The University of Tennessee at Martin
Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages
English 251.003: British Literary Tradition II
“Two Faces of Empire: Reading Dualities”
(TR 11:00-12:15) (3 credit hours)
Humanities Rm. 314
Spring 2014
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Longacre
Office: Andy Holt Humanities Bldg. 130A
Office Phone: 881-7295
Office Hours: MW 1:00-3:00, TR 1:00-2:30, and by appt.
E-mail: [email protected]
Course Prerequisites
Successful completion (C or higher) of English 112 or equivalent.
Course Description
By the late nineteenth century, Great Britain had become the most powerful and vast empire the world
had ever seen. The British navy effectively controlled the commercial waterways, and the expanding
colonial project brought approximately one quarter of the earth’s land mass and approximately one
quarter of the earth’s population under British control. By the early twentieth century, however, things
began to fall apart; and, by century’s end, the British Empire was no more. This section of English 251
will focus on the rise, decline, and fall of the British Empire as the primary historical context through
which to survey much of the significant literature from approximately 1800 to the present. In particular,
we will focus on the concept of duality and British identity in key texts from the period (one example can
be found in the juxtaposition of Dr. Jekyll with his alter-ego Mr. Hyde in the above image). Through the
reading of poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction prose, students will be introduced to all of the major
literary forms and to many of the major British writers of the nineteenth and twentieth century. Students
in this course will also be introduced to important literary-critical concepts, such as Romanticism,
colonialism/post-colonialism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism.
General Course Objectives and Student Outcomes
1. Employ various critical and analytical methods (e.g., close reading, historical and linguistic
analysis, ideological analysis) in the study of literary texts from a variety of genres and historical
periods through written assignments.
2. Analyze important primary texts from British literature from the late eighteenth century to the
present.
3. Interpret literary texts as shapers, reflectors, and instruments of change of cultural phenomena
(e.g., value systems, familial/social institutions, government and their policies,
philosophical/religious institutions).
4. Analyze literary texts for personal aesthetic pleasure and the enjoyment of language.
5. Analyze the contributions of literary texts within various societies and how these have impacted
history and the human condition.
6. Employ a comparative approach in the analysis of the literature of Britain and the expression of
those ideas within a global literary context, particularly focusing on the interplay of ideas and
forms.
Longacre—ENG 251 Syllabus
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7. Recognize diversity in literature, based on race, ethnicity, economic status, and gender across
historical periods as important to the understanding of local and global culture.
Required Texts
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2 (D, E, and F), 9th edition
Evaluation and Grading Scale
There will be three papers totaling approximately 10 typed pages of revised writing, a midterm exam,
a comprehensive final exam (short answer and essay), an individual presentation, and two group
projects required for the successful completion of this course. If students do not seem to be keeping up
with the reading schedule and are not generally engaged in class discussions, then I may give pop reading
quizzes in addition to this. Grades will be determined according to the following percentages:
Paper #1:
Paper #2:
Paper #3:
Midterm Exam:
Comprehensive Final Exam:
Group Projects:
Individual presentation (“3 reasons”):
10%
10%
15%
20%
25%
10% (2 separate group projects @ 5% each)
10%
NOTE: YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS AND TAKE ALL EXAMS IN
ORDER TO PASS THIS COURSE!
A=90-100% B=80-89% C=70-79% D=60-69% F=everything below 60%
Class Attendance and Late Work
Class participation is a very important part of this course; attendance is mandatory, and four unexcused
absences will result in the subtraction of one letter from your final grade (i.e. a B would become a
C); six unexcused absences will result in the deduction of two letter grades, and eight or more
unexcused absences will result automatically in an “F” for the course. Late papers will be
downgraded 1 letter grade per day (this includes weekend days) late unless you provide me with a
legitimate reason and I accept it. Missed Daily Grades (reading responses, quizzes, group work, etc.)
CANNOT be made up for any reason. Exams may be made up in the event of documented excused
absences only. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you’ve missed and to keep up with the course
content if you miss class.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is always available to assist you with your writing assignments (for this and other
classes). I STRONGLY recommend you take advantage of this free resource whether you think you need
to or not (did I mention it is free?) It is located in Humanities room 209. Phone: 881-7277. Email:
[email protected]. Web: http://www.utm.edu/organizations/wcenter/
Plagiarism
Plagiarism consists of the unacknowledged use of the work of another. It is the student’s responsibility to
understand what consists of plagiarism, so if you have any questions about how to cite sources properly
or about what constitutes plagiarism, then please do not hesitate to ask me. Plagiarism is a very serious
offense and will in turn be dealt with severely. There is a no tolerance policy regarding plagiarism in this
course. Essays that are plagiarized or contain plagiarism, whether accidental or intentional, will
automatically receive a “0” and I will report the incident to Student Affairs. In addition, I reserve
the right to fail the student for the course and/or recommend suspension from the University at my
Longacre—ENG 251 Syllabus
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discretion. If you have ANY questions about this policy or about plagiarism, please ask me at any time
and I will be glad to help. All papers must be submitted through SafeAssignment on Blackboard in
order to receive credit.
Special Needs
Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations due to a disability is requested to
provide a letter of accommodation from the Student Success Center within the first two weeks of the
semester. I cannot make any special accommodations without the proper documentation.
