Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature                               2006-2007

English 234E

 

Prof. M.H. McMurran                                                               Office UC 380 ext. 85839

English Dept.                                                                            mmcmurr2@uwo.ca

sec. 002 TA Allison Hargreaves                                                 Off Hrs: T 10:30-12:30

Tu. Th. 1:30/2:30-3:30                                                                            Th 3:30-4:30

Sec. 004 Tu. Th. 8:30/9:30-10:30                                                           

 

Description

 

            From cynical to sentimental, from the classicism of the Augustan period to the modernism of the early romantic period, the literature of the long eighteenth century presents us with a variety of new and experimental kinds of writing. This course introduces you to some of the most influential works of drama, poetry, and prose of the Restoration and eighteenth century. With the aim of understanding the literary contributions and innovations of our authors, we will focus on close readings of texts, which will entail working intensively on analyzing prose styles in the novel and the essay form, as well as listening for poetic meter, rhyme, devices and diction. Since, in many ways, these works come to life with a broader knowledge of eighteenth-century British culture and the history of the period, we will set the works in historical contexts. We will find out how they made money, how they socialized, how they loved, married, and divorced, how they dealt with crime and punishment. We aim at a thorough knowledge of literary history, as well as a grasp of how the eighteenth century made sense of life— individuality, gender, the relationship between public and private—through texts.

 

Required Texts

 

The following required texts are available at the bookstore. A Copy Packet for 234E/334E is also required and available from UWO bookstore.

 

Lipking and Noggle eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature 8th ed.

Volume C: The Restoration and Eighteenth Century, NY: Norton

 

Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Comedy, Edited by Scott McMillin 2nd edition, 1997. W. W. Norton & Company.

 

Johnson, Samuel. The History of Rasselas, J.P. Hardy ed. Oxford: Oxford World’s Classics OUP

 

Locke, John. Second Treatise of Government. Hackett Publishing

 

Sterne, Laurence. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. NY: Penguin Classics

 

 

Requirements, Policies & Grading

 

I will evaluate both your written and oral contributions to 234E.

 

The written work consists of two short essays, two longer essays, and a final examination. You may be asked to devise your own paper topics. Late papers are unacceptable, except in extenuating circumstances. If there is no documentation and/or prior arrangement made, you will be assessed a late penalty and possibly fail the assignment.

 

Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic honesty and punishment will be as severe as possible.

I may use turnitin.com.

 

The oral portion of your grade includes a short oral presentation of a reading presented with two of your colleagues. Guidelines and particulars will be discussed. It also includes daily class participation. Frequency and quality are equal factors in the assessment of oral contributions. In order to do well, you must do all the reading, do it critically, and come prepared to contribute not only your impressions, but formulated hypotheses and close readings. Most of the course will be a combination of lecture and discussion. In order to facilitate discussion, a certain portion of class time each week will be devoted to a seminar in which you speak to each other about your interpretations. I may sometimes prompt you ahead of time with a discussion question. Your final grade, as a whole, will be adversely affected by any more than three absences per term. You will also be required to attend a bibliographical instruction session once during the year.

 

Fall term close-reading essay                                         10%

Fall term essay approx. 2000 words                                15%

Winter term research bibliography                                  5%

Winter term research essay approx 2500 words              20%

Oral presentation & class participation                            15%

Final examination                                                           35%

 

NB: Students are required to pass both term work and the final examination in order to receive credit for any course in the Department of English.

 

We may also have a WebCT site. Details TBA

 

English 234E has a website where you will find our syllabus, important information on plagiarism, research resources, and essay guidelines. Please bookmark it:

http://instruct.uwo.ca/english/234e/index.html

 

 

Finally, do not hesitate to see me during my office hours or email if you have any concerns about the course.

 

 

Schedule

 

Sept. 7                          Introduction

 

Sept. 12                        John Dryden, “Absalom and Achitophel: A Poem” (Norton

Anthology)

 

Sept. 14                        Aphra Behn “The Disappointment”; Earl of Rochester “The

Imperfect Enjoyment” (Norton Anthology)

 

Sept. 19 & 21                William Wycherly, The Country Wife, in McMillin, ed.

Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Comedy and The Collier Controversy, in McMillin ed., pp. 493-506

 

Sept. 26 & 28                Aphra Behn, The Rover in McMillan ed., Restoration and

Eighteenth-Century Comedy

 

                                    First Essay Due Tuesday, October 3rd

 

Oct. 3 & 5                    Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, “Voyage to Lilliput” and

“Voyage to Brobdingnag” (Norton Anthology)

 

Oct. 10 & 12                 Gulliver’s Travels (the last two voyages) and Swift “A Modest Proposal” (Norton Anthology)

 

Oct. 17 & 19                 John Locke, Second Treatise of Government Chapters 1-5

 

Oct. 24 & 26                 John Locke, Second Treatise of Government Chapters 7, 8, 16;

Mary Astell, From Some Reflections Upon Marriage (Norton

Anthology)

 

Oct. 31                         Daniel Defoe from Roxana; Jonathan Swift, “The Lady’s Dressing

Room” (Norton Anthology)

 

Nov. 2                         Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, “The Reasons That Induced Dr.

Swift to Write a Poem Called the Lady’s Dressing Room”

 

Nov. 7 & 9                   Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock” Cantos 1, 2, 5

 

Nov. 14                        William Hogarth, “Marriage A-la-Mode”  (Norton Anthology)

 

Nov. 16                        John Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (Norton Anthology)

 

Nov. 21 & 23                John Gay, The Beggar’s Opera

 

Nov. 28 & 30                The Beggar’s Opera on film

 

Dec. 5                          Fall Term Essay Due

 

Holiday Break

 

Jan. 9 & 11                   Alexander Pope, “Windsor Forest” (copy packet)

 

Jan. 16 & 18                 James Thomson, from “Winter” and from “Autumn” (copy packet);

Anne Finch “A Nocturnal Reverie” (Norton Anthology)

 

Jan. 23 & 25                 Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas and Johnson, Idler

No. 31 [On Idleness] (Norton Anthology)

 

Jan. 30 & Feb. 1           Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas  and Johnson, Rambler No. 60 [Biography] (Norton Anthology) 

 

Feb. 6 & 8                    Samuel Richardson, Clarissa excerpts (copy packet)

 

Feb. 13 & 15                 Samuel Richardson, Clarissa excerpts (copy packet)

Bibliographic Instruction

 

Feb. 20 & 22                 Old Bailey Sessions Papers: Cases on Rape (copy packet)

 

Feb 26-Mar 2 Conference Week

 

                                    Research Bibliography Due March 8th

 

Mar. 6 & 8                   Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy Volumes 1- 2

 

            Annotated Bibliography Due March 16th

 

Mar. 13 & 15                Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy Volumes 8-9

 

Mar. 20 & 22                Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative (copy packet)

 

Mar. 27 & 29                Cugoano, from Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery

(copy packet)

 

                                    Winter Term Essay due April 3rd

 

Apr. 3 & 5                    Joseph Addison [The Pleasures of the Imagination, Spectator 411]

(Norton Anthology); Edmund Burke, from A Philosophical Enquiry (copy packet)

 

Apr. 10 & 12                Burke (cont’d); Exam Review