British Literature Introduction to British Literature Course Description

British Literature

• • • • • • Introduction to British Literature: Course Description Aims To provide the learners with a brief outline of the history of British literature up to the first half of the 20 th century; To introduce learners to the imaginative use of English and to help them towards an appreciation of literary language and literature; To consolidate and extend the learners�knowledge and fluency in English through interactionwith literary texts; To further develop the learners�ability to recognize and expressemotional and moral attitudes on a higher level than about daily occurrences so as to facilitate their communication with educated native speakers; To prepare the learners for the study of literature in English at a higher level and to help them develop interest in and, hopefully, the habit of , reading extensively. Teaching Methods Letures on the related historical and cultural backgrounds; Textual study; Class discussion or presentation ; Reading assignment before each class; Group work; Individual research work for the term paper. Textbooks Wang Hong. 2000. English Literature: Reading and Appreciation. South China Science and Engineering University Press. Selected Novel: Frankenstein (provided by the teacher) Jane Eyre References Baldick, Chris. 2000. Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Zhang, Boxiang. 1997 -98. British Literature, a Coursebook. Vol. 1 -3. Wuhan: Wuhan Uni. Press. Assessment: General Performance 20%; Term Paper (1000 words) 30% ; Final Examination 50%

Aims Course Description 1. To provide the learners with a brief outline of the history of British literature up to the first half of the 20 th century; 2. To introduce learners to the imaginative use of English and to help them towards an appreciation of literary language and literature;

Course Description Aims 3. To consolidate and extend the learners’ knowledge and fluency in English through interaction with literary texts;

Aims Course Description 4. To further develop the learners’ ability to recognize and express emotional and moral attitudes on a higher level than about daily occurrences so as to facilitate their communication with educated native speakers;

Aims Course Description 5. To prepare the learners for the study of literature in English at a higher level and to help them develop interest in and, hopefully, the habit of，reading extensively.

Teaching methods – lectures on the related historical and cultural background – textual study – class discussion or presentation – reading assignment before each class – group work – individual research work for the term paper

Textbooks 1. Wang Hong. 2000. English Literature: Reading and Appreciation. 2. 2. ---. 2006. 20 th-century British Literature. Wuhan: Wuhan University Press. 3. Frankenstein (provided by the teacher) Jane Eyre

Reference Books • • Baldick, Chris. 2000. Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. Zhang, Boxiang. 1997 -98. British Literature, a Coursebook. Vol. 1 -3. Wuhan: Wuhan Uni. Press.

Assessment • General performance (including term paper. Exercises, quiz, presentation) 50% • Final examination 50%

Term Paper Requirements Title：Beginning of English Novel (concise and concrete) Research Question(s): Why did English novel come into being in the 18 th century? / In what way is English novel a middle-class literature? (i. e. the questions the paper is supposed to answer)

Tentative Conclusion: As British middle class became the main stay of the society, it needed a literature of their own to tell of their life and express their concern, a literature which was easy enough for them to read, whose story and heroes were familiar enough for their recognition, and whose language was graceful and content morally sound enough for their education.

Outline I. Historical background: Political, economic, social status quo, in which middle class held a predominant position II. The need of Enlightenment/education so that the middle class could meet its leading role in the coming years: purpose, means and contents of the education

Outline III. Major features of English novel of the time: realist, didactic, polished language and graceful style, etc. to model after the classics of the aristocrats IV. Conclusion (refer to tentative answers: novel was a bourgeois product; prediction of its future development)

Works Cited e. g. 1. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. London: Faber and Faber, 1989. e. g. 2. Smith, David. “My University Days. ” College Composition. John Powell, ed. NY: Harvard University Press, 2003. 18 -29.

Citation e. g. 1 ---“xxx”( Ishiguro 87) • The following quotations of the book will be thereafter in page number only. e. g. 2 ---“xxx” (89)

Requirements 1. write the paper only after the proposal oked; 2. title in size 3, bold; subtitle size 4, bold; body size small 4; 3. 1 st page the proposal, followed by the paper and Works Cited; 4. word account 1000 -1500; printed out; 5. never plagiarize!!!

