The English Novel in the Nineteenth Century
ENNC 3600
The English Novel in the Nineteenth Century
Spring 2014
Class E-Mail Address:
Instructor
Stephen Arata E-Mail:
Office: Bryan 442Office Hours: TR 3:00-5:00
Phone: 924-6670 or 924-7105
Texts
The books for this course are available at the University Bookstore. But feel free to obtain copies elsewhere: any good edition (paper or electronic) of any of the novels is fine.
Jane Austen, Emma
Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
George Eliot, Silas Marner
Henry James, Washington Square
Reading Schedule
Mon 13 JanIntroduction to the Course
Wed 15 JanJane Austen, Emma (1815), Vol. 1
Mon 20 JanNO CLASS: MLK DAY
Wed 22 JanEmma, Vol. 2
Mon 27 JanEmma, Vol. 3
Wed 29 JanGeorge Eliot, Silas Marner (1861), Chs. 1-7
Mon 3 FebSilas Marner, Chs. 8-14
Wed 5 FebSilas Marner, Chs. 15-21 & Conclusion
Mon 10 FebCharles Dickens, Great Expectations (1861), Chs. 1-19
Wed 12 FebGreat Expectations, Chs. 20-39
Mon 17 FebGreat Expectations, Chs. 40-58
Wed 19 FebGreat Expectations
Mon 24 FebCharlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (1847), Vol. 1
Wed 26 FebJane Eyre, Vol. 2
Mon 3 MarJane Eyre, Vol. 3
Wed 5 MarJane Eyre
Mon 10 MarSPRING BREAK
Wed 12 MarSPRING BREAK
Mon17 MarWilkie Collins, The Moonstone (1868), First Period (first half)
Wed 19 MarThe Moonstone, First Period (second half)
Fri 21 MarFIRST ASSIGNMENT (ESSAY OR MIDTERM) DUE
Mon 24 MarThe Moonstone, Second Period (first half)
Wed 26 MarThe Moonstone, Second Period (second half)
Mon 31 MarEmily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (1847), Vol. 1, Chs. 1-7
Wed 2 AprWuthering Heights, Vol. 1, Chs. 8-14
Mon 7AprWuthering Heights, Vol. 2, Chs. 1-10
Wed 9 AprWuthering Heights, Vol. 2, Chs. 11-20
Mon 14 AprHenry James, Washington Square (1880), Chs. 1-12
Wed 16 AprWashington Square, Chs. 13-24
Mon 21 AprWashington Square, Chs. 25-35
Wed 23 Apr(Loose Ends)
Fri 25 AprSECOND ESSAY DUE
Mon 28 AprConclusion to the Course
FINAL EXAM: MAY 3, 2:00-5:00 PM
Requirements
(1) Being There (in All Senses of the Term). Your ongoing requirements for this course are to keep up with the reading, attend class, and participate in class discussion.
(2) E-Mail Responses. Six times during the semester you will be responsible for posting a brief response to our reading to . (Postings to this address are delivered to every member of the class.) See the schedule below for your due dates. Roughly, you will have a response due every two weeks.
Your responses should be the equivalent of a page of writing, and they should consist of two or three questions you have about the day’s reading. Work hard to make your questions real questions—questions you don’t have answers to, in other words. For each question compose a few sentences saying why you believe it is worth asking and/or suggesting possible approaches to an answer.
I will use your responses to help structure our discussions in class. You should of course read your colleagues’ postings before each class so that we have a shared framework for discussion. Feel free, moreover, to post additional responses whenever the spirit moves. I will not grade individual responses, though I will give you a collective grade for all six responses (plus any extras that you submit) at the end of the term.
You must post your responses before 9:00 P.M. on the day before our class meeting. Failure to meet this deadline will affect your grade.
SCHEDULE
If your last name begins with S-Z, your dates are January 22, February 5 & 19,
March 3 & 26, and April 9.
If your last name begins with M-R, your dates are January 27, February 10 & 24,
March 17 & 31, and April 14.
If your last name begins with H-L, your dates are January 29, February 12 & 26,
March 19, and April 2 & 16.
If your last name begins with A-G, your dates are February 3 & 17, March 3 & 24,
and April 7 & 21.
Please note that your posting is due before 9:00 P.M. THE EVENING BEFORE the above dates.
(3) Essay or Midterm. You may choose either to write a 5-6 pp. essay, due on Friday, March 7, or to complete a take-home midterm exam, also due on March 7. You must choose one or the other by February 26. I will give you more information about both the essay and the midterm a few weeks into the semester.
(4) Final Essay. Everyone is required to submit a 6-8 pp. essay on April 25. More details in a few weeks.
(4) Final Exam. The Final Exam is scheduled for May 3, 2:00-5:00 PM.
FINAL GRADES: The first essay or midterm (whichever you choose) count for 25% of your final grade. The final essay counts for 25%, the final exam counts for 25%, and your e-mail responses and contributions to class discussion together count for 25%.