The eighteenth century is an age dominated by prose, witness to a startling complex of new contexts from which that prose emerged: increasing urbanization and commercialization; increasing social mobility; a rethinking of the relations between men and women; and a revolutionary growth in print media. How did this particular new form of print, the “novel,” emerge in England, and why? How did this new form of writing shape modern concepts of gender and morality as intertwined performances? Why were novels so closely associated with women, with dangerous women readers, and with dangerous women writers? Why were so many novels in the eighteenth century written by men about—and often as—women? Coursework will include presentations and student-led discussions on primary and secondary sources, formal essays, exams, and a web-based research project. Readings are likely to include work by Haywood, Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Lennox, Burney, and Dacre. **This course is open to both honors students and English majors.