English 334 Major Authors: Jane Austen Line #41305 7:10-10:00 p.m. Tuesday |
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Required texts:
- Sense and Sensibility (Riverside, 2000)
- Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon (Oxford, 2003)
- Pride and Prejudice (Oxford, 2004)
- Mansfield Park (Broadview, 2001)
- Emma (Norton, 3rd ed., 2000)
- Persuasion (Penguin, 2003)
Description:
First and foremost,” wrote famous nineteenth-century critic George Henry Lewes, “let Jane Austen be named, the greatest artist that has ever written.” Jane Austen’s status as a canonical figure in the history of English literature was well-established long before the late twentieth century when feminist critics revived the reputations of so many once-prominent women writers. Her six published novels have long been admired for their witty social satire and endearing characters and have been widely read by both scholarly and popular audiences. Their enduring popularity is apparent in the numerous film versions of the novels that have been released in recent years. Why is Jane Austen such a popular writer, even for a late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century audience? Is there something subversive in her polished and seemingly conservative writing? How did her contemporaries read her and how do readers and viewers interpret her now? We will read the six major novels-- Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion-- as well as some of her juvenilia and unfinished novels. We will also watch some of the films made from or based on the novels. We will consider the novels in their historical context, looking particularly at issues of gender and class, as well as literary style.
Prerequisites:
Admission to English courses numbered 300 and above is limited to students who have completed the freshman-sophomore English requirements or their equivalents. All students are required to enroll in ENGL 101 and to remain continuously enrolled in ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 until ENGL 102 (or ENGL 105) has been completed. All CLAS students, as well as students from several other schools, are also required to complete a 200-level English class.
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory in this course and will be counted in your grade. Missing more than the equivalent of two weeks (six class periods), whether excused or not, is reason for failure. If you must be absent, you should make arrangements to turn in your assignments; absence will not be considered an excuse for missed or late assignments. Quizzes and in-class exercises can be made up only if you present a verified written excuse.
Participation:
Your participation is an essential part of this class. Your insights, ideas, and opinions are welcomed and expected. In order to participate intelligently, of course, you will need to come to class prepared, whether the assignment involves writing, reading, or both. Both participation and preparation will be considered in your grade.
Grading:
(
Your grade in this course will be based on the following)
60% |
Papers (3 papers at 20% each) |
20% |
Final Exam |
20% |
Quizzes, short assignments, attendance, and participation |
Papers:
You will be required to write three papers of about 4-6 pages each. Each paper will be of a different type: one will be a literary analysis based on a close reading of one of the novels; one will be a short research paper on the historical or biographical context of one of the novels; and another will be a creative paper for which you will look carefully at Austen’s style and write a parody or imitation. Topics for the papers will be handed out about two weeks before each due date listed on the syllabus. You may submit the papers in the order you choose, but one must be handed in on each due date.
All drafts and final papers, except those written in class, must be typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins. Revisions will be accepted on papers, if they are completed within one week after the return of the paper.
A paper is considered LATE if it is not turned in at the beginning of class when papers are collected. A late paper will be penalized at the rate of one full letter grade for each day it is late. However, failure to complete all three papers will result in failing the course, so papers should be handed in even if they are too late to receive a passing grade. If you foresee a problem with getting a paper in on time, talk to me in advance.
Plagiarism:
Stealing and passing off as your own someone else’s ideas or words, or using information from another’s work without crediting the source, is called “plagiarism.” Some specific examples of actions that constitute plagiarism include pasting together uncredited information from the Internet or published sources, submitting an entire paper written by someone else, submitting a paper written for another class (and thus not original work), and copying another student’s work (even with the student’s permission). In order to avoid unintentional plagiarism and to represent your work honestly, you will need to be meticulous about giving credit to any and all sources, whether directly quoted (even a few words) or paraphrased.
Because one of the goals of this course is to help you improve your writing, plagiarism hurts you as much as it does anyone. If you plagiarize another’s work, you will not be receiving the needed feedback to improve your own writing. There will be a zero tolerance policy for any type of plagiarism in this class. All incidents of plagiarism will be penalized, reported, and kept on file in the English Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Writing help:
For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact KU’s writing centers, called Writer’s Roosts. At a Writer’s Roost you can talk about your writing with trained tutors or consult reference materials in a comfortable working environment. You may ask for feedback on your papers, advice and tips on writing (for all your courses), or for guidance on special writing tasks. Please check the website at http://www.ukans.edu/~writing for current locations and hours. The Writing Center welcomes both drop-ins and appointments, and there is no charge for their services. For more information, please call 864-2399 or send an e-mail to writing@ku.edu. The website is loaded with helpful information about writing of all sorts, so even if you consider yourself a good writer, check it out!
Policy on Student Academic Creations:
Since one of the aims of this course is to teach students to write for specific audiences, ungraded student-authored work may be shared with other class members during the semester in which you are enrolled in the class. Please do not submit materials on sensitive subjects that you would not want your classmates to see or read, unless you inform the instructor in advance that you do not want your work shared with others.
Other uses of student-authored work are subject to the University’s Policy on Intellectual Property and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. If your instructor desires to use your work outside of this class (e.g. as a sample for another class or future classes), you will be asked to fill out and sign a written form authorizing such use.
