Missouri Western State College

Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

ENG 353: Literature in English, 1660-1800

Class meets 11am MWF SS/C210

Fall 2003

Instructor Information

Dr. Karen U. Fulton, Professor

Tel: 271-4317(work) 1-660-582-8830 (home)

Email: fulton@griffon.mwsc.edu

Office: Eder 222/H

Office Hours: 10-11MWF, 10-12 T; other hours by app.

Required Texts

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Dover Thrift, 1995.

Blaisdell, Bob. Great Speeches by Native Americans. NY: Dover , 2000.

Blake, W. Songs of Innocence and Experience. NY: Dover, 1992.

Franklin, B. Wit&Wisdom. . . NY: Dover, 1999.

Goldsmith, Oliver. She Stoops to Conquer. New York, Dover Thrift, 1991.

Grafton, John. The Declaration of Independence etc. NY: Dover, 2000.

Sherman, S. Longman Anthology. of British. Lit.,1 C, 2^nd edition. NY: Longman, 1999

Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. New York: Dover, 1996.

Wollstonecraft, M. A Vindication. . . NY: Dover, 1996.

Required Supplies

· Access to word processor with spell-checker (all papers must be word-processed).

· Access to Internet for two reports and assignments.

· A 3-ring binder (spine no greater than 1/2") for submission of end of semester portfolio.

English 353 objectives:

1. Understand the socio-political and historical backgrounds that underpin the literature created in English during 1660 to 1800.

2. Acquire factual knowledge about the period, the authors, the historical context, and the dominant modes of literary communication.

3. Explore the internet as a source of information about historical and cultural contexts of literature.

4. Appreciate interconnectedness of literary themes and images in British and American texts of minority populations, as well as majority ones.

English 353 means:

1. Class discussion;

2. Viewing of video/DVD presentations of material;

3. Keeping of time line to be submitted in portfolio;

4. Short written biographical studies (500 words maximum)

5. Pride and Prejudice paper;

6. Two critical papers; and

7. End of semester portfolio.

Course Policies

Attendance Policies

Class attendance is critical; however, I do not necessarily record absences every day. I consider 3 recorded class absences reasonable; more than 3 absences (excused or not) may result in penalty to the overall grade. More than 6 recorded absences places the student in danger of failing the course. A student who is not prepared for class is considered absent and will be so recorded.

The final session (December 12, 11:30 am) is required. Missing it carries a heavy penalty--failure for the course. Instead of a traditional "final," you will write to next semester's class, present your portfolio to this semester's class.

Academic Honesty Policy

Students must submit their own work. Students who are guilty of plagiarism or cheating in any form will automatically receive a zero for the assignment involved and will place themselves in jeopardy of failing the course.

Student Disability Policy

Students who have a disability that might prevent their maximum performance in the class should make this known to the instructor immediately so that provisions may be made for any assistance needed.

Grading Policies

Mid-term grades

Mid-term grades will be based on completed oral reports, class attendance, completion of required work, and class participation.

Pride and Prejudice paper

During our final week of classes (after portfolio conferences) we will be discussing and viewing the novel Pride and Prejudice. At the final, you will turn in a paper based upon the novel; this paper will be figured as 10% of your overall grade.

Final grade

The other 90% of the grade will be determined on the basis of a portfolio submitted on November 19, 2003. This portfolio will consist of at least three finished and revised pieces of writing (in addition to the self-reflective essay). One of these pieces must have begun as a class assignment (and will be designated the class demonstration paper). All pieces may initially have been class generated.

Portfolio

During the first two weeks of class, more detailed portfolio specifications will be handed out and previous portfolios will be brought to class.

You will self-grade the portfolio when you submit it on November 19, 2003. I will meet with you individually November 21 or 24 to discuss the grade of the portfolio and we will tape that conference. You then have the option of revising and resubmitting the portfolio on the last day of class (December 8, 2003).

You have only one opportunity to resubmit a portfolio.

Minimal Passing Standards

In order to pass (grade of "D") the class the student must

• complete all written assignments;

submit a self-graded portfolio on the due date;

• not have more than 6 absences for the semester;
• attend the scheduled portfolio conference;
• submit the Pride and Prejudice paper, and
• participate in the final session .

Failure to complete any one of these results in failure for the course.

Learning Activities and Projects

Word Processing

In order to facilitate publishing, all drafts of papers (including the summaries of the oral reports) must be word processed.

