Course Syllabus (Fall 2011): English 4123:27892 THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY BRITISH NOVEL 11:00 a.m. 11:50 a.m.

MWF LA 234 Professors Name: Dr. G. S. Lewis Office: 105H Phone: 974-5607 [Campus Ext. 5607] E-mail: glewis@ucok.edu Office Hours: 12:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. M 1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. W and by appointment In Class: 9:00 a.m. 11:50 a.m. MWF 5:45 p.m. 8:30 p.m. T Thesis students MW

Textbooks and materials: Four novels by Charles Dickens in the Penguin Classics: Bleak House; David Copperfield; Great Expectations; Nicholas Nickleby. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice; Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre; George Eliot, Middlemarch; Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles; Rudyard Kipling, Kim; Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe. While every student is urged to read all of the novels, each student is responsible for close reading and special work in his or her novel selected for individual work weeks 11-16. COURSE ORGANIZATION The Course Description: This course will provide an intensive examination of ten novels by British fiction writers during the 19th century, each of which demonstrates not only a period in his or her development as a novelist (the apprentice stage, the journeyman stage, or the master phase) but also the use of serial publication (monthly or weekly) as a mode of writing for those who utilized the form. Students will read the Dickens novels as they originally appeared (chronologically and in serial installments) in order to understand them within the context of their initial publication and in terms of the public's response. Perspectives gained will be applied to the other novels. Students will also discuss the 19th-century life and milieu, as well as the elements of Victorian life that shaped the fiction throughout the distinctive eras of the century. With an emphasis on context and an attempt to understand both the intellectual, political, and artistic preoccupations of Britain's nineteenth century, the course will direct attention to themes and social commentary in an artistic literary approach to nineteenth-century British fiction. Course Objectives: At the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) identify major Victorian fiction writers; (2) recognize the fictional and artistic concerns of the period as they relate to the historical, political, and sociological contexts; and (3) structure their own research agendas related to personal academic interests stemming from the works studied. Transformational Learning Outcomes: The University of Central Oklahoma is a learning-centered organization committed to transformative education through active engagement in the teaching-learning interchange, scholarly and creative pursuits, leadership, global competency, healthy lifestyles, and service to others. This course addresses four of the transformational goals: the teaching-learning interchange in the classroom, the scholarly and creative pursuits by means of written assignments and examinations, leadership through structured group endeavors, and global competency by awareness of the interaction between American literature and that of other cultures.

The Course Organization and Assignments: 1. For the first ten weeks, this course will be an intensive examination of four novels of Charles Dickens, each of which demonstrates not only a period in his development as a novelist (the apprentice stage, the journeyman stage, or the master phase) but also his use of serial publication (monthly or weekly) as a mode of writing. The Dickens novels will be read in serial installments over ten weeks in a repeating class progression in the following order: Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, Bleak House, and Great Expectations. We will read his novels as they originally appeared (in serial installments) in order to understand them within the context of their initial publication and in terms of the public's response. We will also discuss Dickens's life and milieu, as well as the elements of Victorian life that shaped his fiction. 2. For the rest of the semester after week ten, the study will comprise an analysis of six additional 19th-century British novels as seminar presentations using the Dickens work as a foundational understanding to speak about each novel from the standpoint of genre, Victorian characteristics, thematic concerns, aesthetic presentation, and critical issues. Students will also concentrate on the distinctive eras of the century which influenced the fictional art. With an emphasis on context and an attempt to understand both the intellectual, political, and artistic preoccupations of Britain's nineteenth century, the course will direct attention to themes and social commentary in an artistic literary approach to nineteenth-century British fiction. Novels will be read in the chronological order of their publication (after the Dickens novels) over the sixteen weeks of the semester. The syllabus lists those novels and chapters (with serial installment patterns indicated in parentheses) that should be read for each class meeting. Establish a schedule for reading installments regularly; do not fall behind in your reading, because you will need time for the preparation of your papers. 3. Other assignments and grade values include the following: weekly reading quiz work sheets (10%); weekly abstracts of outside readings (5 %); class reports (5%); seminar papers (30 %); a work-in-progress report on research (10 %), and a major research project (40 %). ALL WORK WILL FOLLOW MLA STYLE. a. Reading quizzes: Students will have weekly reading quizzes (one paragraph responses) on readings based on plot to approximate the reader response to serial installments. b. Abstracts: Each Friday students will turn in two abstracts of a journal article or book related to the subject selected for the research paper. You may use holdings in the library as well as materials from my personal library placed on my "lending shelf." Do not take materials from my office unless you check them out in the notebook provided. The style and format for abstracts are given at the end of this syllabus. Follow style and format, abstracts will be returned to you for correction before credit is recorded. Class reports: Each undergraduate student will give one five (5) minute research report on one of the subjects listed on the syllabus on the dates noted. These reports must be given on the day they are scheduled, and should be four minutes in length with one minute allowed for questions. They do not require a written paper, but I do 2 request that you prepare a handout of your information for class member to compile an archive of our study subjects. Students may choose the report topics which appeal to them. Sign up for these reports on the list taped to my office door.

