SYLLABUS BRITISH VICTORIAN WRITERS (ENGL. 362) Dr. Helen Bittel Course Description: Explores the work of major literary figures of the Victorian age in relation to one another and to the history and ideologies of their times. Studies representative texts from a range of genres: poetry, drama, the essay, the short story, and the novel. Includes such writers as Tennyson, the Brownings, Carlyle, the Rossettis, Arnold, and Wilde. Core Curriculum Skills: Enhance critical thinking (broadly defined) Enhance awareness of diversity issues Enhance aesthetic sense Course Goals: To sharpen students' critical thinking, close reading, and literary analysis skills To explore a range of genres and celebrated authors characteristic of the Victorian period To appreciate and evaluate the aesthetic and social dimensions of Victorian literary texts To understand the historical progression of literature across the Victorian period To identify and explore the major literary-critical questions asked by the Victorians as well as those asked about Victorian literature today. To articulate the complex ways in which Victorian literature both reflects and shapes its historical and cultural contexts Course Objectives: Student will be able to: Identify representative texts and authors as Victorian and explain what is (or isn't) Victorian about them Identify the major literary-critical, philosophical, and social questions with which Victorian writers engaged Recognize and articulate the formal aspects of a given text Apply contemporary critical approaches to a given text Use secondary texts to further their understanding of primary texts Defend, in writing, their understanding of the texts studied Defend the relevance of Victorian literature to contemporary readers Course Texts: I have placed orders for the following texts at the College Bookstore; The Broadview volumes are sold as a bundle. Damrosch, David, et al. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. 2nd edition. Volume 2B. Braddon, Mary Elizabeth. Lady Audley's Secret. (Ed. Natalie Houston). Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. (Ed. Richard Kelly). Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D'Urbervilles. (Ed. Sarah Maier.) Course Requirements Attendance: I will circulate an attendance sheet during each class session. You will be marked absent if you do not sign. If for some reason the sheet misses your row, please see me immediately after class. Your final grade will be reduced one-third of a letter grade for each absence beyond three; after five absences you will need to choose between withdrawing and failing the course. Fall and winter student-athletes should speak with me early in the semester. Please note that the easiest way to learn of snow cancellations is to phone 570-961-4SNO and listen to the recorded message. Participation: The success of a discussion class depends upon the regular, active, and meaningful participation of each member. At two points in the semester, you will be asked to assess your own contributions, using a rubric I will distribute. I will then read your responses and assign a participation score. The classroom is a formal environment dedicated to learning; students are expected to behave in a courteous and respectful manner. Preparation: Our general reading schedule is outlined below. Make a habit of reading carefully and actively, delving beneath the surface (i.e. beyond the basics of plot, character and setting), completing the appropriate study guide (see below) and writing down any questions you may have about the material I strongly recommend that you read the introductions provided in the textbook for each author. They don't require much extra reading time but often offer valuable insights. The same is true of the footnotes. Longer readings are marked with asterisks (** ) so that you can plan ahead. Study Guides: Over the course of the semester, you will have 18 opportunities to submit completed study guides. These study guides, which are available through the course web site:http://www.marywood.edu/english/bittel362britishvictorianwriters.stm ask “guiding questions” about the text we will be discussing and are intended to help you read more closely and actively. I will score these using a rubric. You are required to submit at least 10 of the 18 study guides; if you wish, you may submit more than 10, but I will only count the your 10 best scores. Your 8 “drops” are intended to cover legitimate illnesses and emergencies, so ration them wisely. Because these are graded assignments, you will need to submit them at the start of the class period. Therefore, if you would like to refer to or take notes on your study guide, plan to either print out two copies or to email my copy to me prior to class. Also, to avoid giving some students an unfair advantage, I will not accept late study guides. I will, however, accept study guides sent as by email (either as Word attachments or pasted into the text of your message) before 2:30pm on the due date. Normally, it is not necessary to consult outside sources to complete these assignments(unless the study guide specifies otherwise). If you do use such sources, and your findings shape your answers, it is important that you I) paraphrase appropriately, 2) follow MLA citation guidlines, just as you would in a formal essay, unless, the material would be considered "common knowledge" by scholars of Victorian literature, and 3) work with legitimate academic souces (Sparknotes/Pink Monkey Notes/Schoolsucks/etc. do not qualify). Essay: You will be writing one essay of at least 5p, due Date, based on Lady Audleys's Secret. You will be given a copy of the rubric along with the essay guidelines. Late essays must be submitted by the class meeting following the due date and will be docked 20%. Proofread your papers thoroughly, since careless work will be returned to you ungraded and will be counted late when resubmitted; the same goes for papers with unnecessarily large fonts and margins (e.g. papers with less than 250-300 words per page). You will be offered an opportunity to revise this essay for a higher grade, provided that you attach both the original essay and a reflective statement in which you explain and evaluate the changes you have made. Revision is not merely cometic but involves rethinking; I will not regrade "revisions" that simply correct grammatical and mechanical errors. If you refer to outside sources in your paper, please use mla documentation form internal citations and a works cited list) to acknowledge these sources. Historical Contexts Assignment: Another course assignment will require you to read one or more short historical documents, prepare a written summary/analysis (2-3p) and present a summary of your findings to the class (3 minute maximum, strictly reinforced). Guidelines and a rubric will be provided; the deadline will vary according to your specific reading assignment. Final Exam: The first part of this exam will require you to read and interpret a Victorian poem that we have not discussed in class. The questions will be "short answer" and will follow the format of the suty guides; you will have some freedom to choose from the questions offered. The second part of the exam will be an essay about Tess of the D'Urbervilles. You will be given several possible questions prior to the test, and I will choose from these. You may bring a handwritten 3 x 5 card of notes into the test with you. Plagiarism Plagiarism: Plagiarism occurs whenever you reproduce or paraphrase someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit to that source, even if you do so inadvertently or in a piecemeal fashion (mosaic plagiarism). If you are charged with plagiarism, you may fail the course and/or face University sanctions, as outlined in the handbook; at the very least, you will receive a zero for the assignment and your final grade will be reduced. You are responsible for understanding the definitions of plagiarism outlined on this Penn State website: http://www.courses.psu.edu/engl/engl030_jth/PLAGIARI.html For more detailed suggestions for avoiding plagiarism (and especially for identifying “common knowledge”), visit the Purdue Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html If you need help distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate paraphrasing, try the exercises offered by the Purdue Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_paraphr.html Email: I frequently distribute course handouts by email, so plan to check your account regularly. Grading Grades will be determined by adding the number of points earned for each assignment. Please bear in mind that the grading scale does not reflect a percentage system but corresponds to the holistic scoring rubrics I have developed for each task. Maximum point values for each assignment are outlined below: Study guides 10@12 pts. each Essays (5p) 40 pts. Historical background assignment 20 pts. Participation assessments 2@ 10 pts. each Final Exam 50 pts. Total 250 pts. A 235-250 C 130-147 A- 218-235 C-112-129 B+ 202-219 D+94-111 B 184-201 D 76-93 B- 166-183 F Below 76 C+ 148-165 Resources Contact Information: Feel free to contact me by phone (570-348-6211 ext. 2237) or email (bittel@es.marywood.edu) if you have questions about any of the assignments or would like to discuss your progress in the course. Office Hours: My office is Liberal Arts Center 120M, and my office hours are M/W 10-12 and 1-2 and T/TH 1:30-2:30. While you don't need an appointment to see me at these times, you are invited to make one; this allows me to reserve a time slot especially for you. If these times are not convenient for you, please phone or email to set up an alternate meeting time. Disability Support: Marywood University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should advise the instructor and submit documentation of the disability to the Office of Disability Services, Liberal Arts Center 202, in order for reasonable accommodations to be granted. The Office of Disability Services will determine the appropriate accommodation and, in cooperation with the instructor, will work to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in this class. To best serve the needs of the student, he/she should notify the instructor and the Office of Disability Services of special accommodation needs by the last day to register for semester classes. The Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in the Academic Excellence Center in LAC 203 (570-340-6045). Tutors can assist you with both your technical/grammatical and more general writing concerns, though they are not a proofreading service. Web Resources: George Landow’s award-winning The Victorian Web is an indispensable tool for students and scholars of Victorian literature. On this site, you will find both background materials on various aspects of Victorian life and history and specific discussions of most of the authors and works on our syllabus. This site can be accessed at: http://www.victorianweb.org/ I have also, throughout the reading schedule, included links to other credible, college-level web resources relevant to the texts we are studying. These are not “required reading”; they are supplementary materials that may help you to interpret the work. I have not included links to specific sections of The Victorian Web because I am assuming that you can find those on your own through the project’s home page. I encourage you to draw on these to enhance your understanding of texts, authors, and contexts. Finally: Please sign and date below to indicate that you have carefully read this document and fully understand the course requirements. Spring 2007 Reading Schedule for ENGL 362 T 1/16 Introduction to the Course R 1/18 Read: "The Victorian Age" (1099-1122). Browse: The Victorian Web