Jonathan Ewell, Ph. D.
Office: AL-280
[email protected]
Office hours: MW 12-1pm
ENGLISH 260A
British Literature–Beginnings until 1800
MWF 11:00-11:50—Storm Hall 119
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course surveys the
historical foundations of British literature from its earliest
beginnings through the rise of the novel in the 18th century.
While learning about major developments in poetry, drama,
and narrative fiction, you’ll have an opportunity to study
some of the most groundbreaking, revolutionary, and
influential works written in the English language, and to
develop thereby a greater understanding of the complex,
fascinating, and dynamic literary tradition that belongs to
every speaker, reader, or writer of English.
REQUIRED TEXTS
•
•
The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise
Edition, Volume A (available at SDSU Bookstore)
Supplementary Readings (available on Blackboard
COURSE GOALS
• Gain an understanding of the British Literary
tradition, including the major movements and
historical periods.
• Learn how to approach historical texts,
developing the necessary methodologies for
reading them critically.
• Explore the diversity of British literature.
• Develop skills in critical reading and textual
analysis.
• Improve skills and technique in writing
academic essays.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Three close reading assignments (10/10/15%)
Two close reading presentations
(10%)
Midterm Exam
(12.5%)
Final Exam (non-cumulative)
(17.5%)
Final Paper
(20%)
Random Writing
(5%)
NOTE ON EARLY ENGLISH: Texts written during this time period can be intimidating, even to the most fervent
English major. At first, it will take you much more time per page than you’re used to to cover your assigned reading
because the language will likely feel difficult and unfamiliar. You will struggle to understand them at times. Try not to let
this bring you down. YOU WILL GET USED TO IT. This will require some effort, however. Do not expect to be able
to skim our course texts or read quickly. That’s a good recipe for frustration: your eyes will glaze over; the words will
swirl into meaningless mumbo-jumbo; you may even fall asleep. On the other hand, if you take some time to read them
attentively, paying attention to the notes the explain unfamiliar words, phrases, or cultural connotations, and perhaps
reading certain parts aloud or with others—if you want to seriously geek out in positive sense—you’ll find that your
diligence pays off. Before long, you’ll find yourself relying on the notes less and less, and understanding more and more.
Before the end of the semester, I expect that the language will stop sounding foreign and begin to seem like your own.
Jonathan Ewell, Ph. D.
Office: AL-280
[email protected]
Office hours: MW 12-1pm
CLOSE READINGS: Given our goal to have you come out of English 260A
feeling confident in your ability to read and understand older literary texts and
helping you to develop an ear for and an understanding of this type of literary
language, we’ll be spending a substantial amount of time working on CLOSE
READINGS, i.e. detailed critical analyses of course texts. While we will often work
through these readings as a class, you will also be responsible for producing several
of your own. You will be graded on these close reading assignments based on
TWO parts (1) a written essay & (2) an informal presentation of your reading to the
class.
Your first close reading exercise (CR1) won’t have the presentation component.
Instead, we’ll all work together as a class to produce a first reading, then each
student will go home and write a short essay (2-3 pages) that puts that reading into
writing (10%). For the second and third close readings, I will divide the class so
that only a small group of students will be responsible for that week’s readings (see
course calendar below for exact dates). This is not exactly a group project because
each student will be individually responsible for writing his or her own close
reading (to be turned in on the day we discuss the text). The entire group will then
be responsible for guiding our reading/discussion that day’s texts. Full instruction
will be forthcoming. Sign-up sheets will be circulated during the first week of class.
MIDTERM & FINAL EXAM: These will be in-class written exams, and will cover the material from only that half of
the course. Please bring a blue book to your exams.
FINAL PAPER: This will be a critical essay of 7-9 pages. I’ll distribute a set of topics later in the semester.
RANDOM WRITING: Several times during the semester, I may
call on you to write in class for approximately 10-15 minutes on some
topic or question. None of these will be announced ahead of time, so
make sure you come to class prepared. No make-ups will be
permitted. Each assignment will be graded on an A-C-F scale;
together they’ll be averaged for the final grade. While in total these
assignments will count 5% toward your final grade, I may, under certain
conditions forego assigning, which would result in the entire class
receiving a grade of “A.” Now, what are those certain conditions?
Well, let’s put it this way, if we’re having excellent, high-quality class
discussions I probably won’t want to stop you to make you sit in
silence and write. If, however, our discussions begin petering out, or
if most people aren’t participating, or if people seem disengaged and
uninterested, well then I’m more likely to assign a random writing
assignment. If by the end of the semester, you have not been
assigned at least THREE random writing assignments, every student
will receive a 100% grade to bring the total up to three. Perhaps you
would like to challenge yourselves be the first class to never get
assigned random writing?
PARTICIPATION: You won’t have a participation grade per se,
however, strong participation will be rewarded at the end of the
semester with up to 3% extra credit.
POLICIES, ETC.
OFFICE HOURS: I have an open-door policy, so feel free to stop in whenever you like. I’m often in my office after
the end of my official office hours, and you’re welcome to come by then, but it might be a good idea to send a quick
email to see if I’m there. I’m also happy to make appointments—especially if you can’t make it to my normal office
hours. If you’d like one, send me an email.
Jonathan Ewell, Ph. D.