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Seminar presentation: Each undergraduate student will choose a novel with an assigned task to accomplish as a seminar presentation sometime during weeks 11-16. The six novels with the approaches to be taken are listed on the syllabus under those weeks. On the third class day after your presentation, turn in a typewritten paper no longer than five (5) pages covering the points of your presentation and any additional insights coming from responses of your classmates. Sign up for your novel and task on the list taped to my office door. Work-in-progress report (DUE FRI 11/18): Each undergraduate student will turn in a formal paper with the proposed title of his or her research paper, its thesis statement, and at least ten (10) abstracts of works related to it in the form of an annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography has abstracts of the papers in an alphabetical listing by authors names of works you intend to use in your research paper. As a progress report, it will give me the opportunity to see that your topic is focused and significant; it will give you the opportunity to ask questions and organize your thoughts. An abstract will have 150 words MAXIMUM each, and those which you list for your research will include important books and articles on your subject. See Abstract Model at the end of the syllabus. Research Project: Each undergraduate student will write a critical research paper at least ten to fifteen (10-15) typewritten pages in length with a minimum of 10 sources. You may want to choose a subject related to your seminar presentation. Please check with me on your choice before you do extensive research. RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE AT CLASS TIME ON MON 12/05. Your research paper should demonstrate your ability to deal with one or more works that we study in this course, to research, and to organize your thoughts in clear prose. Many subjects are open for you to explore. Please consult with me if you have difficulty selecting a topic. Final examination: MON 12/12 11:00 a.m.-12:50 p.m. For the final, students will present their research projects to their classmates . This symposium period is the final examination; be on time, be present for the entire period. DO NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION TO BE ABSENT; IT WILL NOT BE GRANTED.

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Grading: All work will be rated for content, organization, writing style, persuasive quality, and evidence of academic research MLA style. Grades are computed according to the following: paragraph reading quizzes count 10 % of the final grade; class reports, 5% weekly abstracts, 5 % seminar presentations/papers, 30 % [weeks 11-16]. work-in-progress report, 10 %; critical research papers, 40 %. These score divisions are followed for the letter grades: 90-100, A; 80-89, B; 70-79, C; 60-69, D; and below 60, F. COURSE POLICY Student's Responsibilities: Do the assignments for the class period they are assigned. Always bring the text of study to class. Keep lecture and class notes in any form you prefer. ALWAYS keep everything you write for this class to use for reference for assigned papers. DO NOT bring cell phones to class unless they are turned off.

