Literary history is littered with broken hearts, from Shakespeare’s Ophelia to Emily Brontë’s Catherine Earnshaw. In this talk, historian of the novel Doug Battersby will explore how British fiction has reflected changing cultural understandings of “literal” heartbreak—belief that the heart as an organ of circulation is physically affected by intense emotional experiences, sometimes fatally.

We will focus on the 19th century, when scientists and doctors began to seriously question longstanding belief in the “emotional heart.” Growing scepticism of the heart’s connection to the emotions is reflected in novels by major writers such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Hardy, some earnestly insisting that grief and romantic loss really can kill, and others satirising literal heartbreak as a comically antiquated belief.

We will conclude by reflecting on how recent cardiological discoveries about “broken heart syndrome” prompt a reassessment of the realism of representations of heartbreak in classic novels.

OVADA Warehouse
Friday 9 October
5.30pm – 6.30pm
Free

Accessibility
This will take place on the ground floor of the gallery.

Due to the age of our building, unfortunately our toilets are not fully wheelchair accessible. However, there is an accessible toilet available approximately 3mins walk from us at Courtyard Marriot Hotel.

This project is made possible by support from a Research, Development and Engagement Fellowship from the Arts & Humanities Research Council

FREE