Office: AL-280
[email protected]
Office hours: MW 12-1pm
EMAIL POLICY: I try to respond to emails in a timely manner, but
I rarely check email in the evenings or on weekends. Don’t expect an
immediate response to any emails written after 5pm. I’ll be sure to
answer your email the next morning.
LAPTOP POLICY: Laptops ARE NOT ALLOWED in class. I
will stop class if you have a laptop out. If you think you have a
compelling reason why you need to have your laptop, let me know
during the first week of class.
PLAGIARISM: Is not acceptable. Make sure all your work is
original, and you fully and accurately cite all your sources. If you
have any questions about how to do so properly, please ask.
ATTENDANCE: I really dislike having to enforce an attendance
policy, but I will if I have to. My official policy is that you get
THREE free absences and then they begin to count against you, 2%
off your final grade for each one over three, a slow drain on your
grade, bringing you down closer and closer to mediocrity and failure.
Sounds depressing, no? Make sure you come to class.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If you are a student with a
disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619)
594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as
soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability
cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
COURSE CALENDAR
Subject to change--All changes will be announced in class and over email
ALWAYS BRING YOUR TEXT TO CLASS!!!
M 8/25
W 8/27
F 8/29
INTRODUCTION
Bede [46-50] Anglo-Saxon Poems [51-57]
Middle English Lyrics [127-134] **Collaborative Close Reading**
M 9/1
W 9/3
F 9/5
***NO CLASS***
CLOSE READING #1 DUE. Historical Background [135-146] Sir Orfeo [147-157]
CHAUCER & THE CANTERBURY TALES
Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales, “General Prologue” [229-251]
M 9/8
W 9/10
F 9/12
Giovanni Boccaccio from The Decameron [Blackboard];
Chaucer “The Miller’s Prologue and Tale” [285-297]
Continue “Miller’s Tale” ***Close Reading***
Chaucer “The Pardoner’s Prologue & Tale” [320-332]
M 9/15
W 9/17
F 9/19
Chaucer “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” [298-319]
Continue “Wife” ***Close Reading***
Finish Chaucer
Jonathan Ewell, Ph. D.
Office: AL-280
M 9/22
W 9/24
F 9/26
M 9/29
[email protected]
Office hours: MW 12-1pm
RENAISSANCE LYRIC: Historical Background [465-493, 506-510]; Elizabethan Sonnets [546-548];
Sir Thomas Wyatt Sonnets [532-534] Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey Sonnets [541-543]
Edmund Spenser, Amoretti #1,3,6,54,64,75 [644-647]; Christopher Marlowe “The Passionate
Shepherd to his Love [756]; Sir Walter Ralegh “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” [726];
John Donne “The Bait” [832-833] ***Close Reading***
Elizabeth I, Selected Writings [684-698]
W 10/1
F 10/3
RENAISSANCE THEATRE: Historical Background [510-515]. Christopher Marlowe Dr. Faustus
[743-744, 757-767]
Faustus [767-778]
Faustus [778-786] ***Close Reading***
M 10/6
W 10/8
F 10/10
Finish Dr. Faustus
SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS [795-810]
Sonnets ***Close Reading***
M 10/13
W 10/15
F 10/17
MIDTERM EXAM
JACOBEAN THEATRE Thomas Middleton, The Revenger’s Tragedy Act 1[Blackboard]
Revenger’s Tragedy Act 2&3
M 10/20
W 10/22
F 10/24
Revenger’s Tragedy Act 4&5 ***Close Reading***
Finish Revenger’s Tragedy
METAPHYSICAL POETRY: John Donne [824-825], “The Sun Rising” [827-828],
“The Canonization” [828-829], A Valediction: of Weeping [831]; The Flea [831-832]; A Valediction:
Forbidding Mourning [833-834],
M 10/27
F 10/31
John Donne “The Ecstasy” [834-835], “The Relic” [835], Holy Sonnets 2,5,7,10, 14 [846-848];
Lady Mary Wroth [851-855] ***Close Reading***
George Herbert [867-868] “The Altar,” “Easter Wings,” “Man,” “The Collar,” “The Pulley,”
“Love (3)” [868-877]; Andrew Marvell “To His Coy Mistress” [883], “The Garden” [887-888]
JOHN MILTON & PARADISE LOST Paradise Lost Book One [918-932]
M 11/3
W 11/5
F 11/7
Book Two [932-946]
Continue 1&2 ***Close Reading***
Book 3&4 [946-964]
M 11/10
W 11/12
F 11/14
Finish Milton ***Close Reading***
RESTORATION THEATRE: William Wycherly The Country Wife [1143-1160]
The Country Wife [1161-1183]
M 11/17
CONTEXTS for The Country Wife. Earl of Rochester [1195-1205];
Aphra Behn “The Disappointment” [1104-05]
Country Wife [1183-1194]***Close Reading***
Finish The Country Wife
W 10/29
W 11/19
F 11/21
M 11/24
W&F
Jonathan Swift “The Lady’s Dressing Room” [1260-1262]; Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
“The Reasons that Induced Dr. S. to Write a Poem called The Lady’s Dressing Room” [1426-1427]
***NO CLASS THANKSGIVING***
M 12/1
W 12/3
F 12/5
THE NOVEL: Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe [1213-1234]
Ian Watt Rise of the Novel [Blackboard]
Eliza Haywood Fantomina [1430-1450]
M 12/8
W 12/10
Fantomina Con’t, Samuel Johnson Rambler #4 [1483-1486]
Fantomina Con’t / Conclusion.