FT 012-R Dark Satanic Mills: The Industrial Revolution in England through a Literary Lens
Kay Widdows, Department of Economics
What is progress? Is progress always and everywhere a good thing? This tutorial will examine some of the economic and social consequences of the Industrial Revolution through the lens of the Victorian “industrial novel.” These texts help us understand how the Industrial Revolution affected different classes of people in 19th-century England and how these different classes viewed each other during this time. We will also explore the broader context of these novels through various non-literary lenses by analyzing economic data, reading government documents, and investigating the physics of the early steam engines that revolutionized production processes. An important component of this tutorial is an immersion trip to northern England over the week-long Thanksgiving break, during which we will visit important industrial museums, Victorian textile factories, and other sites connected to the material we will read during the semester. To enroll in this Freshman Tutorial, the student MUST be able to participate in the immersion trip to England over the Thanksgiving Break (November 16-25). Students will be responsible for paying for most of their own meals and any incidental expenditures. All travel, lodging, and museum admission fees will be paid for by Wabash College. Students planning to participate in intercollegiate sports must check with their coach before registering for this tutorial to determine how being absent for these dates will affect their position with the team. Students enrolled in this tutorial must be in good standing with the Business Office before departing on the immersion trip. All students enrolled must hold a valid passport and be eligible to travel outside of the United States. This immersion trip is generously funded by John C. and Diane Schroeder.
