Professor Francus
English 367W: Eighteenth-Century Literature II
Office: 443 Stansbury Hall
Office Phone: 304-293-3107 X442
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00-2:30 and by appointment
E-Mail: yfrancus@bellatlantic.net

August 19-21: Introduction to mid- and late eighteenth-century England
Samuel Richardson, Pamela (1740)

August 26-28: Domesticity, Servitude, and Female Conduct, Part I
Richardson, Pamela
Related reading: handouts with excerpts from 18th-century conduct
manuals and Nancy Armstrong’s Desire and Domestic Fiction (1987).

September 2: Labor Day (University Closed)
September 4: Domesticity and Servitude, and Female Conduct, Part II
Richardson, Pamela
Henry Fielding, Shamela (1741)
Related reading: excerpts from Henry Fielding’s periodical The Covent
Garden Journal (ca. 1750)

September 9-11: Politics and the Picaresque, Part I
Henry Fielding, Tom Jones (1749)
Draft of Bibliographic Essay Due: 9/9

September 16: Yom Kippur (Class Cancelled)
September 18: Politics and the Picaresque, Part II
Fielding, Tom Jones
Bibliographic Essay Due: 9/18

September 23-25: Sex and Scandal
John Cleland, Fanny Hill (1749)
Related reading: excerpt on “The Prostitute’s Life” from Randolph
Trumbach’s Sex and the Gender Revolution (1998)

September 30-October 2: Education and the Power of Literature
Charlotte Lennox, The Female Quixote (1752)
Related reading: excerpts from Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas (1759)

October 7-9: Religion and the Godly Man, Part I
Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield (1764)
Draft of Essay #1 Due: 10/9

October 14: Religion and the Godly Man, Part II
Goldsmith, Vicar of Wakefield;
Related reading: excerpts from Henry Mackenzie’s The Man of Feeling
(1771) and Samuel Johnson’s periodical The Rambler

October 16: Peer review of drafts

October 21-23: The Gothic and Things that Go Bump in the Night
Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (1764)
Related reading: excerpts from Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho
(1794) and Edmund Burke’s Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful
(1759); The Portsmouth Ghost (ca. 1770); The History of the
Lancashire Witches (ca. 1785) and Terry Castle’s essay “The
Spectralization of the Other”
Essay # 1 Due: 10/23

October 28-30: Epistemology, Perception and Reality, Part I
Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy (1767)
Related reading: excerpt on “The Reformation of Male Manners” from G. J.
Barker-Benfield’s The Culture of Sensibility (1992)

November 4-6: Epistemology, Perception and Reality, Part II
Sterne, Tristram Shandy
Related reading: The Life and Opinions of Miss Sukey Shandy (1770)

November 11-13: Female Identity and Inheritance
Frances Burney, Evelina (1778)
Related Reading: excerpts from Frances Burney’s Journals and Hester
Thrale’s Thraliana

November 18-20: Female Identity and Inheritance
Frances Burney, Evelina (1778)

November 25-27: Thanksgiving Break

December 2-4: Estate (Mis)anagement
Maria Edgeworth, Castle Rackrent (1800)
Essay #2 Due: 12/4

Course Description: English 367 will examine British culture of the second half of the eighteenth century through the narrative lens of the novel, the dominant literary genre of the period. The novels of this time often focus on issues of class, and on the fantasies of upward mobility as well as the anxieties of downward mobility. These novels signal ongoing concerns regarding British economy, property, the status of trade, colonial expansionism, and social revolution. In a period which saw both the American and French revolutions, increased urbanization and industrialization, the establishment of charitable institutions and food riots, the novels show just how conscious the nation was of its accomplishments and failures. These novels also foreground issues of gender, as courtship and contemporary sexual politics often provide the framework of the narrative, while attempting to define manners and behavioral codes. This period marks a rise of domesticity in England, and the status of female power particularly comes under question, and the desire to limit female authority is central to the cultural milieu of the period. Similarly, masculinity is also subject to debate, as sensibility and sentimentalism outline a new profile for the ideal man. Finally, the novels of mid- and late eighteenth century clarify the aesthetic and cultural taste of the period. These novels range from romance (Pamela and Evelina) to gothic mystery (The Castle of Otranto) to scandal literature (Fanny Hill) to novels of sentiment (The Vicar of Wakefield) to social satire (Castle Rackrent) and comic adventure (Tom Jones)¯ as variable and expansive as the nation itself.

