Discussing Romantic-era notions of suicide as both a theme in literature and as an influential component of debates about human rights

This public presentation will unite a discussion of the literary and cultural influence of Wolfgang von Goethe’s novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, with the live performance of two arias from Jules Massenet’s opera, Werther (based on the novel).

Michelle Faubert (English, Film and Theatre, University of Manitoba) will discuss Romantic-era notions of suicide as both a theme in literature and as an influential component of debates about human rights. Robert MacLaren (Music, University of Manitoba), accompanied by Laura Loewen (Music, University of Manitoba), will perform two short arias from Massenet’s opera.

What: The Werther-effect and Romantic-era Perceptions of Suicide
Where: Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium
When: Monday, March 10, at 7 p.m.

This event is in partnership with The Affect Project: Memory, Aesthetics, and Ethics, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.