English 202:  Major British Writers:  After 1800 (Spring 2005)

TR, 2:00-3:15, Kinard 102

 

 

Professor Information

 

·        Dr. Matthew Fike

·        Office:  Bancroft 258

·        Office Hours:  MW, 3:00-4:30; TR 3:30-4:30; and by appt.

·        Office Phone/Voicemail:  323-4575

·        E-mail:  fikem@winthrop.edu

·        Website:  http://faculty.winthrop.edu/fikem

 

Course Description

 

English 202 is the second half of the two-semester survey of British literature.  We begin with Blake, Wordsworth, and other Romantic writers; move to Victorians such as Browning, Tennyson, and Brontë (we will read Jane Eyre); and conclude with Eliot, Joyce, Woolf, and other Modernists.  Class format combines brief introductory lectures with discussion both in small groups and as a whole class.  The requirements include a test over each unit, quizzes within each unit, and a number of response papers.  The course does not require a long paper, but one is possible in lieu of the response papers if you meet certain criteria (see me if you are interested).  The course counts toward the English major and the general education requirement.

 

Goals

 

·        Understand the main characteristics of Romanticism, Victorianism, Modernism, and of the main historical events in each period.

·        Read and understand the main works and ideas of major authors from these periods.

·        Engage with various forms of written texts, especially poetry, fiction, and the essay.

·        Become more familiar with literary terminology, especially from A Handbook to Literature.

·        Enhance your ability to read critically and to write analytically about literature.

·        Develop a sense of literature as a source of wonder and insight.

 

Required Texts

 

Brontë, Jane Eyre (Norton Critical Edition).

Harmon and Holman, A Handbook to Literature, 9th ed.

Kermode, The Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Vol. II.

Shelley, Frankenstein (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism, ed. Johanna M. Smith)

Woolf, A Room of One's Own (Harcourt).

  

Evaluation Methods and Grading

 

·        60%       3 Tests (Romantic, Victorian, Modern)

·        10%        ~10 Quizzes (all unannounced)

·        20%       4 Response Papers (or your best 4 out of 5)

·        10%       Class Participation

·        100%      Total

Grading Scale:  A, 90-100; B, 80-89; C, 70-79; D, 60-69; F, 0-59

Course Requirements

Unit Tests:  All tests will be closed-book and closed-notes.  Test questions will include factual identification (terms, details from the literature), analysis of quotations, and an essay.  There will be choices within some sections, so if you do not remember or recognize something, you will not necessarily lose credit.  Please bring a large blue book to each test.  You will take your third unit test during the final exam, which will include a cumulative essay question.

Quizzes: The purpose of quizzes is to make sure that you do the reading and to reward you for doing it.  Each quiz will consist of ten items, of which most will be fact-oriented multiple choice questions.  One or more questions will require a short written response and may require more than factual recollection.  I will drop your lowest quiz.  Quizzes can be made up only in the event of a legitimate, paper-documented excuse such as illness or death in the family.  An extra response paper can substitute for a missed quiz, but it must be submitted within one week of your return to class.

Response Papers:  These are two-page responses to the readings on the schedule of assignments. Papers do not need to be longer than two full pages (though they may be if you wish), but they must be at least slightly more than one page to receive any credit.  I will give you topics prior to a particular reading assignment.  Your response paper is due on the day when your topic is discussed.  Thus reading and writing should fuel class discussion.  There will be at least ten opportunities to turn in a response paper, but you only have to write four.  Late papers will simply not be accepted under any circumstances.  Consider these additional points:  If you write five papers, I will count your best four.  I will not accept more than five response papers per student.  Only one response paper may be turned in per reading assignment/class day.  Do not use secondary sources in your composition process.  If you use primary texts in addition to those on this syllabus, please use the MLA documentation format, which you learned in your Writing courses.  If you cite only a prose work from the anthology, it is sufficient to put a page number in parentheses (for poetry, give line numbers); no list of works cited is needed.  Here is some information on how to do your response papers:

 

·        Focus narrowly (take on less, say more about it).

·        Work straight from the primary text; do not do research.

·        Do not summarize narrative material unless directed to do so.

·        Analyze, make a critical point, make an interesting connection within or between works, explain how what you read is relevant today (to your life or something else really specific: do not give unsupported generalizations).

·        If you cut and paste from the Internet, you will receive an F for the course.

 

Here is how response papers will be graded on a 5-point scale:

 

·        4-5:  You make a decent point and support it adequately.

·        3.5:   Same as above, but your writing is problematic in some way.

·        3.0:   I have a significant reservation about the content and/or composition of your paper.

