Image from Queen Home School; queenhomeschool.com.
Line #66046, 66048; W 7:00-9:30 p.m. 4025 Wescoe
Professor Dorice Elliott
Office: 3126 Wescoe or 3116A Wescoe
864-2527 or 864-2521
Office hours: Wed. 1-2:30 in 3126 or most afternoons in 3116A
E-mail: delliott@ku.edu
Class distribution list:
ENGL572 (66048) Sp07 – DL (This is the display name in KU’s Outlook system)
engl572_66048sp07_dl@mail.ku.edu (This is the e-mail address)
Website: http://people.ku.edu/~delliott/
Victorian Links (Useful for Further Research)
Required texts:
Course Description: Many of our stereotypes about gender--the roles of both women and men--derive from 19th-century England . The "Angel in the House," the "Lady with the Lamp," the self-sacrificing mother, the hysterical woman, the femme fatale, the "strong-minded" woman, the typewriter girl -- these are just a few of the common Victorian images of women. This course will examine the construction of the category of woman in Victorian England by looking at a number of key literary works that were part of the Victorian debate on "the woman question." We will consider a variety of 19th-century texts, mostly by women, that helped to create, reinforce, or challenge conventional gender definitions and roles. We will also look at some key pieces of feminist literary criticism of 19th-century writers.
E-Reserve list: In addition to the required texts listed above, there will be regular required readings on e-reserve. See the attached schedule for assigned readings for each class period. To get the e-reserve materials, go to http://eres.lib.ku.edu/courseindex.asp. You will need to enter the course page password: engl572 (no space). Some readings may be on KU Library's full-text databases.
Presentations: Each student will be assigned to give an oral presentation . Undergraduates will present as part of a group on a historical topic relevant to the assigned primary text. Graduate students will present by themselves and will give a brief critical history of the assigned text. A sign-up sheet with dates for presentations will be circulated at the beginning of the semester. Groups should meet together well in advance of the presentation to make assignments. You will also need to meet prior to the presentation to discuss your findings and organize the actual presentation.
Remember that during your presentation, you will be teaching the class. Use of visual aids or handouts may help the class understand your presentation and will help your grade for the report. All reports should include discussion questions that will lead the class into a lively discussion of the assigned literary work. Reports should be kept within the time limit.
Papers: Two papers will be required for the course. All students will be asked to write one short paper (5-6 pages) on one of the literary works from the first half of the semester, focusing on a close reading of the text. You will also do one longer paper (7-9 pages for undergraduates, 10-15 pages for graduate students) that should involve both close reading and research (primarily in literary criticism). Since I consider writing as a process, not a product, I am happy to look at drafts, and will allow one revision of each paper after it is graded.
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 both 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.
Miscellaneous assignments: These will include reading quizzes, short in-class writing assignments, reading questions, etc.
Participation, preparation, and attendance: Since this will be primarily a discussion course, your attendance, preparation, and participation will be vital to its success (and will count in your grade). Since we meet only once a week, missing more than two classes will be grounds for failure. Attendance includes being on time.
E-mail List: I have set up a course distribution list for posting announcements, class discussion, and useful information. Please check your official KU e-mail address frequently so you will not miss key announcements. I encourage you to take advantage of the list to communicate your ideas or interesting tidbits you come across that relate to the class.
Grading: Your grade in this course will be based on the following:
Enrollment: Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after January 23, 2007 , without departmental permission. For courses numbered above 200, instructor's permission is required to add or change sections.
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.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 or ideas 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, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University Provost’s Office.
Writing help: For help with your writing, I strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing Center. At the Writer Center 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.writing.ku.edu/students/ > 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!
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 Office of Disability Resources in 22 Strong Hall or contact them at 785-864-2620 (v/tty) or consult the website at http://www.achievement.ku.edu/disability/.
Drop policy: 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/add_drop.shtml
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.
Image from Queen Home School; queenhomeschool.com.
Tentative Schedule
W 1/24 Course introduction / The Woman Question
Image from George Glazer, georgeglazer.com
1/31 19th-Century Women Writers and Feminist Criticism
Hoopskirt made of steel wire and webbing worn in 1855
Image from costumes.org
Illustration from Punch (1857)
Image from costumes.org
Elizabeth Gaskell
Image from PBS.org
2/7 Cranford; Group report
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Portrait by Ewing Galloway; Image from the-artists.org.
2/14 Aurora Leigh;Group report
2/21 Aurora Leigh; Graduate student report
Victorian Maids
Photograph from ourwardfamily.org.
2/28 Working-Class Women
George Eliot (1819-1880)
Portrait by Paul Aldophe Rajon, 1865; Image from earlywomenmasters.net.
3/7 Mill on the Floss; Group report
3/14 Mill on the Floss; Graduate student report; Short paper due
3/21 Spring Break—No class
Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1837-1915)
Photograph from nndb.com.
3/28 Lady Audley's Secret; Group report
4/4 Lady Audley’s Secret; Brief presentation of research paper topics
Charlotte Yonge (1823-1901)
Image from Project Canterbury.
4/11 The Clever Woman of the Family; Group report
4/18 The Clever Woman of the Family; Annotated bibliography and thesis due
Olive Schreiner
Photograph from about.com.
4/25 Story of an African Farm; Group report
5/2 Story of an African Farm; Graduate student report; Research papers due
Victorian servants
Photograph from sensibility.com.
5/9 Final discussion; Short presentations on research papers
Fashion from 1870
Image from costumes.org.
5/16 Take-home final exam due
Photograph from mhhe.com.