Course Objectives:
1. To familiarize students with British literature published between 1740 and 1800.
2. To analyze literature within its historical context, and to evaluate how literature reflects
and effects social, political, and economic forces in its period.
3. To provide opportunities for students to learn and use the tools of literary and critical
theory.
4. To provide opportunities for students to improve their writing and editing skills through
a series of assignments.
5. To provide opportunities for students to improve their oral skills, through class
discussion and student presentations.
6. To provide opportunities for students to engage in academic research at an advanced
undergraduate level.
7. To provide practice in the critical reading of texts.

Course Requirements:
1. You will be asked to sign up for one class presentation on a person who is not represented on the syllabus. The intent of this assignment is to extend and deepen the knowledge base of every member of the class beyond the parameters of the syllabus, to encourage independent research, and to provide practice in oral presentation skills. You will be allowed to choose among a number of people who were influential in mid- and late eighteenth century culture. Your presentation should include the following:
--- a handout for the class that provides a brief biography of your subject
--- an analysis of how and your subject shaped British culture in the period
--- an analysis of how and why your subjects is particularly relevant to the authors and
texts on our syllabus.
Feel free to contact me at any time regarding the content or method of your presentation.
2. A bibliographic essay, 6-7 pages. This assignment provides practice in pursuing academic research, identifying standard reference works, evaluating scholarship, and analytical writing. For your bibliographic essay you should choose one of the authors on the syllabus, and do the following:
--- Create a bibliography for your author. Your bibliography should include the standard
edition of your author’s works, the standard biography, the standard edition of his/her
correspondence, the standard concordance (if one exists), and at least 15 critical
sources (books or articles) about your author.
--- Write an essay in which you analyze at least three current critical articles about your
author. This essay should not be a summary of the three articles. In the conclusion
of your essay you should comment on the nature of contemporary criticism regarding
your author. You will be expected to submit a draft of your essay for comments, and
then revise your essay before submission for a grade.
Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding your research and writing.
3. Two essays, each 7-8 pages. These assignments allow you to develop theses and extended arguments; to evaluate and incorporate scholarship in your work; and to practice analytical writing. I will provide a list of suggested paper topics for each of these assignments; if none of my suggestions intrigue you, please contact me regarding other options. Each essay will require a clearly articulated thesis, and a cogent argument to substantiate it. You will also be required to demonstrate your knowledge of at least three critical sources that are relevant to your topic, through integration of scholarly argument in your essay and proper citation. You will be expected to submit a draft of the first of these essays for comments, and then revise your essay before submission for a grade. For the second essay, you will be expected to submit a brief thesis plan, which describes our research and writing strategies.
Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding your research and writing.
4. The oral presentation will count for 25% of your final grade, and each of the three essays for 25% of your final grade.
5. I do not give grades of “Incomplete” except in extreme circumstances, and then only if a
substantial portion of the semester’s work has already been completed. If an emergency
arises, please contact the Dean of Student Life immediately (293-5611).

Submission of Assignments:
1. All papers are to be typed, with sufficient space in the margins for comments. Papers should be double spaced.
2. The paper length is a suggested guideline. If your response to a seven-page assignment is six or eight pages, don’t panic. On the other hand, straying too far from these guidelines leads to kitchen sink papers (i.e. the twenty page paper that tries to throw in everything about a text, and is unfocused as a result) or papers that don’t say much of anything (i.e. the three-page paper that just begins to grapple with the issues at hand).
3. Research is required for all the assignments in this course. Your papers should reflect careful reading and thinking about your subject. Do not summarize the plot of a work, or rephrase your class notes in your papers.
4. It is highly recommended that you keep a photocopy of a back-up disk of every assignment that you hand in.
5. Hand in papers on time. Late submissions will receive a lower grade unless the student has a viable reason (such as illness, familial emergency) for his/her lateness. In other words, an essay that would normally earn a “B” will receive a “B-“ if it is one day late, a “C+” if it is two days late, and so on.
6. Some of your written assignments my be used for institutional research purposes, specifically to develop a rubric to evaluate student writing at WVU. If your work is submitted for this project, it will be submitted without your name or other identification.