Deadlines for written work

Papers are scheduled so I can do three readings of your work and return a response to you in a timely fashion. If your work does not come in at the time assigned, it may not be returned to you until the end of the semester. Credit will not be given until the instructor has commented on the work.

Feedback Mode

Letter grades are usually not given on the writing assignments. Instead feedback is given by way of an audio-tape containing my spoken on your paper, written comments on your paper, and a rough ranking (by thirds) of your paper in comparison to the other papers submitted on the assignment.

Caveat

These indicators are not convertible to letter grades. I welcome conferences with anyone who has questions about the paper, the tape, or how the paper might fit into the final portfolio.

Minimal Standards for Projects: Any project will be returned unread and uncredited if

• required materials (especially the audiotape) are not submitted;
• and correct word-processing and spell checking have not been completed.

Time Line

You will be given a time line of the period and you will be expected to fill it in over the course of the semester. It will come in as a supplement to your portfolio. No portfolio will be accepted without one.

People

During the course of the semester, you will write up short (500 word maximum) biographies of 3 people we will not study in the course. These will be duplicated and distributed to others in the class. You will have your choice of these people.

Calendar

Week 1 M 8/25 Introduction, distribution of syllabus

W 8/27 Read Longman’s Background information (L 2947-2978) and “The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century” (L2060-2084) View Kenneth Clark’s “The Smile of Reason” for an understanding of the cultural contexts of the period.

F 8/29 Discussion of enlightenment. Discussion of “Political and Religious Orders” and “The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century.”

Week 2 9/1 LABOR DAY NO Class

W 9/3 Begin Dryden’s “MacFlecknoe” (L 2186-2193)

F 9/5 Dryden “Absolom and Achitophel” (L 2160-2183)

Week 3 M 9/8 Continue Dryden, “Absolom and Achitophel,” (L 2160-2183)

9/10 W Rochester (L 2277-2288).

9/12 F William Wycherley “The Country Wife” (L2288-2355)

Week 4 M 9/15 Behn, Oroonoko (L 2235-2276))

W 9/17 Behn, Oroonoko (L 2235-2276); short report #1 due (see model)

F 9/19 Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Voyage 1

Week 5 M 9/22 Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Voyage 2.

W 9/24 Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Voyage 3.

F 9/26 Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, Voyage 4.

Week 6 M 9/29 Pope “The Rape of the Lock” (L2504-2522).

10/1 Continue Pope “The Rape of the Lock” (L 2504-2522).

10/3 NO CLASS

Week 7 M 10/6 Lady Mary Worley Montagu (L2572-2584).

W 10/8 Benjamin Franklin “Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard’s Almanack” (as assigned) and Periodical Personae (L2396-2404)

F 10/10 Paper # 1 Due

Week 8 M 10/13 Columbus Day

W 10/15 Gray “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (L2715-2719); second short (500 word) biography due.

F 10/17 Grafton, John The Declaration of Independence (only the Declaration)

Week 9 M 10/20 Mary Wollstonecraft, selections from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Only the beginning)

W 10/22 Olaudah Equiano, selections from The Autobiography of Olaudah Equiano (hand-out)

F 10/24 Bob Blaisdell, ed. Great Speeches by Native Americans, pages 7-40.

Week 10 M 10/27 Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language (L 2760-2767); The Plays of William Shakespeare (L2783-2791)

W 10/29 Boswell The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (L2843-2858) First meeting with Johnson (2835); Thrale “The Death of Johnson (l2872)

F 10/31 Paper # 2 due

Week 11 M 11/3 Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer (Dover)

W 11/5 Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer (Dover)

F 11/7 Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal (L 2888-2946)

Week 12 M 11/10 Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal (L 2888-2946)

W 11/12 Blake, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (Dover)

F 11/14 Blake, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (Dover)

Week 13 M 11/17 View parts of She Stoops to Conquer

W 11/19 PORTFOLIO DUE

F 11/21 No class; portfolio conferences (short paper # 3 due at conference)

Week 14 M 11/24 No class; portfolio conferences

Thanksgiving break follows.

Week 15 M 12/1 Austen Pride and Prejudice

W 12/3 Austen Pride and Prejudice

F 12/5 Austen Pride and Prejudice

M 12/8 Austen Pride and Prejudice

Last class; last day to resubmit a portfolio.

F December 12 Class final 11:30 am; Pride and Prejudice paper due (worth 10% of grade).