Dr. Barbara J. Burch

Department of English

Georgetown College

Phone: 863-8130

Victorian Literature

Course Description: A chronological survey of British poetry and prose written between 1832 and 1900. Emphasis will be on close reading of texts in order to discern the thematic preoccupations of Victorian writers. Class discussion will be supplemented by frequent brief lectures on the social and cultural context of assigned readings. Special attention will be paid to modes of publishing in the nineteenth century and connections between the literary and visual arts.

Texts:

Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass (edition optional)

Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure

Victorian Literature: 1830-1900, Dorothy Mermin and Herbert Tucker, eds.

Course Requirements and Grading: Short Paper (15%); Class Participation and Quizzes (20%) Journal (20%); Midterm (20%); Final (20%); Term Paper (25%); Class attendance. All assignments will be graded on a hundred point scale. Final grades will be calculated according to the following scale: 90-100 = A; 80 - 89.9 = B; 70-79.9=C; 60-69.9=D; 60 and below = F.

Attendance: I expect that you will attend class daily. Absence is acceptable only in the case of illness or a legitimate emergency. Each absence in excess of 3 will lower your final grade 3 points.

Academic Honesty: Cheating and plagiarism of any sort will not be tolerated in this course. If you cheat on an exam or written work, I will report you to the Dean of Student Life and refer the matter to the Honors Council.

Classroom Comportment: Please be respectful of your fellow students by not interrupting or carrying on a conversation apart from our main discussion. To further maintain a professional and positive learning atmosphere, do not bring food to class. Drinks are permissible.

Assignments

Quizzes and Class Participation: Expect regular short quizzes to test your preparation and comprehension. Also, meaningful participation in class is required. To prepare you should review and think through the study questions provided on the web page for this course.

Presentation and Short Paper: During our second class period, I will assign each student a set of reading from the cultural contexts section of our reader. You are to read the selections and write an argument paper that synthesizes the content of these readings in a five page essay. On an assigned date, all of the students assigned to your topic will make a group presentation of the central concepts of your reading.

Midterm and Final: Both the midterm and final will be two-hour exams. The first hour will be devoted to identifications. I will provide passages and you will identity the passages by author and work. In addition, you will write a paragraph explaining how the passage in question relates to the work as a whole. The second hour will be devoted to essay questions.

Term Paper: You will write a 12-15 page research paper on a narrowed topic, approved by me. You will begin this project by choosing an author or issue to research.. You will then produce an annotated bibliography of ten to twelve major critical articles about the writer you select. Once I have reviewed your bibliography, we will meet to identify a workable topic. In addition to submitting the final copy of this paper by the deadline, you must write a complete draft and attend a one-hour draft conference to receive credit for your paper.