ENGL 479.26196:  Representations of Ireland and Scotland in the 19th Century
Fall 2011
MW 11 am-12:15 pm
114 Blake Hall

LAST UPDATED 11-14-2011

Prof. Kathryn Conrad and Prof. Ann Rowland
Prof Conrad's office hours:  MTWTh 1:30-3:30, 3043 Wescoe  * phone 4-2572 * email:  kconrad [at] ku.edu
Prof. Rowland's office hours:  MW 2-4, 3044 Wescoe * phone 4-2584 * email: arowland [at] ku.edu

Course website:  http://people.ku.edu/~kconrad/479f11.html
Blackboard website (for discussion blogs, grades): https://courseware.ku.edu/webapps/login/?campus_id=1

Skip to...[Course description & grading policy] [Other resources] [Reading and assignment schedule]     

Prerequisites (from University timetable):
    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.
 
Enrollment (from University timetable) :     

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.

Students may neither add nor change sections in any English course after August 26, without departmental permission. For courses numbered above 200, instructor's permission is required to add or change sections.   The last day to add classes with permission is September 19.  From  September 13-November 16, you will be assigned a grade of W.  You may not drop or withdraw after November 16.

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.

Recording of Classes (Adapted from KU Faculty Council statement):
    At KU, course  materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of lectures, are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures or discussions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited.  On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to audio tape lectures, on the condition that these audio tapes are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of class sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course.

Course description and texts:

This course will examine the literary, cultural and political relations between England, Scotland and Ireland from the late eighteenth century to the early twentieth century in order to complicate our understanding of what constitutes "English" (and "British") literature. England's empire may have stretched around the globe in the nineteenth century, but the dynamics of colonialism began at home in the interactions between the cosmopolitan center and the Gaelic peripheries of the British Isles. We will examine  representations of the Irish and the Scottish, many from writers who had one foot in English/"British" culture and one in the culture of either Scotland or Ireland. We will also examine historiography, political cartoons, and folklore that will help us understand the cultural and political exchange—and tensions—amongst these countries.

Several texts are available online; they will be linked to the syllabus below (see Reading and Assignment Schedule).  Where an online link is not available, the document should be available under Blackboard's "course documents" link.  If you have any trouble with the links, please let Prof. Conrad know ASAP at kconrad at ku.edu!.

These books are available for purchase.  All are Penguin editions.  Other editions are acceptable, but you will be responsible for figuring out where we are in the text; we will give page numbers for the Penguin editions.
Edgeworth, Maria.  Castle Rackrent and Ennui.
Scott, Sir Walter.  Waverley. 
Hogg, James. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.
Stoker, Bram.  Dracula.
Stevenson, Robert Louis.  Kidnapped.
Bourke, Angela.  The Burning of Bridget Cleary.

* Recommended: Faigley, Lester.  The Brief Penguin Handbook. 4th ed. Note:  we will not refer to this text specifically; it is for your own use as a style guide.

Grades consist of three major components:

    1. 15%:  Attendance (including "field trip" to Spencer Research Library), participation in discussion (online and in class), and blog postings.  You will be expected to access materials online and participate in Blackboard discussion blogs. You must contribute at least four blog posts, PLUS additional posts if the class has been cancelled by the instructors or the University (other than the dates listed below), and any other posts  to compensate for absences or to improve your participation grade (especially if you don't contribute aloud in class).  To count, blog postings should be about a paragraph, should be thoughtful and written clearly, and should take into consideration what has already been posted. You are responsible for keeping track of your blog postings (i.e., count them--we won't do so until the end of the semester). 

All readings and blog postings should be completed before class on the date listed on the syllabus (unless we say otherwise in class). The only exception to this is if you miss class; in that case, you may make up participation for that day by posting on a prompt for the text we discussed while you were absent.

You are expected to attend every class; contact Prof. Conrad or Prof. Rowland by e-mail before or as soon as possible after your absence if you must miss class.  Please do not attend class if you are ill with a virus. Documentation will assure an excused absence, but is not required for us to excuse an absence.   More to the point, our combined decades of experience teaching suggest that you will not succeed if you do not attend regularly.

     2.  30%:  Exams: a midterm and final examination (identification and short essay) as listed on the syllabus. Final is not cumulative. (15% each.)

     3.  55%: Original research and writing assignment. This assignment has three parts:  the Spencer Annotated Bibliography (approx 5 pp.; 20%); the prospectus (approx. 1 p., double-spaced; 5% ); and the final essay (approx. 5-6 pp.; 30%).You should read the assignments in detail on Blackboard; review the grading guidelines, available on Blackboard; and review the plagiarism policy below before handing in your papers (including the rough drafts).

