Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2018 - ENGL 427W E100

Topics in the Romantic Period (4)

Transatlantic Romanticism

Class Number: 1520

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Tue, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Two 300 division English courses, including at least one of 320, 322, 327, or 330. Reserved for English honors, major, joint major and minor students.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Addresses specific issues in romantic literature in English. may be organized by author, genre, or critical approach. Students with credit for ENGL 427 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

Transatlantic Romanticism
In this course, we will examine the literature and culture of Romantic-Era Britain from a transatlantic perspective, taking into account the many ways in which writers engaged with the Americas both materially and metaphorically in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Our course is divided into five individual modules that examine the material through a particular thematic lens, although, as we will see, there are significant connections between all the modules. We begin by considering “America and the Revolution,” focusing on the political perspectives of individuals like Edmund Burke, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine as well as the imaginative reactions to the Revolution by Anna Barbauld, William Blake, and Robert Burns. Our next module, “The Transatlantic Slave Trade,” considers Britain’s deep investment in the economics and ideologies of slavery as it traces the evolution of the abolition movement at the end of the eighteenth century. In addition to reading poems and prose accounts that advocate for or against abolition, we will also study the autobiographical narrative of Olaudah Equiano as he discusses his enslavement and eventual achievement of freedom. Our third module, “’An Absolute State of Nature,’” considers how Romantic-era writers interpreted the natural environment of the Americas through the lens of the sublime, while our fourth module, on “Representing Indigenous Peoples,” analyzes imaginative reactions to the original inhabitants of the New World in such texts as The Female American (by the pseudonymous Unca Eliza Winkfield) and Thomas Campbell’s “Gertrude of Wyoming” (an epic romantic poem centered on a massacre that took place during the American Revolution). Our final module brings us closer to home, as we examine narratives of exploration and encounter written by agents of the fur trading companies, including that of Simon Fraser. Reading these narratives at the conclusion of the course enables us to see how they both reflected and created ways in which Romantic-era readers and writers in Britain understood the transatlantic world.            
         Student preparation constitutes a significant component of this course. Students are expected to do the reading and submit written responses on the readings before class. One hour of class time a week will be devoted to “flipped classroom” activities in which students will work in small groups either in person or virtually.  Preparation comments by students will form the basis of the essay, the in-class essay and the final project.  In addition, students will submit a proposal and drafts of sections their final project before the final version is due.

Grading

  • Preparation, attendance, participation (including weekly posts) 20%
  • Essay #1 (1600 words) 25%
  • In-class Essay 25%
  • Final Project (2000-word essay or digital component + 1500 word essay) 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (Broadview Press).

This is also available in digital form:  https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-interesting-narrative-of-the-life-of-olaudah-equiano/#tab-description.
ISBN: 9781551112626

The Female American (Or, The Adventures of Unca Eliza Winkfield) (Broadview Press)

This is also available in digital format at: https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-female-american-second-edition/#tab-description
ISBN: 9781554810963

In addition to these two texts, we will be using other materials available on the internet.  All of these will be linked to the Canvas site.  It is very important that students bring either digital or printed copies of these additional materials to class for reference when we are discussing them.  

Department Undergraduate Notes:

IMPORTANT NOTE Re 300 and 400 level courses: 75% of spaces in 300 level English courses, and 100% of spaces in 400 level English courses, are reserved for declared English Major, Minor, Extended Minor, Joint Major, and Honours students only, until open enrollment begins.

For all On-Campus Courses, please note the following:
- To receive credit for the course, students must complete all requirements.
- Tutorials/Seminars WILL be held the first week of classes.
- When choosing your schedule, remember to check "Show lab/tutorial sections" to see all Lecture/Seminar/Tutorial times required.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS