Printer friendly version: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/468/syllabus-468-161.pdf
Prof. Jim Garrett
Office: E & T A606
Office Hours: T/Th 9:00-9:40am and by appt
Phone: (323) 343-4163
Email: jgarret@calstatela.edu
Course web site: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/468/
Prerequisites: Upper division standing is prerequisite to enrollment in 400-level courses. ENGL 102 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all upper division English courses. Prerequisite for all literature courses: ENGL 250, or 200A, 200B or 200C unless otherwise stated.
Description: This course surveys literature of the Victorian period (1832-1901). We'll examine major authors, genres, and works in their cultural and historical context. The Victorians wrote long books: Tennyson's In Memoriam consists of over 100 separate but linked lyric poems; Dicken's great mid-century novels (Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, and Bleak House) are all nearly 1,000 pages long in modern editions; and then there's Middlemarch. They had a lot to say, and their readers (and the size of the reading public exploded during this time) were more than happy to take their time reading.
To study this period requires a considerable investment in reading and while I have made every effort to give you enough time to read, be forewarned that the amount of reading required for the course is significant and for some possibly overwhelming. In short, you should enroll only if you are prepared to keep up with the reading (an average of 250-400 pages per week) and frequent short writing assignments. Because this is a lecture-discussion class rather than a formal lecture course, active and informed contribution to class discussion is expected from all students.
Objectives:
Upon completion of ENGL 468, students will
Course Requirements: Since this class focuses on some of the most important world literature produced during one of the most interesting historical periods, the assigned reading borders on overwhelming, either in terms of amount or complexity or both. I have attempted to alleviate some of the inherent difficulties of courses on Victorian literature (which include the Victorian novel), but if you are not prepared to invest a significant amount of time each week into reading and thinking deeply about sometimes difficult text, then you should probably consider taking a different course. In general, each week to prepare for this class you can expect about 10-20 hours of work outside of class. In short, you will need to be diligent about planning ahead and completing your tasks on time.
In addition to reading assignments, students will also be responsible for completing other assignments both in class and outside of class. Listed below are the required assignments for this course:
Grading Policy: The distribution of points for the individual assignments in this course is listed in "Requirements" above. Course grades are based on standard percentages (i.e. A = 90%-100%, B = 80%-89% and so on). Plus and minus grades are used in the class.
Electronic Devices: Please be respectful of the classroom experience of others. Every quarter I receive earnest complaints from students about the distracting behavior of other students using electronic devices. Unless the use of such devices is approved by the Office of Students with Disabilities, please do not use electronic devices during class.
Contact Info: I am available in my office during my posted office hours and, schedule allowing, by appointment. Email is also an effective way of contacting me.
Attendance: A considerable part of the course grade is based on in-class work, so being absent or arriving late to class has very clear consequences. It's pretty annoying too, by the way.
Classroom Preparation: Please read the assigned texts before class. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any weekly assignments from me or from a classmate.
Written Assignments: Please note the following carefully when preparing your written assignments for this class:
You must carefully observe the standard rules for acknowledging the sources of words and ideas. If you make use of a phrase or a quote or if you paraphrase another writer’s words or ideas, you must acknowledge the source of these words or ideas telling us the source of these materials. Use MLA format for citations. If you are unsure whether you need to cite or not, please ask me. (The general rule is if you think you might need to cite, then you probably do.) Failure to cite your sources properly might be construed as plagiarism, which is a violation of the university’s academic honesty policy and grounds for failing the course, disciplinary action, and/or expulsion. If you plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the source of your work, you will receive a zero on the assignment and be reported to the Student Disciplinary Officer. For definition and policy see statement on Academic Honesty in the current Schedule of Classes or on line at http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/stuaffrs/jao/doc/ah.pdf.
Textbooks: All of the novels we will be reading in this class are available in many different editions. I have ordered the following editions for this class and I recommend that you acquire these editions, if possible, as it will facilitate our class discussions.
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Oxford, 2008. (978-0199535590)
Damrosch, David, et al. Longman Anthology of British Literature, Volume 2B. Fourth Edition. New York: Pearson, 2010. (978-0205655267)
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York: Oxford, 2008. (978-0199219766)
Prof. Jim Garrett
Office: E & T A606
Office Hours: T/Th 9:00-9:40am and by appt
Phone: (323) 343-4163
Email: jgarret@calstatela.edu
Course web site: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/468/
Course Information
Catalog Description: Prose and poetry of major Victorian writers; social and philosophical backgrounds.Prerequisites: Upper division standing is prerequisite to enrollment in 400-level courses. ENGL 102 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all upper division English courses. Prerequisite for all literature courses: ENGL 250, or 200A, 200B or 200C unless otherwise stated.
Description: This course surveys literature of the Victorian period (1832-1901). We'll examine major authors, genres, and works in their cultural and historical context. The Victorians wrote long books: Tennyson's In Memoriam consists of over 100 separate but linked lyric poems; Dicken's great mid-century novels (Dombey and Son, David Copperfield, and Bleak House) are all nearly 1,000 pages long in modern editions; and then there's Middlemarch. They had a lot to say, and their readers (and the size of the reading public exploded during this time) were more than happy to take their time reading.
To study this period requires a considerable investment in reading and while I have made every effort to give you enough time to read, be forewarned that the amount of reading required for the course is significant and for some possibly overwhelming. In short, you should enroll only if you are prepared to keep up with the reading (an average of 250-400 pages per week) and frequent short writing assignments. Because this is a lecture-discussion class rather than a formal lecture course, active and informed contribution to class discussion is expected from all students.
