Skip to content
what to work on
- Guidelines: It must be Victorian (1930s-1901, British Empire). It must be something that you can connect to the idea of Sensation, in any of the term’s expansive and multiple meanings. It must be something you can research within the time permitted (e.g. if it’s an object in a special collection in Boston, MA or Boston, UK, and there are no online versions, pick something else!)
- I have provided a list of inspiration as part of this assignment, but you should consider this to be just that—inspirational rather than prescriptive. If you are interested in a particular issue, topic, or idea, come talk to me and perhaps I can give you some more inspiration. Do some digging online (see resources I’ve provided) or in the library.
- Once you have figured out what you are interested in working on, narrow it down. The best projects will be those focused on something specific rather than something broad. This is why I encourage you to think about your object. For instance, don’t try to present on a huge exhibit or museum in London; focus on a particular item or set of items in that exhibit. Instead of representing the Boer War or the Irish Famine, pick a particular representation of the war (a photograph or set of photographs? A news article?). Instead of trying to account for the popularity of Charles Dickens, focus on public response to a particular text or to one of his readings, or perhaps pick a letter or article he wrote about a social issue. Finding a particular document, image, or other text can be very useful in focusing your attention (and the attention of your reader). You can use that object as your interpretive focal point and as a way to think about a larger set of issues.
- Where to look? Begin with some online research or with a book in the library related to a topic that interests you. You might look at general texts on the Victorian period or at some of the general information web resources listed at the end of this document.