Fall 2019 - ENGL 111W E100

Literary Classics in English (3)

Class Number: 4632

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2019: Tue, 5:30–7:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Instructor:

    Taylor Morphett
    tmorphet@sfu.ca
    Office: Harbour Centre
    Office Hours: Tu 1530-1720

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines literary “classics”, variously defined, apprehending them both on their own terms and within larger critical conversations. May incorporate the comparative study of work in related artistic fields and engage relevant media trends. Includes attention to writing skills. Students with credit for ENGL 101W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

When we think about literary classics, we think about some of the great characters that fiction has produced, such as Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights. However, the story is never actually told from either of their perspectives. Instead, the housekeeper Nelly and a man named Lockwood are the narrators. In Byron’s epic satire Don Juan, the narrator is almost impossible to pin down: is it simply Byron himself? A caricature of himself? The character described in the preface? In The Canterbury Tales, one of the only pilgrims never to tell his own tale is the narrator; that narration is complicated again by the retraction printed at the end. Zadie Smith’s much more recent NW deals with the question of authorship, gender, class, and race in Northwest London; the problem of who is the ‘sole author’ of each character’s life recurs throughout. In this course, we will ask questions about narrators: who are they, why has the author picked this narrator, and what do they tell us about the text?

This class will also pay particular attention to your own authorship, your writing throughout the course. Not only will we be focusing on close reading as our central methodology to answer our key questions, we will also learn and think about how to create  arguments and, more importantly, asking questions about the texts we are reading.

In tutorials we will complete a series of writing exercises aimed at helping you prepare for writing your final papers. Each paper has been broken down into a series of steps to help you succeed as a writer.

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation 15%
  • In-Class Writing Exercises 10%
  • Paper 1 Introduction Draft 5%
  • Paper 1 10%
  • Revision of Paper 1 15%
  • Introduction and Outline for Paper 2 10%
  • Paper 2 15%
  • Final 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Texts
The recommended editions will be ideal, particularly for the Canterbury Tales 

Read in full
Wuthering Heights, 978-0393284997
NW, 978-0143170280 

Excerpts from
Canterbury Tales,The Penguin Edition in Translation, 978-0140424386
Don Juan, The Penguin Edition, 978-0140424522 

Along with a series of poems which will be provided on canvas and in-class such as Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Edmund Spenser’s “Sonnet 75,” and Christina Rosetti’s “In an Artist’s Studio”

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://www.sfu.ca/students/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