Aileen Christensen

Synopsis of Research in Shanghai (Nov 2 - Dec 10)：

Christensen’s dissertation is about medieval fairy figures in nineteenth-century French novels. She is comparing medieval and nineteenth-century literary portrayals while examining fantasies about women and their roles in romantic relationships. Fairies are supposedly from the past and otherworldly places and they often represent an imaginary escape from society and reality. Everything about a fairy—her physical appearance, her living space, her connection to nature, her education—adds to her seductive role in love narratives. As her dissertation is based entirely on French literature, Christensen has no connection to the site in Shanghai, but she will prepare to write and use online reading materials while in residence.