Major British Writers -- First Series

Course Description and Goals:

• To learn about the literary history of England from medieval times to the 18^th century
• To hone critical analysis skills in interpreting texts
• To understand individual authors and why they wrote the way they did
• To build on writing skills from English 101 and 102
• To explore what literature has to teach us about the human condition

Texts:   Norton Anthology of British Literature, Volume A
            Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, trans. Nevill Coghill
            Shakespeare, King Lear
            Shakespeare, Hamlet

Requirements:      

Attendance at all class meetings with the required text in hand. Class absences, whether excused or unexcused, in excess of 20% of class meetings will result in an "F" for the course. Being asleep in class or leaving class without permission is the same thing as an absence.

Remain in the room during the class period. Do not go in and out of the classroom while a lecture is in progress.

3 objective/essay exams  (60%)
                Each 75-minute exam is a blend of objective questions and essay-discussion questions. The objective questions are always a mixture of multiple choice and other formats like fill in the blank, identification, and short answer. The essay questions are more general and will require an extended piece of coherent writing, with a thesis and supporting points, of 600-700 words. Grammar, structure, and spelling count. The basic format of each exam is the same, but the number of questions and weighed percentages of the sections will vary. Usually the essay section counts more than the objective section.

                The key to each exam will be posted on the course website as soon as the exams are returned. Consult the key to correct any questions you missed, since the final exam is cumulative and will include material from the 75-minute exams.

Critical essay of 5-7 pages  (20%)
                See the description and guidelines of the critical essay below. This is not a research paper -- library research is prohibited. Your text and your critical thinking are the two tools you will bring to bear on this assignment. If you need to consult and cite reference works to clarify or substantiate your analysis, that is permitted. Examples include encyclopedias, dictionaries, historical databases, and the like.

Comprehensive final exam  (20%)
                The final exam is the biggest challenge for most students in this course. It covers everything from the first day of class to the end of the term.  It counts for a significant percentage of your grade and thus often impacts a student's course grade for the semester. The best preparation for the final exam is diligent studying for the 75-minute exams. Students who perform well on these most often find that they are able to meet the challenge of the final exam. However, past students who have gone into the final exam with a somewhat low average have still done well on the final and many have ended up with a significantly better course grade than they otherwise might have had.
 

Critical Essay Topics

You will write an essay that critically analyzes one of the following topics.  The essay should be at least 5-7 pages long (typed and double spaced).  You are to write a very detailed, well reasoned, close reading of either topic. No research permitted.

·       Pride as a Theme in "The Reeve's Tale" 

·       Ben Jonson's View of the Poet in  "Ode to Himself" (poem)

If you choose the "Pride" topic, remember that you are not seeking to prove that the concept of pride exists in the story. That's a given. You are analyzing how and why -- the ways that the author is using the theme to make us see things about characters, other ideas, relationships, symbols, and so forth. The tale is available in the Coghill edition.

If you choose the Jonson poem, then you should explicate the poem in a detailed, deliberate manner. Move through the popem chronologically, assessing the implications of the different language choices. Settle on an overall thesis about the text and prove throughout how what you analyze adds weight to that thesis. The poem is available here:  http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/jonson/odetohimself2.htm.

Here are some further pointers for the assignment.

1. Do not consult any sources for this paper. Use only the "primary text." Do not use anyone else's ideas but your own.
    

2. Organize your paper around a series of points (or possible answers to the question). Devote a paragraph or two or three to each point  (depending on how involved the point is).
    

3. Be analytical, not descriptive.  Do not summarize the text at any point in the paper – this is unnecessary, since I have already read it.
    

4. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that announces the point of the paragraph.
    

5. Each paragraph should quote small parts (a sentence or a part of it) of the actual text and present them as evidence for supporting the topic of that paragraph.
    

6. You should analyze the implications (language; imagery; symbolism, etc) of what you quote, not just quote it. Integrate quotations into your own sentences.
    

7. You should conclude each paragraph with a conclusion that relates the paragraph to your overall thesis.
    

8. You should write a suitable general conclusion at the end that reinforces all you've said above and gives the reader something thoughtful to ponder about the topics you've analyzed. Again, this is similar to an attorney's closing statement – your last chance to persuade your audience to your point of view.
    

Instructions for submitting essay(s):

• Essays are due as indicated on the schedule.
• Email a copy of the essay to me at hutchissonj@Citadel.edu. Any format is fine, although Microsoft Word is preferred.
• CC yourself on the email, so that you have a backup copy in case anything happens, and you have a date and time stamp that will show that you turned in the paper by the deadline.
• You do not need a cover sheet: only your name, the class, and the title of your essay at the top of the first page.
• Cite the text's page numbers in parentheses when you refer to or quote verbatim any part of the text.

Class Policies and other Information: click here

Schedule:

*All grades are final*