Student Fall 2008 Information: University student information sheets are clipped to this syllabus. At http://www.busn.ucok.edu/academicaffairs/StudentInfoSheet.pdf,the information is also available. By directive from the Regents, the University publishes this Expectation of Work: Full-time college students are expected to spend approximately 40 hours each week in class attendance and study outside of class. According to Regents policy, for each hour in class a student is expected to spend two (2) to three (3) hours studying for the class (OSRHE II-2-34). Attendance: Class attendance is mandatory. If you miss six (6) class periods you must consult with me to continue in the class. If you must be away, notify me before the absence. Roll is taken at the beginning of the hour. If you come late, you are responsible to be sure you are counted present. No changes in attendance will be made after the day of the class. By English Department non-negotiable policy, being absent for 30% of classes constitutes failure: for a MWF schedule, fifteen (15) absences. University Security Policy: In response to security concerns associated with recent incidents on other campuses, locks on all classroom doors were changed. It will be no longer possible to leave a classroom door unlocked. When a classroom door is shut, it will be locked, and it will not be possible to open the door from the outside without a key. Classroom doors will be locked once they are closed. Students are urged to be on time and not leave the classroom until the class concludes. I will leave our door open until roll is finished. Late and Make-Up Work: Because class attendance is mandatory, no late or make-up work is accepted without an excused absence. I am not responsible for any work left on or under my door, sent by e-mail, or left on my desk without prior consultation. ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN LATE WITHOUT PERMISSION WILL BE PENALIZED ONE LETTER GRADE FROM THE GRADE ASSESSED TO THE WORK FOR EACH CLASS DAY THE PAPER IS LATE. Weekly quizzes cannot be made up unless the student has an excused absence. Plagiarism: All writing that students submit for this course must either be entirely their own or properly footnoted. If it is not, the student is guilty of plagiarism, which is not tolerated at UCO. In a case of plagiarism or other act involving disciplinary action, the student will be notified by the professor in writing within five days of the action, which will also be forwarded as a Notice to the Office of Academic Affairs. If more stringent discipline is recommended by the professor, the Dean will review the recommendation, make comments, and forward the information to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The student may appeal, and the appeal will be heard by the Universitys Board of Academic Appeals. Students with Needs: ADA Statement: The University of Central Oklahoma complies with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests known by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Support Services at (405) 974-2549. The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 309. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week

Week 1 8/22 Course introduction; Serial publication; Introduction to the novels 8/24 NN 1-4 (I), 5-7 (II), 8-10 (III)

8/26 DC 1-3 (I), 4-6 (II), 7-9 (III) Seminar report: Poor Laws amd Corn Laws ____________________________________ Week 2 8/29 BH 1-4 (I), 5-7 (II), 8-10 (III) Seminar report: Child Labor Laws ____________________________________________ 8/31 GE 1-2 (I), 3-4 (II), 5 (III), 6-7 (IV) Seminar report: Dickens and His Illustrators____________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] 9/02 NN 11-14 (IV), 15-17 (V), 18-20 (VI) Seminar report: Victorian Social Order_________________________________________ Week 3 9/05 LABOR DAY 9/07 DC 10-12 (IV), 13-15 (V), 16-18 (VI) Seminar report: Victorian Attitudes Toward Death_______________________________ 9/09 BH 11-13 (IV), 14-16 (V), 17-19 (VI) Seminar report: Victorian Industrialization and Urbanization [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] Week 4 9/12 GE 8 (V), 9-10 (VI), 11 (VII), 12-13 (VIII), 14-15 (IX), 16-17 (X) Seminar report: Victorian Science_____________________________________________ 9/14 NN 21-23 (VII), 24-26 (VIII), 27-29 (IX) Seminar report: Victorian Educational System___________________________________ 9/16 DC 19-21 (VII), 22-24 (VIII), 25-27 (IX) Seminar report: The Victorian Child/Orphan____________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] Week 5 9/19 BH 20-22 (VII), 23-25 (VIII), 26-29 (IX) Seminar report: Utilitarianism________________________________________________ 9/21 GE 18 (XI), 19 (XII), 20-21 (XIII), 22 (XIV), 23-24 (XV) Seminar report: "The Woman Question"_______________________________________ 9/23 NN 30-33 (X), 34-36 (XI), 37-39 (XII) Seminar report: Victorian Marriage __________________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] Week 6 9/26 DC 28-31 (X), 32-34 (XI), 35-37 (XII) Seminar report: Debtor Prisons_______________________________________________ 9/28 BH 30-32 (X), 33-35 (XI), 36-38 (XII) Seminar report: Victorian Sentimentality ___ ____________________________________ 9/30 GE 25-26 (XVI), 27-28 (XVII), 29 (XVIII), 30-31 (XIX), 32-33 (XX) Seminar report: National Identity and Empire____________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] Week 7 10/03 NN 40-42 (XIII), 43-45 (XIV), 46-48 (XV) Seminar report: Ragged School Movement_____________________________________ 10/05 DC 38-40 (XIII), 41-43 (XIV), 44-46 (XV)

