Seminar
Dr. Alexander Grammatikos on Mary Shelley and the Greek War of Independence
Join us Friday, November 23rd, to hear Dr. Alexander Grammatikos, Hellenic Studies alumnus and Langara College Instructor, present a seminar entitled: "Mary Shelley and the Greek War of Independence."
This public talk is presented as part of the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies Fall Seminar Series, which features exciting, new research in Hellenic Studies from disciplines such as Archaeology, Classics, Literature, and Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern Greek History.
Campus: Burnaby
Room: AQ 6204
Date: November 23, 2018
Time: 2:30-4:00pm
This event is free, but seating is limited. RSVP to hsevents@sfu.ca
Seminar Abstract
In this presentation, I will discuss Mary Shelley’s engagement with early nineteenth-century Greek politics and involvement with the British Philhellenic movement. Shelley’s various responses to the Greek War of Independence will be analyzed in relation to her literary circle, which included her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and their friend Lord Byron, arguably two of the most popular Philhellenes of the nineteenth century. Moreover, by focusing predominantly on Mary Shelley’s 1826 novel The Last Man, my paper will analyze the trajectory of the author’s own response to the Greek War of Independence, from, initially, idealistic (and perhaps, naïve) supporter of the war to astute examiner of the sociopolitical and cultural issues involved with Europe’s intervention in Greco-Ottoman warfare.