Melodrama

Catalog description

Melodrama began as particular theatrical form in 18th century France, flourished in the 19th century, and became an array of conventions and modes of expression employed in film, politics, and literature. It has come to occupy an important place in critical analysis of culture. This course will examine theatrical and cinematic melodramas, the melodramatic mode in fiction and politics, and the use of melodrama as a scholarly critical lens.