English 313:
Restoration and 18th-century English Literature
Spring Semester, 2012 MWF 11:30-12:45 B308
Instructor: Darby Lewes, Professor of English (Office D324)
Office hours MW 1-1:45
Tel. 321-4114 (O); 546-7521 (H)
Email:
Course Information
English 313 is a concentrated study in the writers, genres, themes, and texts of the Restoration and Eighteenth-century period (1660-1785) with emphasis on the social, political, and intellectual life of that era. We will examine plays, novels, non-fiction writings, and poetry. These will be the subjects of discussion, brief lectures, tests, quizzes and essays. Prerequisite: English 106 or
permission of instructor.
Required Textbooks:
The Restoration and the
Eighteenth Century (Oxford)
Moll Flanders (Norton)
Requirements
Attend class regularly. Since class participation is essential to the structure of the course, students with more than three absences will have their final grades dropped by one to three half-grades. Students with six absences will automatically fail the class.
Turn in all assigned work on time. There are no late papers in this class: only timely papers and "F" papers. Extensions may be arranged, IN ADVANCE, if the situation warrants.
Expect surprise quizzes on a regular basis. Grades for these quizzes will be averaged into the class participation grade.
Grade Distribution—essay/test track
Three examinations, 40 points each
Three essays (3-5 pp), 40 points each
Class participation, 40 points
20 Journals, 40 points
Course outline and Assignments
All readings include prefatory matter.
Week #1 27August
Monday:Course introduction
Wednesday :Butler and Bunyan, all
selections
Friday:George Saville, John Wilmot, all selections (watch the Johnny Depp film “The Libertine” if you dare…)
Week #2 3 September
MondayDryden, “Absalom and Achitophel”
Bible, II Samuel 13-19
Wednesday:Dryden “Mac Flecknoe”
Friday:Dryden, 94-108
Week #3 10 September
Monday:Congreve Film
Wednesday:Congreve Discussion
Friday:Exam Prep
Week #4 17 September
Monday :Exam# 1 The Restoration
Wednesday :Swift, “Poems, 227-236; “A Modest Proposal”
Friday:The Mock Form 291-309
Week #5 24 September
Monday:Alexander Pope, “Essay on Criticism”
Essay #1 due: The Restoration
Wednesday:Pope, “The Rape of the Lock” Cantos 1-3
Friday:Pope, “Rape of the Lock” Cantos 4-5
Week #6 1 October
Monday:Pope, 350-365
Wednesday :Pope, 365-386
Friday:Pope, 386-393
Week #7 8 October
Monday:Defoe and Fielding
Wednesday :The Urban Scene
Friday:Long Weekend
Week #8 15 October
Monday:Film Gay “The Beggar’s Opera”
Wednesday :Film and discussion: Gay “The Beggar’s Opera”
Friday:Exam Prep
Week #9 22 October
Monday:Exam 2: The Early 18th century
Wednesday:Boswell, all selections
Friday: Johnson, “The Vanity of Human Wishes”
Week #10 29 October
Monday:Johnson, 542-61
Wednesday:Johnson, 561-576
Friday:Edward Gibbon, all selections
Essay #2 Due: The Early 18th century
Week #11 5 November
Monday Burke and Reynolds, all selections
Wednesday: The Garden and the Wild
Friday:Student meetings by appointment
Week #12 12 November NOTE!!! READ MOLL FLANDERS for this week
Monday Moll Flanders
Wednesday: Moll Flanders
Friday: Gray 656-661
Week #13 19 November
Monday:Goldsmith, “Deserted Village”
Cowper, “The Castaway”
Wednesday/Friday:Thanksgiving
Week #14 26 November
Monday : EXAM 3: Later 18th century
Wednesday:Sense and Sensibility 740-759
Friday:Student meetings
Week # 15 3 December
Monday :Class evaluations; Exam Prep
Wednesday :Tom Jones
Friday:Tom Jones
Essay #3 due: The Later 18th century: NO LATE PAPERS!!!
Week #16 10 DecemberDate TBA:FINAL EXAM: Restoration and Eighteenth Century
Extra stuff
Study Partners
List the name, phone number, and e-mail address for a “study partner” here:
Name ______
Phone number ______
email address ______.
Just in case you and your partner are absent on the same day, you should get another partner as a backup.
Name ______
Phone number ______
email address ______.
Academic Conduct
You are expected to altogether avoid any sort of academic misconduct. You must never seek to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or citation; you must never intentionally impede or damage the academic work of others; (or assist other students in doing so); you must never cheat on an examination; submit a paper or assignment as your own work when a part or all of the paper or assignment is the work of another; or submit a paper or assignment that contains ideas or research of others without appropriately identifying the sources of those ideas. You must never submit a paper which was written for another class unless you clear it with me first.
Classroom Environment
You should be prepared to speak often in class, to participate in class activities beyond simple note-taking. Classes will be conducted seminar-style, with much small group discussion and active participation in large group discussion being expected of each student. I do not merely want bodies in attendance; I expect to see prepared and thinking students. This means that you will bring the required materials and complete any assignments due for that particular day. You should read the assignments listed on the syllabus before class. In addition to doing well on the exams and the paper, the best way to illustrate that you are an active, engaged, and interested student is by contributing regularly to class discussions. I do not want to lecture; I want you to participate actively in creating a learning environment in the class by constantly challenging each other and supporting each other's learning.
Reading
You should expect to do plenty of reading—generally roughly 20-30 pages per class. Since you signed up for this course, I expect you to fulfill the very least of your responsibilities: complete the readings listed on the syllabus before you come to class--not just by skimming the material but by actively and carefully reading each assignment. Take notes in the margin and look up unfamiliar words.
Yeah, it sounds pretty grim. But we’ll have fun—I promise.