Spring 2015
English 543: Twisted Brits
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19th Century British Novels
Mary Galbraith, PhD [email protected]
Tuesday-Thursday 3:30-4:45, Hepner Hall 146
Office Hour: Thursday 1-1:50pm, 230 Arts and Letters
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“a novel is a prose narrative of some length that has something wrong with it”—Randall Jarrell
In this class we will read eight legendary 19th century novels written by British authors
(counting a Scotsman in Bournemouth, an Irishman in Chelsea and an American in Sussex).
The main activity of the class will be reading each book and noticing its peculiar attributes.
Week 1. Thursday, January 22. Introduction to course.
Week 2. January 27 and 29. Frankenstein (1818)
Tuesday: Author’s Introduction, Letters 1-4, and Chapters 1-2
Class activity: Whole group discussion and lecture. Topics: Background on Mary Shelley and
the origin of Frankenstein. Publication history of Frankenstein. The narrative frame of the story
and the notion of the novel. Victor Frankenstein and his family history
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 11
Class activity: Small groups and whole group discussion.
Topics: Juxtaposition of Chapter 5 and Chapter 11
Week 3. February 3 and 5. Frankenstein
Tuesday: to the end of Chapter 16. Topic: Romanticism and the Gothic.
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 24 (end of book); presentations
Writing assignment: Study Question 1. Frankenstein. Due Sunday, February 15.
Will be posted the week of February 3-5 in Blackboard Assignments.
Secondary reading: My Monster, My Self,” by Barbara Johnson (Course Docs)
Week 4. February 10 and 12. Oliver Twist
Tuesday: Chapters 1-7
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 22.
Writing assignment: Reading Response 2 due in BB Assignments before class on Feb 12.
Week 5. February 17 and 19. Oliver Twist
Tuesday: to the end of Chapter 38
Thursday: Oliver Twist to end; presentations
Writing assignment: Study Question 2. Oliver Twist. Due Sunday, March 8.
Will be posted in BB Assignments the week of Feb 17-19.
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Week 6. February 24 and 26. Jane Eyre
Tuesday: Chapters 1-4; in-class writing.
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 20.
Writing assignment: Reading Response 3 due in BB before class on Thursday, Feb 26.
Week 7. March 3 and 5. Jane Eyre
Tuesday: to the end of Chapter 30
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 38 (end of book); presentations
Writing assignment. Study Question 3 on Jane Eyre. Will be posted in BB Assignments the
week of March 3-5. Due Sunday, March 22.
Week 8. March 10 and 12. Wuthering Heights
Tuesday: Chapters 1-3
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 13.
Writing assignment: Reading Response 4 due before class on Thursday, March 12.
Week 9. March 17 and 19. Wuthering Heights
Tuesday: to the end of Chapter 20
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 34 (end of book); presentations
Writing assignment: Study Question 4 on Wuthering Heights. Will be posted in BB Assignments
the week of March 17-19. Due Sunday, March 29.
Week 10. March 24 and 26. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Tuesday: First half of Alice
Thursday: Alice to end; presentations
Writing assignment: Response 5 due on BB before class on Thursday, March 26.
Spring recess
Week 11. April 7 and 9. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Tuesday: to the end of Chapter 30
Thursday: to the end of Chapter 59 (end of book); presentations
Writing assignment: Study Question 5 due Sunday April 13. Will be posted in BB Assignments
the week of April 7-9.
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Week 12. April 14 and 16. Portrait of Dorian Gray
Tuesday:
Thursday: Presentations
Writing assignment: Response 6 due before class on Thursday.
Week 13. April 21 and 22. What Maisie Knew
Tuesday:
Thursday: Presentations
Writing assignment: Study Question 6 due on Sunday, April 27. . Will be posted in BB
Assignments the week of April 22-24.
Week 14. April 28 and 30. What Maisie Knew.
Tuesday:
Thursday: Presentations
Week 15. May 5 and May 7. Course conclusion
Tuesday: Presentations
Thursday: Presentations
Writing assignment: Final Paper due by May 14.