English Department Classroom Environment Policy
Since The University of Tennessee at Martin is committed to appreciating and understanding cultural
diversity, the members of the UTM English Department wish to confirm our conviction that a university
campus must be a safe place for the discussion of ideas. As such, we expect all of our colleagues and
students to treat with tolerance ideas discussed from a variety of perspectives. We respect the dignity of
every person, and we will not allow discrimination against anyone based on religion, age, disability,
ethnic origin, race, class, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.
Electronic devices that are not sanctioned for student use under the Americans with Disabilities Act are
not permitted in class. All cellular telephones, pagers, hand-held computers, video games, etc., are to be
turned off and put away prior to the beginning of class. If an electronic device such as a cell phone or
laptop computer is out and turned on during an exam or quiz, I reserve the right to take up the
exam, automatically administer a “0” for the exam, and excuse the student from the room.
In general, do not hesitate to speak up and participate actively in discussions. Lively discussions, debates,
and arguments are how we learn from each other and engage meaningfully with the literature, but please
show the proper respect to me and to your classmates; failure to do so could result in being asked to leave
the classroom and incurring an absence for that day.
Paper Format
All essays for this course MUST BE TYPED and they will be penalized if they do not meet the
following criteria: Use one inch margins all around, a four-line heading on left side (on the top of page
one that includes name, course, assignment, date), a title, and a 12pt font in one of the following flavors:
Arial, Cambria, Times New Roman, Garamond, or Calibri (I will NOT accept Palatino Linotype or
Courier New). Everything, including heading, title, and quotes are double-spaced. All prose quotations
of over four lines and poetry over two must be blocked and indented one inch. You are encouraged to use
headers, layout, tables, and illustrations in your documents; they simply must conform to consistent
conventions. For any documentation, use the MLA style. If you have any questions, please come see me.
Elastic Clause
This syllabus and the following course calendar is subject to change throughout the course of the
semester. Students will be notified if any changes occur. You are responsible for knowing the
assignment and for being prepared at the beginning of class. Readings are due on the day that they appear
on the schedule and occasionally may be met with quizzes.
Longacre—ENG 251 Syllabus
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TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR ENG 251 / Dr. Longacre
NOTE: I don’t specifically assign the biographical introductions to each author, but I strongly recommend
that you read them as often as possible for the invaluable contextual background they provide. All page
numbers refer to the 9th edition of the Norton Anthology.
Jan.
09 Introductions; syllabus; William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, pp.
118-135; Intro to the Romantic period (1785-1832), pp. 3-27
14 Blake, cont.; The Book of Thel, pp. 135-140
16 Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, pp. 211-239; Anna Letitia
Barbauld, “The Rights of Woman” and “Washing Day”
21 William Wordsworth “Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1802),” pp. 292-304; “Tintern Abbey”
23 Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and “Kubla Khan”
28 Maria Edgeworth, “The Irish Incognito,” pp. 228-42
30 Lord Byron, Manfred, Acts I and II
Paper #1 is due electronically to SafeAssignment by 11:59pm, Friday, 1/31
Feb.
04 Lord Byron, Manfred, Act III
06 P.B. Shelley and John Keats—selections TBA
11 P.B. Shelley and John Keats—selections TBA
13 Intro to the Victorian period (1830-1901), pp. 1017-1042; John Stuart Mill, “On Liberty” and
“The Subjection of Women,” pp. 1095-1114
18 Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “The Cry of the Children,” pp. 1124-28, and “The Runaway
Slave,” pp. 1130-38; Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” pp. 1294-1300
20 Mid-Term Exam
25 Group Work on the Dramatic Monologue: Tennyson, Robert Browning
27 Group Presentations on the Dramatic Monologue
Paper #2 is due electronically to SafeAssignment by 11:59pm, Friday, 2/28
(Withdraw Deadline: February 28th is the last day to drop a class and receive a W)
Mar.
04 SPRING BREAK
06 NO CLASSES
11 Dante Rossetti “Jenny” and “The Blessed Damozel”; Christina Rosetti, “Goblin Market” pp.
1496-1508
13 Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
18 Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde concluded; selections from Charles Darwin
20 Group Work on Victorian Theatre and the Fin-de-Siècle: Oscar Wilde, The Importance of
Being Earnest, 1733-1776; George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, 1780-1829
25 Group presentations on Shaw and Wilde
27 Intro to The Twentieth Century and After (1901- present), pp. 1887-1911; Joseph Conrad,
Heart of Darkness, part 1
Apr.
01 Heart of Darkness, concluded
Longacre—ENG 251 Syllabus
03 W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot, (selections: TBD)
08 Modern poetry and the Great War: Hardy, Sassoon, Rosenberg, Owen (selections: TBD)
10 James Joyce, "The Dead"
15 Joyce Concluded; Virginia Woolf, "The Mark on the Wall" and "Modern Fiction"
17 V. S. Naipaul, "One Out of Many," pp. 2856-2878
Paper #3 is due electronically to SafeAssignment by 11:59pm, Friday, 4/18
22 Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
24 Nadine Gordimer, "The Moment before the Gun Went Off," pp. 2789-2793; course evals
Final Exam: Wednesday, April 30th, 10:00am-12:00 (bring pens and blue book)
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