Spring 2008-->A Case Study: Images of Modernity focuses on the arts in society during the period of intense modernization that begins in the middle of the nineteenth century (the Second Empire in France) and peaks in the avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century. The course is designed as a case study of an interdisciplinary topic. We will explore the conception of modernity and its effects in a range of primary works of literature and the visual arts (especially Impressionist painting and avant-garde cinema). Our focus is on the cultures of Western Europe, with an emphasis on Anglo-Irish, English, French, and German works. Related readings include essays in cultural studies and literary criticism.