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Fall 2001 | |
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English 315 (4129) |
Rice 8, (440) 775-8661 |
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MWF, 1:30-12:20, King
339 |
Office hours: TuW,
4:00-5:00 pm, |
Near the end of his career as a novelist, Henry Fielding remarked that a careful reading of fiction offered readers valuable instruction in "the art of life." But other eighteenth-century observers of the form feared that novels threatened to corrupt their readers' tastes, morals, and understandings. This course explores questions about the didactic role of fiction through readings of a series of eighteenth-century novels that relate the adventures, misadventures, trials, and (usually) triumphs of young protagonists as they seek their proper stations in life.
Eighteenth-century Britain witnessed the beginnings of profound social changes, the consequences and implications of which we are still working through. The eighteenth century brought increasing urbanization, commercialization, and globalization, for example, as well as increased social mobility, a rethinking of the relations between men and women, and, amidst it all, a revolutionary growth in print media, including the flourishing of the novel form. The difficulties faced by the characters in the novels we will read as they seek to negotiate complex social relations can tell us a great deal about the emerging categories through which Britons imagined their position in a rapidly changing society -- categories that sometimes resemble (but are seldom precisely identical to) our own notions of, for example, gender and class. At the same time, we will consider the literary qualities of the novel form that may have made it particularly suitable for representing eighteenth-century society and experience, and so made it attractive to and popular with eighteenth-century readers.
This course is intended as an advanced introduction to the eighteenth-century novel and will also help students gain fluency in important concepts and methods in literary scholarship. We will read and discuss texts by major authors and by less well-known writers and will also engage with contemporary critical readings on the novels. In addition to brief critical summaries of selected secondary readings, students will write two short (5-page) interpretive essays and one longer (10-page) research paper. In conjunction with the research paper, each student will produce an annotated bibliography of relevant criticism.
Grading
Written Work
All work should be word-processed or typed.
With the exception of the final paper, all assignments should be handed in to me in class the day they are due. The final paper will be due Monday, December 17 by 5pm. Any requests for extensions must be made (preferably via email) at least 48 hours before the assignment is due. Late papers will be received for reduced credit, going down a third of a grade for each day they are late (e.g. from B+ to B, B to B-, B- to C+, etc.).
>Important Proviso: I would much rather have you present and contributing in class than typing frantically in your room or the computer lab. For this reason, I will not lower the grade on an assignment that is turned in within 24 hours of its due date -- even if you have not previously asked for an extension -- provided that you come to the class at which the assignment is due. After that first 24 hours, the regular penalty for late papers applies.
I would much prefer that you submit your paper to me in hard copy. If you have to email a paper to me (e.g. because of a printer problem), however, attachments should be in Microsoft Word format. I'll use the time stamp on your email to confirm that your paper was submitted on time.
Attendance
Because this is a seminar, attendance and participation in discussion is crucial -- both for you and the other members of the seminar. I understand that emergencies arise, but if at all possible, please let me know ahead of time if you will be absent so I can plan accordingly. More than two unexcused absences will begin to erode the participation portion of your grade. More than six unexcused absences (i.e. 15% of the class meetings) will constitute a "No Entry" for the course.
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WEEK 1 |
W 9/5 F 9/7 |
Introduction Richardson, Pamela: Preface, Letters I -- XXV |
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WEEK 2 |
M 9/10
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Richardson, Pamela: Letter XXVI -- p. 200
(through "Saturday, Sunday") Richardson, Pamela: p. 200 ("Monday, Tuesday ..."
-- end of Volume I Richardson, Pamela: beginning of Volume II -- p. 380 |
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WEEK 3 |
M 9/17
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Richardson, Pamela: p. 380 -end Richardson, Pamela Richardson, Pamela |
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WEEK 4 |
M 9/24
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Fielding, Joseph Andrews: Preface, Books I and
II Fielding, Joseph Andrews: Book III Fielding, Joseph Andrews: Book IV |
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WEEK 5 |
M 10/1
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Fielding, Joseph Andrews Fielding, Tom Jones: Books I and II Fielding, Tom Jones: Books III, IV, and V |
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WEEK 6 |
M 10/8
W 10/10
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Fielding, Tom Jones: BooksVI, VII, and VIII Fielding, Tom Jones: Books IX and X Fielding, Tom Jones: Books XI and XII |
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WEEK 7 |
M 10/15
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Fielding, Tom Jones: Books XIII, XIV, XV, and
XVI Fielding, Tom Jones: Books XVII and XVIII Fielding, Tom Jones |
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WEEK 8 |
10/20-10/28 |
FALL RECESS |
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WEEK 9 |
M 10/29
F 11/2 |
Lennox, Female Quixote: Books I and II Lennox, Female Quixote: Books III, IV, and V Lennox, Female Quixote: Books VI and VII |
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WEEK 10 |
M 11/5
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Lennox, Female Quixote: Books VIII and IX Lennox, Female Quixote Smollett, Humphry Clinker: pp. 1-89 |
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WEEK 11 |
M 11/12
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Smollett, Humphry Clinker: pp. 89-207 Smollett, Humphry Clinker: pp. 207-313 Smollett, Humphry Clinker: pp. 314-395 |
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WEEK 12 |
M 11/19
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Smollett, Humphry Clinker Burney, Evelina: pp. 1-115 Thanksgiving Break -- No Class |
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WEEK 13 |
M 11/26
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Burney, Evelina: p. 115-end of Volume I Burney, Evelina: beginning of Volume II-p. 340 Burney, Evelina: p. 340-end |
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WEEK 14 |
M 12/3
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Austen, Emma: Chapters I.1 -I.7 Austen, Emma: Chapters I.8-II.4 Austen, Emma: Chapters II.5-II.16 |
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WEEK 15 |
M 12/10
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Austen, Emma: Chapters II.17-III.11 Austen, Emma: Chapter III.12 - end Conclusions |