Details of the assignment will be provided in the first three weeks of class. This will be a short
paper on the nineteenth century British novel of your choice.
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Written Assignments for English 543:
Note: Our class is based on personal reading, writing, and thinking. Two forms of deception in particular
threaten the integrity of our whole enterprise. The first is pretending to have read something one hasn’t
read; the second is pretending to have written something one did not write (i.e. plagiarism). Evidence of
these deceptions will be investigated and, if conclusive evidence is found, reported to the Center for
Student Rights and Responsibilities. Appropriate penalties will be assessed.
A. Reading Responses
The reading response assignment will vary, but here are the general requirements:
1. Choose short (~100 words) passages from the assigned reading—each response
assignment will specify how many. Don’t use passages that have already been
discussed in class.
2. Copy these passages into your response.
3. Write about each passage in an intimate way. How did you experience the passage as
you read it? How does this passage resonate with your reading of the work so far? It's
fine to look up unfamiliar words and historical background, but don't lean on outside
sources for interpretation. If you are confused and having trouble understanding the
passage, you can write about your confusion and difficulty--just stick as close as you can
to the text and your own attempts to "get" it. Avoid retelling the story except where this
retelling makes a point of your own. Write from your own reading experience.
4. There is no required length for reading responses, but they should delve deeply into your
understanding and sense of the passage. (Typical responses will devote ~250 words to
each passage.)
Grading of Reading Responses
Reading responses are not given letter grades. They are evaluated only in terms of meeting the
assignment (not for grammar or paragraph organization, for example). There is no one correct
way to read the passages, and I will not penalize you for having eccentric opinions or for raising
taboo topics. You are free to express yourself as you wish so long as you show me that you did
the reading and that you are writing from your own reading experience.
If responses are assigned to be submitted online in Blackboard Assignments, the window for
submission will close before class on the day they are due. If they are assigned to be submitted
in hard copy, they must be typed and submitted on the day they are due.
Once your response has been recorded in Grade Center, you will see a check mark with a
number in parentheses:
2=Full credit: the response (a) demonstrates that you read the assignment and (b) articulates a
specific sense of the chosen passages.
1=Half credit: the response does not meet one or more of the requirements of the assignment.
0=No credit: the response was not submitted or does not demonstrate reading. (Reminder: plot
summaries do not demonstrate reading.)
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B. Reading Quizzes
These are unannounced short questions at the beginning of class, and they cover the day’s
reading assignment. Answers should be obvious to anyone who did the reading.
Grading of Reading Quizzes: Satisfactory completion of reading quizzes= cumulative quiz
score above 70%. (Note: quizzes missed due to unexcused absence are averaged in as
zeroes.)
C. Class Discussion notes
On days when we have small group discussions in class, your group will sometimes be asked to
turn in notes from your discussion; all listed members of the group will get credit for these notes.
D. Study Questions
Study Questions are in effect take-home exam questions. They are given traditional letter
grades. Here are the basic grading criteria:
completeness—answer responds to all parts of the question
reading and listening comprehension—answer demonstrates familiarity with lectures and
assigned readings
independent observation-- answer is based on own close observation of readings
evidence – answer uses examples and quotes to support assertions
overview—answer provides high level assertions that emerge from observation
insight-- answer "gets inside" the readings in a profound way
communication-- answer is understandable, original, and convincing
Grade of A: satisfies all criteria
Grade of B: satisfies most criteria
Grade of C: satisfies several criteria
Unlike Reading Responses, Study Questions may be submitted after the due date. If they are
more than one week late, however, there will be a deduction of one grade (e.g. AB).
E. Class Presentation or Final Paper
You may choose to give a class presentation or write a final paper. Requirements for the
presentation and final paper will be spelled out in the first few weeks of class.
How your final grade is calculated:
If all ungraded assignments (=reading responses, reading quizzes, class discussion notes) have
been satisfactorily completed, your final grade will consist of the average grade of your study
questions and your presentation or final paper. If there are missing ungraded assignments,
these will cause deductions from the final grade.
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