Grading Policy (CLAS guidelines):
    In this course we will be using the +/- grading scale, approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to describe intermediate levels of performance between a maximum of A and a minimum of F.  Intermediate grades represented by plus or minus shall be calculated as .3 units above or below the corresponding letter grade.

Policy on Student Academic Creations (English Department statement):
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.

Other resources:
    * KU Libraries English Language and Literature guide (http://guides.lib.ku.edu/english).  This guide was created by Julie Buchsbaum and includes much helpful information about databases, research, and scholarly resources.

    * Students with Disabilities: The staff of the Office of Disability Resources, 22 Strong (Lawrence), 785-864-2620 (v/tty), coordinates accommodations and services for KU courses. If you have a disability for which you may request accommodation in KU classes and have not contacted them, please do as soon as possible. Please also see us privately to discuss  appropriate accommodation for this particular course.  See also <http://www.achievement.ku.edu/disability> for more information.

    * Writing Center:  For help with your writing, we strongly encourage you to contact the KU Writing Center.  At the Writing 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 (785) 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!(Adapted from English Department statement).

    * Weather cancellations:  Call 864-SNOW to discover whether classes have been cancelled by the University due to inclement weather.

Plagiarism:
    Plagiarism is stealing and passing off someone else's ideas or words as one's own or using information from another's work without crediting the source.  Any detected cheating offense--including but not limited to plagiarism; the unauthorized use of crib sheets, texts, or other materials during an examination or quiz; the copying of another student's work (even with the permission or aid of that student, who is thereby culpable); the use of prewritten essays (the student's own or someone else's); the uncredited adoption of another writer's interpretation of a work; the copying of all or part of websites without specific and accurate attribution; or the unauthorized use of work written for another assignment or class--will be reported to the University. A record of each verified offense will be kept throughout the student's association with the University (Adapted from FSE statement).
     Plagiarism is not a game, nor is it simply a "shortcut" when time presses.  It is a very serious form of academic misconduct and will be treated as such in this class. When you consult outside sources for ideas--through published or unpublished essays, interviews, the Internet, conversation, etc.--you must cite those sources clearly in your work. Credit that work carefully, and credit both quotation (even a few words) and paraphrase.
   We understand that academic work can be daunting: if you are struggling with an assignment, are unclear about our expectations, or are behind on your work, please consult one of us. There is always a better path than plagiarism; we can work with you to help you find your own voice while incorporating others' ideas appropriately. If after reading the statement above, you are still unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, ask one of us BEFORE turning in an assignment (even a rough draft).  In our class, it is better to turn in a paper late than to plagiarize.  One of the goals of English courses is helping you to improve your writing, and plagiarism undermines that process entirely.
    A plagiarized assignment will result in failure of the assignment (no credit given); it will also result in an official reduction of grade for the course, usually to an F. Both of these sanctions are recorded on an Academic Misconduct Form and submitted to the Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, both of which keep them on file.  If a student is found to have committed academic misconduct previously, the sanction will be more severe (e.g., suspension or expulsion from the University). The Department of English has a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism. We may also send a copy of the plagiarism form to the home department or school of any student who is found to have plagiarized.

Reading and assignment schedule

    This schedule is likely to change.  For the most accurate reading and assignment schedule, pay attention to updates given in class.  Updates will eventually be reflected on this website. 
    All readings (and blog postings on relevant texts) should be completed by the day listed on the syllabus.    If you are making up for absences, you may post a blog after the date listed on the blog prompt.

August 22: Introduction
August 24:  Lady Morgan (Sydney Owenson), Patriotic Sketches of Ireland, Written in Connaught, especially
Vol 1: Preface; Sketches I-III; Sketches VI-VIII; Sketches X-XI ; Vol 2: Sketches XIII-XIII (first two in second volume, accidentally numbered twice); Sketches XVI-XIX
Online; several sites available, including the following:
http://www.archive.org/details/patrioticsketch01sydgoog

August 29: Thomas Moore, Moore's Irish Melodies.  Read the Appendices and Prefatory Letter Upon Music, appended to the end of the edition below.  There are a lot of songs here; browse them, but look over especially 
The Harp that Once Through Tara's Halls
The Meeting of the Waters
Take Back the Virgin Page
The Legacy
How Oft Has the Benshee Cried
The Minstrel Boy to the War Has Gone
Let Erin Remember the Days of Old
'Tis the Last Rose of Summer
Dear Harp of My Country, in Darkness I Found Thee
Shall the Harp Then Be Silent?--but feel free to mention any others that catch your eye!
Text:
http://www.archive.org/details/irishmelodiesnat00moor
Browse 1866 text with illustrations :
http://www.archive.org/details/mooresirishmelo00maclgoog
Browse 1895 text with music:
http://www.libraryireland.com/Irish-Melodies/Home.php
August 31: Robert Burns, selected songs and poems:
John Barleycorn
My Father was a Farmer
Green Grow the Rashes
Holly Willie's Prayer
The Fornicator
Address to the Unco Guid
To a Mouse
Auld Lang Syne
Farewell to the Highlands
Tam O'Shanter
Available online, several places.  Entire collection: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18500  --NOTE:  glossary at the end!  There are other Scots glossaries online, too.