Seminar report: Dickens and Melodrama_______________________________________ 10/07 BH 39-42 (XIII), 43-46 (XIV), 47-49 (XV) Seminar report: Dickens and Death __________________________________________ Week 8 10/10 GE 34-35 (XXI), 36-37 (XXII), 38 (XXIII), 39 (XXIV), 40 (XXV) Seminar report: Victorian Religion ___________________________________________ 10/12 NN 49-51 (XVI), 52-54 (XVII) NN 55-58 (XVIII) Seminar report: Dickens and Comedy_________________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] 10/14 DC 47-50 (XVI), 51-53 (XVII), Seminar report: Dickens and Drama___________________________________________ Week 9 FALL BREAK 10/20-10/21 10/17 BH 50-53 (XVI), 54-56 (XVII) Seminar report: Darwinism__________________________________________________ 10/19 GE 41-42 (XXVI), 43-44 (XXVII), 45-46 (XXVIII), 47-48 (XXIX), 49-50 (XXX), GE 51-52 (XXXI), 53 (XXXII), 54 (XXXIII), 55-56 (XXXIV), 57 (XXXV), 58-59 (XXXVI) Seminar report: Idealized Womanhood_________________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] 10/21 FALL BREAK Week 10 10/24 NN 59-65 (XIX-XX); DC 54-57 (XVIII); DC 58-64 (XIX-XX); 10/26 BH 57-59 (XVIII), 60-67 (XIX) Seminar report: Dickens and his Christmas Books 10/28 GE 51-52 (XXXI), 53 (XXXII), 54 (XXXIII), 55-56 (XXXIV), 57 (XXXV), 58-59 (XXXVI) Seminar report: Dickens and Religion Other subjects for class reports: Dickens and Science; Dickens and His Juvenile Reading; Dickens and His Composition Methods; Dickens and Sentimentality; Dickens and Autobiography; Dickens and Artistic Unity; Victorian Artistic Unity

WEEK 11-WEEK 16 Oct 31-Dec 9 For the rest of the semester, class sessions will be devoted to student seminar presentations structured from the novels listed with the emphases on dominant genre, Victorian issues, thematic concerns, aesthetic presentation, and critical issues raised by the specific work. Students will select one class session to present material on the work and focus noted for that day. For individual Book Studies, you have sketched for flexible parameters the following: 1. Genre and aesthetic presentation; Genre and aesthetic presentation have to do with the style and structure of the novel. In this category, deal with the novel's organizing principles: historical romance, social satire, novel of manners, etc. Explain what might be expected from such a definition. In providing the aesthetic presentation, consider the artistic composition: the narrator, first or third person, reasons for such a choice on the part of the author; setting; characters; plot; movement; conflicts. 2. Thematic concerns and critical reader issues;

What issues are raised by the work? Is there a principal theme? Are there many themes? Do they interlock? Relate? Why does the reader care about them? Are they realistic? Are they enduring? How do the thematic concerns affect the world of the critical reader? What are the reader issues raised? Why is there the connection between the themes and reader? 3. Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel. Use the Victorian culture assimilated to date to judge the quality of representative British culture for the era reflected in the book. Ask, "So what?" What is the cultural work the novel is attempting? Is the Victorian picture presented a compelling, believable one? Which critical theories are best suited for the explication of the text? When more than one person is presenting a study of a book, you may do so individually, or as a group effort. If you are the only person working in your book, engage the group in helping you cover the points. Our task is to examine a representative selection of 19th-century novels to compare, contrast, and comment on Victorian England against the backdrop of our cultivated mutual understanding of the period. Within these general boundaries, feel free to present your work as you choose. Week 11 10/31 Pride and Prejudice: Genre and aesthetic presentation ______________________________________________________________________________ 11/02 Pride and Prejudice: Thematic concerns, critical reader issues ______________________________________________________________________________ Pride and Prejudice: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel ______________________________________________________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS]