Reserve list:
Attached you will find a list of books that I have put on Reserve in Watson Library. These books will be useful in writing your papers and for general reference. Please be considerate of other students’ needs in using reserve books (return books promptly and be willing to share if necessary).
Final Exam:
The final exam will include both short answer and essay questions. Your answers should reflect both careful reading of the assigned texts and understanding of the issues, concepts, and facts discussed in class and covered in the introductory materials. The exam will be discussed in more detail later.
Quizzes:
Because the success of this course depends so much on your preparation for class, there will be frequent reading quizzes. These will take various forms, from brief identification of characters to short essays, and may be given in either written or oral form. The quizzes will be easy to pass if you have done the reading. They will normally be given at the beginning of class and may not be made up (without a verified written excuse), so you are advised to BE ON TIME.
Note: All readings should be completed on the day for which they are listed.
Film viewings:
In addition to the readings for the course, we will also be viewing films of some of the novels. Some of the films will be scheduled during regular class time, but others will be shown in the evening or at another agreed-upon time (dates and times to be arranged and announced in advance during the semester). One out-of-class film viewing will be required; attending other film viewings is highly recommended and will count as extra credit toward the quiz portion of the grade.
E-mail List:
I have set up a list of e-mail addresses for the class, to which I will post announcements, additional ideas or information, and responses to your questions or ideas. I also invite all students to contribute any questions or ideas you may have; extra credit may be given for thoughtful e-mail postings. The easiest way to send a message to the group is to hit “Reply to all” on a message I have sent you. Be careful, though--if you want to send a private message to me, address a new message to my e-mail address, not to the list. You should already have an e-mail address registered with the university. Be sure to check this often.
Disabilities:
Students with disabilities that may interfere with completing your course work should consult with me as soon as possible to discuss accommodating your needs. You should also contact the Disability Resources office in 22 Strong Hall or consult their website at www.disability.ku.edu.
Enrollment:
Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after August 23, 2005, without departmental permission. For courses numbered above 200, instructor's permission is required. The Department of English reserves the right to terminate administratively the enrollment of any student who misses two consecutive class meetings during the first two weeks of the semester. Should an emergency situation cause the student to miss two consecutive class meetings, the student should contact the instructor(s) or the English Department, 864-4520, immediately. Students are expected to submit promptly requests to drop should they decide to disenroll from English classes.
IMPORTANT: Please feel free to talk to me whenever you have any questions, problems, or just ideas you'd like to bounce around. My office hours are listed above; if you cannot reach me at my office, send me an e-mail message or leave a message on my voice-mail.
If you are having trouble succeeding in the course, it is especially important that you consult with me so that we can develop a plan of action that may enable you to complete the course. If you decide to drop this class, please refer to the website below:
http://www.registrar.ku.edu/timetable/052adddrop.shtml
Schedule
T 8/21 Course intro and background
T 8/28 Background reading: Norton edition of Emma, pp. 323-27 and 342-47 (on e-reserve)
Sense and Sensibility (1811): pp. 27-181 (Vol. I, ch.1-Vol II, ch. XII)
T 9/4 Sense and Sensibility: pp. 181-275 (Vol II, ch. XIII–end)
Sense and Sensibility: Introduction to Riverside edition (on e-reserve)
Love and Freindship (1790): in Riverside Sense and Sensibility (on e-reserve)
T 9/11 Northanger Abbey (1818; manuscript first sold in 1803): all
T 9/18 Northanger Abbey: further discussion
Lady Susan (probably written in 1794): in Oxford Northanger Abbey
The Watsons (written about 1805): in Oxford Northanger Abbey
First Paper Due
T 9/25 Pride and Prejudice (1813): pp. 1-164 (Vol. I, ch. 1-Vol. II, ch. XIV)
T 10/2 Pride and Prejudice: pp. 164-298 (Vol. II, ch. XV-end)
Introduction to Oxford edition (on e-reserve)
T 10/9 Mansfield Park (1814): pp. 35-211 (Chs. 1-20)
T 10/16 Mansfield Park: pp. 212-389 (Chs. 21-38)
T 10/23 Mansfield Park: pp. 390-468 (Ch.39-end)
Introduction and Appendices in Broadview edition
Second Paper Due
T 10/30 Emma (1816): pp. 1-137 (Vol. I, ch. 1-Vol. II, ch. VII)
T 11/6 Emma: pp. 137-272 (Vol. II, ch. VIII-Vol. III, ch. XI)
T 11/13 Emma: pp. 272-319 (Vol. III, ch. XII-end)
Sir Walter Scott, [Review of Emma], pp.357-359 (on e-reserve)
Mary Poovey, “The True English Style,” pp. 396-400 (on e-reserve)
Claudia Johnson, “Emma: ‘Woman, lovely woman reigns alone.’” pp. 400-413 (on e-reserve)
T 11/20 Persuasion (1818): pp. 5-127 (Vol. I, ch. 1-Vol. II, ch. 2; or chs. 1-14)
T 11/27 Persuasion: pp. 128-236 (Vol. II. ch. 3-end; or chs. 15-24)
Introduction to Penguin edition (on e-reserve)
Third Paper Due
T 12/4 Sanditon (1717)
Review for Final Exam
T 12/11 Final Exam