Objectives:
Upon completion of ENGL 468, students will
- Understand the major developments and major figures in British literary history from the 1830s until the beginning of the twentieth century;
- Understand the mutual relationship between historical and cultural context and literary form and production, specifically the effect of industrialization, economic development, imperialism, and urbanization;
- Understand the effect on literary texts of public debates about religion, science, gender and sexuality, human rights and women's rights;
- Engage in critical discussions of language and literature;
- Continue development on becoming better readers, writers and thinkers through frequent discussions, examinations, presentations and writing tasks;
- Continue improving the ability to think critically about texts (in whatever form encountered).
Course Requirements: Since this class focuses on some of the most important world literature produced during one of the most interesting historical periods, the assigned reading borders on overwhelming, either in terms of amount or complexity or both. I have attempted to alleviate some of the inherent difficulties of courses on Victorian literature (which include the Victorian novel), but if you are not prepared to invest a significant amount of time each week into reading and thinking deeply about sometimes difficult text, then you should probably consider taking a different course. In general, each week to prepare for this class you can expect about 10-20 hours of work outside of class. In short, you will need to be diligent about planning ahead and completing your tasks on time.
In addition to reading assignments, students will also be responsible for completing other assignments both in class and outside of class. Listed below are the required assignments for this course:
- In-class Victorian Novel Responses: Think of Thursdays as Novel Reading Response Day. Several Thursday class meetings will begin with a short in-class writing assignment. From 9:50-10:00am nearly every week, students will write brief responses to a question about the weekly reading assignment from a Victorian novel (i.e. Jane Eyre and Great Expectations. These six in-class responses will be graded CR/NC and account for 10% of the course grade. (No make-up or alternative assignments are available, so be on time.)
- In-class Reading Quizzes: Several Tuesday class meetings will begin with a short reading quiz on the poetry and/or prose assigned for that class meeting. These six quizzes will each be ten minutes in length and cumulatively account for 10% of the course grade (No make-up or alternative assignments are available.)
- Two short essays, approximately four pages each (30% of the course grade)
- A short midterm exam (short answer questions and identifications, and one brief essay question) (20% of course grade)
- A final exam (short answer questions and identifications, and one or two essay questions) (30% of course grade)
In order to pass this
course all assignments (papers and exams) must be legitimately attempted.
Plagiarism (see description below) does not
constitute a legitimate attempt of the assignment.
Policies
ADA Accommodation: Reasonable accommodation will be provided to any student who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities and requests needed accommodation.Grading Policy: The distribution of points for the individual assignments in this course is listed in "Requirements" above. Course grades are based on standard percentages (i.e. A = 90%-100%, B = 80%-89% and so on). Plus and minus grades are used in the class.
Electronic Devices: Please be respectful of the classroom experience of others. Every quarter I receive earnest complaints from students about the distracting behavior of other students using electronic devices. Unless the use of such devices is approved by the Office of Students with Disabilities, please do not use electronic devices during class.
Contact Info: I am available in my office during my posted office hours and, schedule allowing, by appointment. Email is also an effective way of contacting me.
Attendance: A considerable part of the course grade is based on in-class work, so being absent or arriving late to class has very clear consequences. It's pretty annoying too, by the way.
Classroom Preparation: Please read the assigned texts before class. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any weekly assignments from me or from a classmate.
Written Assignments: Please note the following carefully when preparing your written assignments for this class:
- Written assignments must be typed following standard formatting practices for college writing—use a readable type style and size (12 point type), indent paragraphs, double space between lines, and use one inch margins. Any style guide will contain information on formatting your written assignments for submission.
- Before handing in a written assignment, edit and proofread your work carefully.
- Do not use plastic covers or report folders or title pages on your written assignments. Each assignment, though, should have your name, the course number, the date, and my name on separate lines (double-spaced) in the upper left corner of the first page. If the paper has a title, center it on the first page above the first paragraph.
- Use page numbers and place them in the upper right corner of the page. If you are uncertain how to have word processing software generate the correct page number in the header of your document, ask someone in one of the labs.
- MLA format and style conventions should be followed for all written assignments (essays and responses). Please note that MLA format for bibliographic entries (Works Cited page) have changed. For more information on MLA format and style conventions, see The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, the appropriate section of a recent (published 2009 or after) writer's handbook, or one of the many reputable online sources.
- Late work will not accepted.
You must carefully observe the standard rules for acknowledging the sources of words and ideas. If you make use of a phrase or a quote or if you paraphrase another writer’s words or ideas, you must acknowledge the source of these words or ideas telling us the source of these materials. Use MLA format for citations. If you are unsure whether you need to cite or not, please ask me. (The general rule is if you think you might need to cite, then you probably do.) Failure to cite your sources properly might be construed as plagiarism, which is a violation of the university’s academic honesty policy and grounds for failing the course, disciplinary action, and/or expulsion. If you plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the source of your work, you will receive a zero on the assignment and be reported to the Student Disciplinary Officer. For definition and policy see statement on Academic Honesty in the current Schedule of Classes or on line at http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/stuaffrs/jao/doc/ah.pdf.
Textbooks: All of the novels we will be reading in this class are available in many different editions. I have ordered the following editions for this class and I recommend that you acquire these editions, if possible, as it will facilitate our class discussions.
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Oxford, 2008. (978-0199535590)
Damrosch, David, et al. Longman Anthology of British Literature, Volume 2B. Fourth Edition. New York: Pearson, 2010. (978-0205655267)
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York: Oxford, 2008. (978-0199219766)