11/04

Week 12 11/07 Ivanhoe: Genre and aesthetic presentation ______________________________________________________________________________ 11/09 Ivanhoe: Thematic concerns and critical reader issues ______________________________________________________________________________ 11/11 Ivanhoe: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel ______________________________________________________________________________ [TURN IN ABSTRACTS] Week 13 11/14 Jane Eyre: Genre and aesthetic presentation ________________________________________________________________________ ______ Jane Eyre: Thematic concerns and critical reader issues \

11/16 Jane Eyre: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel _____________________________________________________________________________ 11/18 WORK IN PROGRESS DUE 11/18 Middlemarch: Genre and aesthetic presentation

_____________________________________________________________________________ Middlemarch: Thematic concerns and critical issues

Week 14 THANKSGIVING BREAK 11/23-11/25 11/21 Middlemarch: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel _____________________________________________________________________________ Week 15 11/28 Tess: Genre and aesthetic presentation ______________________________________________________________________________ 11/30 Tess: Thematic concerns and critical reader issues ______________________________________________________________________________ 12/2 Tess: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel ______________________________________________________________________________

Week 16 RESEARCH PAPERS DUE MON 12/05 AT CLASS TIME 12/05 Kim: Genre and aesthetic presentation ______________________________________________________________________________ 12/07 Kim: Thematic concerns, critical issues ______________________________________________________________________________

12/09 Kim: Victorian characteristics and critical stance of the novel ______________________________________________________________________________ Overview of semester books and closure Week 17: FINALS WEEK: FINAL: MON, 12/12 11:00 a.m.-12:50 p.m.

ABSTRACTS: An abstract is a brief overview of an essay, article, book, or book chapter that states the primary theme and content of the subject text. It will not include cited material. Each abstract should be limited to 150 words, about a half page, excluding the bibliographic material (author, title, publication information). In your abstract, you will present the essential insight or argument of your article. Avoid such phrases as this study or Professor Fish or other words that do not deal with specifically with the content of the subject presented. Avoid qualifying phrases. No evaluation of the argument is necessary, though your abstract should give the reader a clear idea about whether the article is worth reading. An abstract informs your reader about what the original article asserts. MLA Style: The citation begins flush left; the second and any following lines are indented five spaces. Book titles and journal titles are italicized. Titles of articles, chapters, and portions are placed within quotation marks with inclusive pages at the end. Place a period after parts of the information. Leave two spaces between entries in the citation. 8

The first item is the authors name with the last name first, listed in alphabetical order. Next comes the title of the article or the chapter, followed by the name of the book or journal. A book will have the place of publication, the publisher, the publication date, and the pages of the material in the abstract. All entries will be followed by a period except the year of publication. After a journal title give the volume number, the year of publication in parenthesis, a semi-colon, and the inclusive pages of the article. Book example: Jones, Joe. Decline of the Rain Forest. Global Warming. New York: Viking Press, 2005. 12537. Journal Examples: Adderley, C.M. Meeting Morgan le Fay: J.R.R. Tolkiens Theory of Subcreation and the Secondary World of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Mythlore 86 (2000): 48-58. Skip a line and begin the abstract. Give the main ideas and provide the gist of the essays argument. Continue with the abstract in the indented format until you finish. Skip two lines and start your second abstract. Cunningham, Michael. In the Shadow of the Tree: A Study of the Motif of the White Tree in the Context of J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. Mallorn 44 (2006): 3-8. Follow the same process.
WORK-IN-PROGRESS: Has a working title Has a fully developed thesis statement with the projected rhetorical development of the paper Has a simple outline to show the overview of the papers evolution Has an annotated bibliography of the works to be cited in the paper Each entry will have the complete bibliographic information Each entry will have as its annotated form an abstract of the article being cited

CHECK LIST FOR PAPERS: Weekly abstracts (due each Friday) Weekly quizzes (written on a sheet given to class members by teacher) Report Handouts (to be given to class members before the report) Seminar Report Paper (3-5 pagesdue after the class presentation) Work-in-Progress Paper (due at class time , Friday 11/18) Seminar Research Paper (due at class time Monday 12/05)

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