http://www.victorianweb.org/ Sign and date: Course Syllabus T 1/23 Read: Vivion Smith’s What is Poetry? website (Galludet University): http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/literature/poetry.html#rhythm You don’t need to memorize all of these terms systematically---and some of this material may be familiar enough that you can skim it. But you should be able to recognize and apply these terms and concepts when you see them in use. Review: The section on “Meter” in the “Literary and Cultural Terms” section of your text (p. 2120-22). Additional resources: If you find reading poetry especially challenging (or even if you would like to learn to do it more skillfully), you may find these sites to be helpful. Roxanne Kent-Drury (Northern Kentucky University): http://www.nku.edu/~rkdrury/poetryexplication.html LitLinks (Bedford-St. Martin’s Press): http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/litlinks/poetry/readpoet.htm Barbara McManus (College of New Rochelle): http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetry2.html R 1/25 Read: Darwin, from On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man (1254-64) Due today: Study guide #1 T 1/30 Read: Tennyson, from In Memoriam (Stanzas 1-67; 1165-80) Due today: Study guide #2 Resources: Florence Boos (University of Iowa): http://www.english.uiowa.edu/courses/boos/questions/tennyinmem.htm Al Drake (Cal State Fullerton): http://www.ajdrake.com/e212_sum_04/materials/authors/tennyson_sq.htm R 2/1 Read: Tennyson, from In Memoriam (Stanzas 72-end;1180-94) Due today: Study guide #3 T 2/6 Read: Browning, "Caliban Upon Setebos" (1348-54) Due today: Study guide #4 Resources: Phillip Reed and Lauren Coyle (Stockton State University): http://caxton.stockton.edu/Caliban/stories/storyReader$3 Al Drake (Cal State Fullerton): http://www.ajdrake.com/teachers/teaching/questions/browning_rob_drake.htm R 2/8 Read: Browning, "Porphyria's Lover" (1308) Due today: Study guide #5 T 2/13 Read: Mill, from "The Subjection of Women" and "Statement Repudiating the Rights of Husbands" (1086-95) Due today: Study guide #6 R 2/15 Read: Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh Book I (1112-20) Due today: Study guide #7 T 2/20 Read: Barrett Browning, from Aurora Leigh Books II, III, V (1120-33) Due today: Study guide #8 R 2/22 Read: Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. Introductory essay (9-40) and Ch. I-V (49-91)** Resource: John McIlvain (Least Tern): http://www.leasttern.com/alice/aliceques.html T 2/27 Read: Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. Ch. VI to end (92-156)** Due today: Study guide #9 R 3/1 Read: "Perspectives" section of textbook, determined by class vote. Due today: Study guide #10 Spring Break !!! T 3/13 Read: Arnold, from Culture and Anarchy (1583-1593) Due today: Study guide #11 R 3/15 Read: Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret. Introductory essay (9-29) and V.1 Ch. I-XI (43-124)** Resources: Karen Droisen (University of Nevada, Las Vegas): http://www.unlv.edu/faculty/droisen/mebsnap.html Chris Willis: http://www.chriswillis.freeserve.co.uk/braddon.htm T 3/20 Read: Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret. V.1 Ch. XII-XIX and V.2 Ch. I-VI (124-231)** Due today: Study guide #12 R 3/22 Read: Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret. V.2 Ch. VII-XIII and V.3 Ch.I (232-337)** T 3/27 Read: Braddon, Lady Audley's Secret. V3. Ch. II to end (338-446)** Due today: Study guide #13 R 3/29 Read: D. Rossetti, "The Blessed Damozel" (1601-04) Due today: Study guide #14 Resources: Al Drake (Cal State Fullerton): http://www.ajdrake.com/e212_fall_04/materials/authors/rossettis_sq.htm Jerome McGann, The Rossetti Archives (University of Virginia): http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/1-1847.s244.raw.html T 4/3 Read: C. Rossetti, "Goblin Market" (1618-30) Due today: Study guide #15 Resources: Tamara Ketabgian (University of Utah): http://u.cc.utah.edu/~tsk2/ENGL6640goblin.html Elisabeth Gruener (University of Richmond): http://www.richmond.edu/~egruner/english303/rossetti.html EASTER BREAK T 4/10 Read: Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Introductory essay (9-19), Preface (27-31), Phase the First (33-103) and Phase the Second (104-130)** Resources: Lilia Melani (Brooklyn College): http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/hardy/index.html Tamara Ketabgian (University of Utah): http://u.cc.utah.edu/~tsk2/tesspg.html R 4/12 Read: Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Phase the Third (131-81) and Phase the Fourth (182-254)** Due today: Study guide #16 T 4/17 Read: Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Phase the Fifth (255-330)** R 4/19 Read: Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Phase the Sixth (331-392) and Phase the Seventh (393-424)** Due today: Study guide #17 T 4/24 Read: Wilde, "The Decay of Lying" (1864-79), Preface to Dorian Gray (1883-84) and The Importance of Being Earnest, First Act (1885-99).** Resource: Al Drake (Cal State Fullerton): http://www.ajdrake.com/e212_spr_03/materials/authors/wilde_sq.htm R 4/26 Read: Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Second and Third Acts (1899-1924) Due today: Study guide #18 Please note: Today is the last day of class, as all Thursday classes this week are cancelled in observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Final Exam: Day and time will follow the University schedule and will be announced later in the semester. ** designates a relatively long reading assignment. It is your responsibility to plan ahead and to pace yourself accordingly!! EACH SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Contact the English Department at: 570-348-6219. E-mail: English@marywood.edu.

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Last update February 13, 2007
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