September 12: Maria Edgeworth, Ennui, through chapter XI
September 14: Edgeworth, to end

September 19: Sir Walter Scott, Waverley, Chapters 1-15 and 72
September 21: Scott, Chapters 16-31

September 26: Spencer Research Library tour.  Meet at the Spencer Research Library (behind Strong Hall), lobby. Check bags into lockers.
September 28: Scott, Chapters 32-56

October 3: Scott, Chapters 57 to end.
October 5: Midterm examination.

October 10: Fall break; class does not meet
October 12: James Hogg, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, Editor's Narrative

October 17: **Class cancelled**
October 19: Hogg, Confession plus final Editor's Narrative Annotated bibliography due (see Writing Assignments in Blackboard). 

October 24: Slideshow, British cartoons and physical anthropology
October 26: Bram Stoker, Dracula, Chapters I through VII (note change from earlier printed schedule)

October 31: Stoker, through Ch. XVI. (note change from earlier printed schedule)
November 2: Stoker, through Ch. XX. 

November 7: Stoker, Chapters XXI to end. Prospectus due (see Writing Assignments in Blackboard). (note date change)
November 9: Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, through Ch. 16

November 14: Stevenson, to end.
November 16: research and writing day; class does not meet

November 21: Paper first draft with completed paper questionnaire due (see Writing Assignments).
Arnold, On the Study of Celtic Literature.  Full online text here; EXCERPTS with pagination we'll be using are on Blackboard under Course Documents.
Sigerson, "Irish Literature"; Hyde, "On the Necessity of De-Anglicizing Literature."  Full online text here; EXCERPTS with pagination we'll be using are on Blackboard under Course Documents.

November 23: Thanksgiving; class does not meet

November 28: Folklore I: Lady Wilde, Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland ,online at Google Books, here. You can also download the file to your device.  There are other sources online as well.
You should enjoy as much of the collection as you can, and examine the table of contents, but you will be responsible for the following (although we do not expect you to memorize the title of each chapter!).  Some are a page or two; others are a paragraph.
Preface
Introduction
The Evil Eye
The Priest's Soul
The Fairy Race
The Fairy Child
Legends of the Dead in the Western Islands: The Dance of the Dead
The Fenian Knights
The Fairies as Fallen Angels
The Fairy Changeling
Fairy Wiles
The Cave Fairies:  The Tuatha-De-Danann
Evil Spells:  Cathal The King
Evil Spells: The Poet's Malediction
The May Festival
Festivals:  Whitsuntide
Festivals: Whitsuntide Legend of the Fairy Horses
Marriage Rites
The Wake Orgies
The Ancient Mysteries
The Power of the Word
The Sidhe Race
Music
The Fairy Rath
Fairy Nature
Irish Nature
Legends of Animals:
   The Butter Mystery
The Properties of Herbs and Their Use in Medicine
Medical Superstitions and Ancient Charms:
    For the Red Rash
    For the Evil Eye   
    For Epilepsy
    For Depression of Heart
    For the Fairy Dart
Various Superstitions and Cures:  Fairy Doctors
Legends of the Saints:  St. Patrick
    St. Patrick: The Well of the Book
    St. Patrick: Bardic Privileges
Mysteries of Fairy Power:  
    The Changeling
    The Poet's Spell
The Holy Wells:
    Holy Wells
    The Irish Fakir
    Sacred Trees
    Lough Neagh
Popular Notions Concerning the Sidhe Race
Sketches of the Irish Past:
    The Bardic Race
    The Ancient Race

November 30: Folklore II: Lady Gregory, Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland (online, http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/vbwi/index.htm)
As much as you want, but especially:
Preface
The Evil Eye--The Touch--The Penalty
Away
Herbs, Charms and Wise Women
Astray and Treasure
Banshees and Warnings
In the Way
Butter
Forths and Sheoguey Places
Friars and Priest Cures
Notes (WB Yeats)

December 5: Angela Bourke, The Burning of Bridget Cleary.
December 7: Bourke.  Evaluations in class.

Paper (final draft, with bibliography, prospectus, and first draft with comments) due Monday of examination week.
Final examination as scheduled by University.