ENGL 244: Restoration & 18th-century
                  British Literature

Sample Syllabus

Jody DeRitter Fall 1997

I. Texts

Behn The Rover
Defoe Robinson Crusoe
Gay The Beggar's Opera
Lonsdale, ed. The New Oxford Book of 18th-century Verse
Pope Poetry and Prose
Richardson Pamela
Swift Gulliver's Travels and Other Writings

All of these books are currently available at the University Bookstore; I will also hand out xerox copies of a few poems that are not currently available in mass-market texts.

II. Objectives

The immediate objective of the course is to introduce you to a wide variety of literature produced in England between 1660 and 1775, and to some of the background information you will need in order to understand and evaluate what you read. On a more general level, I hope that you will begin thinking about the relationship between literary works and the societies that produce them. Finally, I believe that the work you do in this course will improve your analytical skills by cultivating your ability to talk, think, and write about these texts.

III. Format

The class will provide a mixture of lectures, student reports, and discussions. At times I will divide the class into small groups; on other occasions I will split the class into two roughly equal sections and hold two 40-minute discussions in place of one 50-minute class. Most of this is spelled out elsewhere in the syllabus, and I will try to give you some advance warning about any changes in location, meeting times, etc. Ultimately, however, it is your responsibility to keep track of what is going on.

III. Requirements:

1. You will be asked to write one 3-5 pp. paper and two 6-8 pp. papers for the course; the due dates for these papers are listed on the discussion schedule below. Please note that you must produce at least 16 pp. worth of written work for me during the course of the term (not including exams); if you produce only 8 pages for the first two assignments, your final paper must be 8 pages long. And yes, I do keep track of things like this.
2. I will expect you to keep up with the reading and take part in class discussions. Except on those occasions when the class is split into two discussion sections, you can expect either to take a short-answer quiz on the reading material for that day, or to write a brief (50-100 word) response to some question(s) I provide at the beginning of class. Each of these exercises will be graded on a 0-3 point basis, and the total number of points you accumulate over the semester will be figured into your final grade.
3. Each of you will also be expected to present an oral report either to the class as a whole or to your half of a split discussion. The oral reports will be either informational or interpretive in nature, and will usually be based on secondary materials I have provided for you. However, if you can come up with a good topic or question on your own (maybe as part of your work on one of the longer papers), please feel free to bring your idea to me; if I think it's worthwhile and manageable, we can probably work something out.
4. I sometimes allow extensions for paper assignments, but I expect anyone who needs an extension to arrange for one at least 24 hours before the paper is due. If you do not arrange for an extension and you hand your paper in after the due date listed in the syllabus, I will drop the grade two notches for every day it is late (A becomes B+, A- becomes B, B+ becomes B-, etc.).
5. I have a very strict attendance requirement. You will be allowed to miss only three classes during the term; any absences after that, regardless of reason, will lower your final grade by two notches.
6. There will be an hour-long mid-term exam on Friday, October 24th, and a final exam (date and time to be announced).

IV. Reading and Discussion Schedule:

(Except for those marked with an *, the poetry selections are taken from the Lonsdale anthology.)

W Sept. 3: Introduction

F Sept. 5: Lecture--Nature and Civilization
               Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, (4-52)

M Sept. 8: Discussion Robinson Crusoe (52-93)

W Sept. 10: Discussion Robinson Crusoe (93-178)

F Sept. 12: Split Discussion Robinson Crusoe (178-220)

M Sept. 15: Discussion Finch, "A Nocturnal Reverie"
                  Parnell, "Night-Thoughts on Death"

W Sept. 17: Discussion Pope, Windsor Forest*

F Sept. 19: Discussion Pope, Windsor Forest*

M Sept. 22: Split Discussion Finch, Parnell, Pope

* * * * * FIRST PAPER DUE * * * * *

W Sept. 24:  Discussion Gray, "Ode on ... Eton College"
                   "Elegy ... "

F Sept. 26: Discussion Goldsmith, The Deserted Village

M Sept. 29: Split Discussion Gray, Goldsmith

W Oct. 1: Lecture--Sex and Gender, 1660-1740
               Rochester, "The Maim'd Debauchee"*
               Behn, "On a Juniper Tree"*

F Oct. 3: Discussion Rochester, "The Imperfect Enjoyment"*
              Swift, "A ... Lady's Dressing Room"*
              Swift, "A Beautiful Young Nymph ..."

M Oct. 6: Discussion Pope, "Of the Characters of Women"
               Leapor, "An Essay on Woman"

W Oct. 8: Split Discussion Gender Issues in Poetry

F Oct. 10: Discussion Richardson, Pamela (3-68)

M Oct. 13: {Fall Break}

W Oct. 15: Discussion Pamela (69-135)

F Oct. 17: Discussion Pamela (135-200)

M Oct. 20: Discussion Pamela (200-288, 401-422)

W Oct. 22: Split Discussion Pamela

F Oct. 24: * * * * * MID-TERM EXAMINATION * * * * *

M Oct. 27: Lecture--Metropolis
                Swift, "A Description of the Morning"
                Bancks, "London"

W Oct. 29: Discussion Dryden, Annus Mirabilis*
                 MacFlecknoe*

F Oct. 31: Discussion Pitt, "On the Masquerades"

M Nov. 3: Discussion Johnson, London*

W Nov. 5: Discussion Gay, The Beggar's Opera (Acts I & II)

* * * * * SECOND PAPER DUE * * * * *

F Nov. 7: Discussion The Beggar's Opera (Act III)

M Nov. 10: Split Discussion The Beggar's Opera

W Nov. 12: Lecture--What is a masterpiece?
                 Behn, The Rover (Acts I & II)

F Nov. 14: Discussion The Rover (III-V)

M Nov. 17: Split Discussion The Rover

W Nov. 19: Discussion Pope, The Rape of the Lock (I & II)

F Nov. 21: Discussion The Rape of the Lock (III-V)

M Nov. 24: Split Discussion The Rape of the Lock

W Nov. 26: {Thanksgiving Break}

F Nov. 28: {Thanksgiving Break}

M Dec. 1: Discussion Swift, Gulliver's Travels (I & II)

W Dec. 4: Discussion Gulliver's Travels (IV)

F Dec. 6: No Class

M Dec. 8: Split Discussion Gulliver's Travels

* * * * * THIRD PAPER DUE * * * * *

W Dec. 10: Final exam preparation, course evaluations

Dec. ?: * * * * * FINAL EXAMINATION * * * * *
              * * * * * date and time TBA * * * * *