the phrase 'ripe daughters'. Ripeness is used synonymously with fertility here, but this language arguably reduces the daughters to the same status as the fruits and plants Jonson describes in this bucolic 'paradise'. In this sense, the 'ripe daughters' are hardly distinguishable from the...
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I really enjoyed reading your interpretation, Fiona. Why do you think Jonson presents Penshurst in this idyllic way?
This language of abundance conveys a heady, almost overripe atmosphere - a second Eden perhaps. Is there anything in here to suggest that all isn't what it seems?
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Absolutely, Noille. Tolkien's work depends on paratextual features (maps, languages and illustrations) so that's a great example of how the 'material conditions' influence our reading of a text.
Can anyone think of other examples?
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Mindy -- thank you! Best of luck to you, too. It is difficult, but incredibly rewarding work that's full of exciting challenges. All worth it :) What research interests would you like to pursue?
Sarah -- I love both the film and TV adaptations of Jane Eyre! Visiting the locations is a really great way to conceptualise the imaginary landscape of a novel, so...
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Hi Marion, feel free to do as much or as little as you like. The course can be completed entirely at your own pace :) Enjoy!
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Hi Sue -- I suppose it's a matter of perspective. The first time I read a text, it's often purely for pleasure, but when I read a text again, I respond to it critically. Close reading can be a lot of fun if you see it as an exercise in finding 'clues' or nuances you might not have spotted the first time round. And of course, it's important to remember that...
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Absolutely, Silvia! The more you re-read a text, the more you'll see!
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Don't worry Melanie -- the more you practice close reading skills, the easier it'll be! It can be quite a challenge with older texts, so perhaps you'll get the hang of it when we get onto some of the later texts. Keep going :)
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Absolutely, Penelope. The veil of words conceals (and reveals) more than the physical veil.
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Interesting point, Angela. Do you think Shakespeare was trying to communicate something here about the nature of attraction? If Olivia falls in love with Viola in disguise, is it the disguise she falls for, or Viola herself? After all, it is only when Viola speaks in her own voice (and momentarily steps out of character, as Susan points out) that she becomes...
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Hi both,
I think you've picked up on something really significant here. It's a performance within a performance. As I think you mentioned earlier, Mark - both Olivia and Viola would have traditionally been 'trouser roles': Olivia would have therefore been performed by a male actor playing a female character disguised as a male character! So, 'cross dressing'... -
I agree, Antonia. You might find the OED definitions of 'veil' of interest to your reading of this excerpt: http://www.oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=veil&_searchBtn=Search
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Welcome back, Mark! :)
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Carly Stevenson made a comment
Hi all,
I'm a returning Mentor on this course and I'm currently working towards my PhD in the School of English at Sheffield. My research interests include Gothic literature and late, British Romanticism, particularly the poetry and letters of John Keats.I’m a keen Country House tourist and my favourite has to be Haddon Hall. The gardens are superb and...
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Carly Stevenson replied to Jo Scheffer
Hi Jo! Glad this course has helped you gain access to these properties, albeit virtually! Enjoy :)
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Hi Harry! I'm very interested to hear about your exclusive 'behind the scenes' knowledge of country houses! Perhaps you'll be able to shed some light on how these properties are managed from an architectural point of view. Hope you enjoy the course!
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Hi Angela, welcome to the course! Thanks for sharing your blog with us - what a fantastic, personal experience of a country house! You mention several of my favourite book in there, too, so I hope we can discuss this in more detail as the course progresses :)
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Carly Stevenson replied to Jenny Denton
Thanks for your comment Mary -- that's exactly right. Anne Radcliffe, for example, was actually a prolific writer in her day. However, the biased canonization process (which typically prioritised privileged, white men) meant that she fell into relative obscurity... until recent years! We had a conference celebrating Radcliffe's 250th birthday last year at the...
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Carly Stevenson replied to Jenny Denton
Hi Jenny, welcome to the course!
The 'draw a castle' task from last year was designed to encourage people to visualise the 'sublime' in Gothic places (more on this in week 5!). We had some really creative entries and many learners found it useful to conceptualise their ideas in an artistic way. Of course, not everyone responded well to this task, but it was...
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Carly Stevenson replied to Joan Greenleaf
Welcome back, Joan!
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Carly Stevenson replied to Margaret Mills
Welcome back, Margaret :)
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Carly Stevenson replied to Jo Scheffer
Jo -- you might find it helpful to read the transcripts whilst watching the videos?
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Carly Stevenson replied to Jo Scheffer
Hi Jo, welcome to the course! Are you viewing the video on a computer/laptop or from a phone/tablet?