1 2 Intro. to the course lecture reading assignment 3 Medieval Age lecture and discussion the same 4 Renaissance (1) lecture and discussion Introduction 5 Renaissance (2) lecture and Drama: Shakespeare discussion

6 Renaissance (3) Poetry & Prose: Sonnet 18 & “Of Studies” discussion National holiday[1] 7 Revo. & Restoration: lecture and Milton’s discussion Paradise Lost 8 Enlightenment (1) Jonathan Swift lecture and discussion 9 Enlightenment (2) discussion [1]. If this. Gray week’s class should accordingly go to Popecanceled, & Thomas the next week

10 Romanticism (1) lecture and William Wordsworth discussion 11 Romanticism (2) Keats & Shelley discussion 12 Victorian Age: Novels and Poetry lecture 13 Workshop on Novels (1) discussion and presentation 14 Workshop on Novels (2) discussion and term paper due by Nov. 28 presentation

15 16 20 th century Introduction Short fiction 17 Revision 18 Final exam term paper due by December 2 discussion

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 18 th-century • • Gulliver’s Travels: Jonathan Swift; social satire/fantasy/; Part I, II, and IV interesting; language difficulty ***. Robinson Crusoe: Daniel Defoe; an account of the process of the building of the British Empire in the 18 th century; diary-like detailed description and narration; language difficulty **.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 19 th-century • Frankenstein: Mary Shelley; the 1 st science-fiction; exploring the formation of human nature and relation between human life and science; important literary resource to today’s filming industry; language difficulty **, small.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 19 th-century • • Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen; about women’s life (marriage) in late 18 th century; very good writing, esp. the dialogues; language difficulty **. David Copperfield: Charles Dickens; semiautographical; good description of child’s inner world and the character portrait; language Difficulty **.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 19 th-century • • Great Expectations: Charles Dickens; about moral corruption and loss of innocence and honesty in growing up; the Cinderella pattern in structure; language Dif ***; a bit too long. Jane Eyre: Charlotte Bronte; a poor, plain governess struggling for self-dignity and personal happiness; language dif **.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 19 th-century • Wuthering Heights: Emily Bronte; one of the best novels in the world; a presentation of the most primitive, natural, powerful, touching as well as the most destructive love human beings are capable of; language dif **.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 19 th-century • • Silas Marner: George Eliot; a religious fable about religion of humanity; language dif **; small. Tess of D’Urbervilles: Thomas Hardy; tragic fate of a “pure” young peasant woman at the time of capitalist invasion into the country in the 19 th-century England; language dif ***.

Recommended Novels for Reading (British) 20 th-century • Sons and Lovers: D. H. Lawrence; Oedipus Complex; the study of manwoman relations; language dif ***. • The Fifth Child: Doris Lessing; about distortion or horror of human nature/ a human-born monster; Language dif **, small.

Homework Reference Questions for Unit 1 1. Who were the earliest settlers of Britton/England? What do you know about them (home, language, belief, life style)? 2. What are the 3 conquests? What effects they had upon the nation? 3. Ideologically what is the most significant change in people’s spiritual life?

Homework Reference Questions for Unit 1 4. How was the nation developed politically or what changes were there in the form of the social structure? 5. In terms of literature, what influence had the French upon England?

Homework Reference Questions for Unit 1 6. How many languages were spoken during the French reign? How do you understand modern English as a language? 7. What was the essence of Christian doctrine preached at the time? Was there any ignoble reason behind it?

Homework Reference Questions for Unit 1 8. Why was the Middle Ages known as the Dark Ages? 9. What was the form of literature at the time? What features does it have?

Homework Reference Questions for Unit 1 10. What are the 3 periods/stages of Chaucer’s literary career? 11. In what way do we call Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales the first work of English literature? 12. What is image of the nun? Is she favorably and admirably or satirically portrayed? What figures of speech are used?

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