Spring 2020 - ENGL 205 J100
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature (3)
Class Number: 1434
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2020: Mon, 5:30–7:20 p.m.
Vancouver -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 20, 2020
Mon, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
John Whatley
whatley@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
Two 100 division English courses.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
A survey of the literature of the period from 1660 to 1800. May include writing from North America. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
Reasoning Princes; Heroic Slaves; Knocking Ghosts: Balance and Imbalance in 18th-Century Literature
The titles of our two periods, “The Restoration” (1660-1688) and “The Age of Reason” (1690-1800), proclaim a restored social order and a bright future newly revealed by science. But a destructive Civil War has just ended and two revolutions occur between Charles II’s reinstatement and the end of the following century. Literature reflects the volatility of these periods. While writers might defer to the authority of classical norms, most of these rules are broken by the sentimental novel, the gothic novel, the picaresque novel, the graveyard school of poetry, and the oriental or Arabian tale. In addition, members of the middle and working classes, and, in the case of Behn’s Oroonoko, an African slave, could now be included in fiction. Moreover, literature by women found a widening audience, while a hunger for news and essays increased the size of a new reading public. We will explore the cross currents of literary authority and literary experiment in Oroonoko, The Castle of Otranto, and Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia, and in a range of poetry, drama, and essays. If time permits, we will also take side trips to view Restoration and 18th-century art, other print media, architecture, and music. This course will help you understand the literature of the Restoration and 18th century in broad terms, and it will improve your sense of the critical issues at play in these periods.
Grading
- Participation 10%
- Paper 1, 6pp 25%
- Paper 2, 8 pp 30%
- Presentation 10%
- Final Examination 25%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: Volume 3: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century, Broadview.
Horace Walpole. The Castle of Otranto, Oxford.
Samuel Johnson. The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, Penguin Classics.
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