Fall 2020 - ENGL 201 D100
Medieval Literature (3)
Class Number: 4680
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, Wed, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 19, 2020
Sat, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Matthew Hussey
mhussey@sfu.ca
Office: AQ 6140
Office Hours: W 1:30-2:30 and by appointment.
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Prerequisites:
Two 100 division English courses.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Anglo-Saxon literature and Middle English literature, in translation when necessary. Students with credit for ENGL 204 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
Monsters, Mysteries, Quests, Sex, and Death
English 201 - Medieval Literature
The medieval is remote from our present moment, while in the very middle (the Middle Ages, after all) of the history that produced this present moment. The medieval is something entirely other from us; there, we find the strange, violent, beautiful, grotesque, spiritual, scary, funny, but in these recognitions, we can find that the medieval remains very much who we are. Literature comprehends these mysteries.
We start in the late 600s, when a socially awkward cowherder skips out of a beer-swilling party to go curl up with the cows, and has a dream of a enigmatic shining figure commanding him to ‘Sing creation.’ We end around the year 1500, with a dark slapstick comedy of a sheep dressed as a baby who might be dinner or the savior of humanity. In between—and this is the short list—we get an epic hero slaying a dragon (of course), ecstatic visions of Christ on the cross (also of course), not to mention penis riddles, heretic confessions, courtly love songs, and blinding farts. 800 years of dynamic change in language, history, religion and culture from which emerges, well, us.
In this course, we will survey medieval English literature from its historical and mythic beginnings in the oral traditions of the Dark Age heroic past, through the violent transformation following the Norman Conquest where Old English met Norman French and begot the language we now speak, to the complex wonders of Chaucer and the Gawain-poet whose gorgeous poems emerged in an age of plague, religious crisis, and political upheaval.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
The course will explore the diversity of medieval genres—epic, elegy, romance, lyric, mystical vision, drama—and explore the religious, intellectual, and literary cultures that produced these authors and their texts. In so doing, we will consider the weird yet familiar world of medieval literature and think about how literary imagination and language reflect on particular moments in the wild, changing, complicated period of history that gave birth to our modern world and selves, and we will consider how medieval literature continues to mean for us in 2020.
Grading
- Weekly Poll 05%
- Weekly Response Writing 20%
- Essay 1 20%
- Middle English Language Assignment 15%
- Essay 2 25%
- Engagement 15%
NOTES:
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this class will be delivered via distance platforms: Canvas, Blackboard, Zoom, etc. These conditions challenge our ability to debate together, exchange viewpoints, collaborate on ideas, test our understanding, and more, but the health and well-being of each other are our priority right now. I am hoping we all will do the best we can, with the understanding that sometimes the tech will suck, or the files won't load, or things in our lives will intrude. Despite our distance, I am hoping that academically, intellectually, and as a community we can do right by each other.
For this course, each week, two recorded lectures (approximately 30 minutes) will be posted on the assigned readings, one on Monday and one on Wednesday. On Wednesdays, from 12:30-1:00, I will hold a synchronous session ‘live’; this session will be open to questions and discussion, and will involve some more hands-on work (close reading, writing, etc.). Synchronous attendance is optional and these sessions will be recorded for later viewing. Each week you will also have tutorial with your TA; the mode and medium of that tutorial will be designed by your TA. Tutorials begin in the first week of class.
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
Most readings will be taken from the Broadview Anthology. This book is available in local bookstores and in online book dealers both used and new--so shop around. It is also available in an e-version from the publisher if you prefer to read on screens. Do whatever is easiest and works best for you.
REQUIRED READING:
Joseph Black, et al., eds. Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Medieval Period. Third Edition, 2014.
ISBN: 978-1554812028
Other readings will be posted on Canvas.
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:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
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
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).