·        1-2:   You wrote plot summary or a string of generalizations.

·        0:      Your paper is less than a full page.

 

Additional option for English majors:  Those of you who are English majors and want to write a research paper instead of the response papers need to get my permission not later than the end of January (we will agree, in writing, on a topic and a schedule of assignments).  No one may elect the research paper late in the semester after having skipped too many response papers. 

 

Class Participation:  Participation in discussion is a crucial element of this class, and you are expected to speak up at every class meeting.  If you do not volunteer comments, I will encourage you to share your thoughts.  Obviously participation is hard to quantify, but the following scale will lend some structure:  frequent contributions will be worth 9-10 points (A); regular contributions, 8 (B); occasional contributions, 7 (C); few contributions, 6 (D); rare contributions, 5 (F); no contributions, 0.  The substance of your remarks may also be a factor when I assign class participation grades.

 

Departmental Policies and Procedures

Unless your professor specifies otherwise on her or his syllabus, the following policies and procedures apply for all courses offered by the Department of English (ENGL, ENGE, and WRIT). 

 

Goals:

Goals for all courses in the Department of English, including those that meet requirements for NCATE certification, are described at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/goals.htm.
 

Resources:

The English Department’s home page is http://www.winthrop.edu/english. Resources for many of our courses can be found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/core.htm.
 

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in “Works Cited”)–whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not. It is also a violation of the Student Conduct Code (http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm).  The English Department has prepared The Correct Use of Borrowed Information to explain plagiarism (see www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm.) You will be required to print out this statement, sign the last page, and bring it to class when required by your instructor. Ignorance or failure to consult this material is no excuse.
 

Grades:

The Department has established a Rubric for Freshman Writing Courses that is found at www.winthrop.edu/english/rubric.htm. A formal description of letter grades used by Winthrop instructors can be Found on pages 30-31 of the Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2005.
 

Attendance:

The official Winthrop attendance policy is found on page 30 of The Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2005. The policy for attendance at final examinations is also found on page 30.  [In brief, the attendance policy states that assignments may be made up if the absence relates to things like illness and if proper documentation is presented.  The absence, however, still counts as an absence.  Do not miss 25% or more of the class meetings.  There are 28 scheduled meetings; therefore 7 absences means an automatic F.]
 

Students with disabilities:

If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible.  Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first test or paper.
 

Duplicate Submission of Papers:

You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another, unless you obtain explicit written permission in advance from me and from the other instructor involved. This policy conforms to the Student Code of Conduct, §V, which states: “Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to … presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved” (Student Code of Conduct  §V: http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm ).
 

Writing Center:

The Writing Center provides support for all students in all Winthrop classes free of charge. It is located in 242 Bancroft (ext. 2138). Check its web page (www.winthrop.edu/wcenter) for current hours.

 

Contacting Your Instructor:

All instructors in the Department have voice mail in their offices and Winthrop e-mail addresses. Make sure you write down your instructor’s phone number and e-mail address where you will not lose it. You can leave messages for your instructor in the department office, Bancroft 250, which is open from 8:30-5:00 each day (ext. 2171).

 

Final Examination Schedule:

The final examination schedule for this semester is posted at http://www.winthrop.edu/recandreg/cal_sch.htm. Winthrop University policy states that travel or work schedules are not valid reasons for missing or rescheduling a final examination.

 

Other Course Policies

 

Format for Papers:   Word-processed double-spaced papers are required.  Only black print will be acceptable.  Print only on one side of the page.  The margins should be 1.25".  If you use MS Word, the font is called Courier New, 12-point, which you are reading right now--this whole paragraph is in the required font. Put your name and course number at the top of page one, number your pages, give your paper a title, and underline your thesis statement like this.  Staple your pages together 1/2" from the upper left corner; make sure that the staple is at a 45-degree angle; do not use paper clips or bend the pages over at the top. Use the MLA format in the.  I may ask you to redo a paper if it is not in the proper format as you document your sources; this means signal phrases, parenthetical citations, and a list of works cited.  You are required to bring blue books for the tests and final examination.  Write only in blue or black ink.

 

Late Assignments:  Since you have about ten opportunities to turn in four assignments, I will not accept late papers even if you have a written medical excuse.

Tardiness:  Please remember that coming in late disrupts everyone and may even stop the class for a few moments.  Try to arrive a few minutes early and be ready to begin right at the start of the hour.  Arriving more than 10 minutes late (or leaving more than 10 minutes early) will be considered a full absence.  Although I will not record tardies on a regular basis, I reserve the right to give you an absence if you are consistently late for class.