Affect and Sympathy in Romanticism

Special session to be proposed for the MLA Annual Convention 2006 in
Philadelphia, PA

The idea of the autonomous individual in the Romantic period emerged
together with a notion of autonomous affects—of affects that are
created by the individual, rather than being caused by sensual
stimuli. How is it possible for an individual to create its own
affects (feelings or moods)? How could such autonomous affects be
conveyed to others? Would they have to be recreated by the others?
If yes, would such creative affective transfer threaten the notion of
sympathy, of feeling together? What is the relationship between
affect and sympathy in Romanticism?

Papers are sought that explore the relationship between affect and
sympathy in European and American Romantic literature, art, and thought.

Please send 250-500 word abstracts by March 15, 2006 to
mmergent_at_princeton.edu

May Mergenthaler
Department of German
Princeton University

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Received on Fri Feb 24 2006 - 11:30:32 EST