Grading:
A (90-100) ¯ Excellent work; the assignments for this course have been completed in a professional and timely manner. The written assignments are clearly organized, choose compelling evidence to substantiate the analysis, and engage with the subject at hand in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner. Written work requires no substantive or stylistic revisions, whether it appears on an exam, a quiz, or in an essay. Oral work is well-researched, and presented in an articulate, easy-to-follow manner, with clearly designed and relevant supporting materials.
B (80-89) ¯ Good work; the assignments for the course have been completed in a professional and timely manner. The written assignments show substantial engagement with the subject at hand, but the analysis is either partially incomplete, involving weak evidence, or manifests some difficulty with organization. Written work requires substantive revisions, but few or no stylistic ones. Oral work is well researched and presented in a reasonably organized, if not consistently articulate, fashion; the supporting materials are relevant, with minimal flaws in design.
C (70-79) ¯Average work; the assignments for the course have been completed, but not necessarily in a professional or timely manner. The written assignments show effort by the student, but the analysis is incomplete, includes inappropriate evidence (or a lack of evidence), or shows significant difficulties with organization. Written work, whether on a test, an essay, or a quiz, requires significant substantive or stylistic revisions. Oral work reflects some, but not thorough, research; the presentation is organized, but not presented in an articulate fashion; the supporting materials are relevant, but not complete.
D (60-69) - Less than average work; the assignments for the course have not been completed in a professional or timely manner. The written assignments show a lack of effort on the part of the student, and a lack of engagement with the assignment (exam, quiz, or essay). Written assignments lack analysis, evidence, and organization; extensive substantive and stylistic revisions are necessary. Oral work shows minimal effort at research, organization, and design, undermining the student’s ability to explain the subject of his/her presentation to the class.
F (<59) ¯ Inadequate work; the assignments for the course have not been completed. Written assignments, when submitted, show a significant lack of effort on the part of the student, and a lack of engagement with the assignment and the subject matter of the course. Such work is marked by the absence of analysis, evidence, and organization; engagement with the course materials is necessary before extensive revisions are even possible. Oral work demonstrates a lack of effort by the student to pursue or organize the research necessary for oral presentation.

Academic Dishonesty. The following definitions are from the West Virginia University Undergraduate Catalog 2001-2003. Please see the section on Academic Integrity/Dishonesty (pp. 48-52) for the full definition and discussion of procedures.

Plagiarism: “Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: submitting, without appropriate acknowledgment, a report, notebook, speech, outline, theme, dissertation, or other written, visual, or oral material that has been copied in whole or in part from the work of others, whether such source is published or not, including (but not limited to) another individual’s academic composition, compilation, or other product, or commercially prepared paper.”

Cheating: Cheating includes “dishonesty practices in connection with examinations, papers, and projects, including but not limited to: a. Obtaining help from another student during examinations. b. Knowingly giving help to another student during examinations, taking an examination or doing academic work for another student, or providing one’s own work for another student to copy and submit as his or her own. c. The unauthorized use of notes, books, or other sources of information during examinations. d. Obtaining without authorization an examination or any part thereof.”
Cases of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of “F” for the course and appropriate academic discipline. If you have any questions about how to document sources, etc., please contact me.

Attendance: Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class. You are granted a maximum of three absences during the course of the semester. If the limit is exceeded without an acceptable excuse (such as illness, familial emergency), your grade will be lowered one half of a letter grade for each subsequent absence.
Come to class on time.

Social Justice Policy. West Virginia University is committed to social justice. As noted in the West Virginia University Undergraduate Catalog, 2001-2003, “Equal opportunity is a fundamental goal in a democratic society, and WVU shares the responsibility for achieving that equity…In keeping with this responsibility, the members of academic community are expected to demonstrate civility and mutual respect for all persons; understanding and appreciation for all persons; to express that perspective in every dimension of the institution’s life and mission; and to work cooperatively, representing not only the interests of their own groups but also those of wider community” (pp. 13-14). I concur with that commitment and expect to foster a nurturing environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.
If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (293-6700)