202
main page Chip Rogers, Instructor
Phone: 524-4685
Office: 331 South Stadium Hall
URL (web address): http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~chipster
Email Address: chip@fleetman.com
Course Description
"The course examines major literary works within their
historical periods, with special attention to enduring themes and values.
Three periods are focused upon: Romantic (including works by such writers as
Austen, Wordsworth, Keats, and the Shelleys); Victorian (including works by
such writers as Browning, Tennyson, Dickens, the Brontës, and Eliot); and
the twentieth century (including works by such writers as Joyce, Yeats, Lawrence,
Woolf, Beckett, and Pinter)." —Undergraduate
Study in English, UTK.
Texts
The Norton Anthology of English Literature,
Volume 2. Sixth edition.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Dover edition.
Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. Bantam Classic
edition.
Handouts/web page notes
Requirements/Grades
| 10 journal entries (150 word minimum) | 25% of semester grade |
| Midterm exam | 25% |
| Paper (4-6 pages) | 25% |
| Final exam | 25% |
| Daily attendance | Crucial |
The objective
English 202 is a general survey of significant British
literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Our aim is to
read and explore a sampling of representative British authors in each of the
genres—poetry,
drama, fiction, and nonfiction prose. It's impossible in the short space
of one semester to cover all the significant writers and works, or to cover
any of them in depth, but we will do our best. We will read a lot, sometimes
as much as 100 pages per class.
Specifics
In class: At
times it will be necessary for me to do much talking: there will be brief
lectures providing background for the different eras, writers, and works.
However, most of our class-time will involve open discussion of the readings,
so it is essential that you come to class prepared.
Journals: informal writings roughly a page in length (150 word minimum), responding to the readings before we discuss them in class—that is, journal assignments are accepted only at the beginning the period for which they are assigned. I will give specific journal questions the period before we discuss each reading assignment: each journal assignment is valid for one class period only. Journals may be handwritten or typed, but I prefer to get them by email.
Exams: Both the midterm and the final will consist of three parts: 1) simple identification of significant quotes and passages—identifying the author and the work; 2) paragraph-length commentary on the significance of specific passages; 3) essays making connections in theme or technique between different works and writers. You will have some choice in each of these areas: you might, for instance, select 8 of 12 ID's, 4 of 6 short answer questions, and 2 of 4 essay questions.
Papers: In 5-7 pages (1200 word minimum), you will explore in some depth a subject you choose from a list of paper topics. Papers must be typed, formatted, and have sources documented according to MLA guidelines (Refer to chapter 34 in Harbrace College Handbook, and follow links to "paper details." You will be required to do some library research for the paper—i.e. you will be asked to cite at least three secondary sources in addition to the primary work(s) you discuss. You must meet me for at least one conference outside of class to discuss your paper before you start writing, and I will be available to review drafts of papers before they are submitted for grading.
World wide web notes: For each period and writer we study, I will post on the web a page or two of background info and notes on significant themes, techniques, etc. These notes serve as daily handouts, and you are responsible for them on exams. You should see these notes before doing the readings, and it's a good idea to print them out and bring them to class.
Attendance: I will not take attendance after the first few classes. However, I guarantee that missing class will have an adverse effect on your grade: many of our readings are difficult, and borrowing a classmate's notes or reading the material on your own is no substitute for attending class yourself.
Late work: Missed exams cannot be made up—if you can't be in class during an exam, we can make other arrangements before the exam date. Journals and papers will not be accepted late: deadlines are real.
A promise: I'm committed to helping with questions and assignments outside of class in person, by phone, or via email. If you have questions or problems, don't be bashful about speaking up. Do not count on me getting messages through the English department.