Shawn Maurer
Spring 2001

Aphra Behn

Course Description:

Although clearly the dominant literary form for our own era, the novel genre has not always has such cultural prominence. In this course, we will study examples of English prose fiction from the late seventeenth century through the end of the eighteenth century in order to trace the emergence of the "novel" as we know it today. What were the factors-social and economic, as well as cultural and aesthetic-that contributed to the genre's immediate popularity and eventual prominence? What part did women play as both readers and writers of this new genre?

Required Texts (please buy only the editions specified):

Aphra Behn, Oroonoko (Bedford/St. Martin's)
Daniel Defoe, Roxana (Peguin)
Samuel Richardson, Pamela (Penguin)
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews/ Shamela (Penguin)
Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (Oxford)
Frances Burney, Evelina (Bedford/St. Martin's)
William Godwin, Caleb Williams (Broadview)

Course Requirements:

Participation and Attendance:

Although I will lecture as the occasion warrants, this class will be conducted primarily as a discussion. Therefore, I expect you to come to class prepared, having done the day's reading and being ready to talk about what you have read. To assist with our discussions, I will ask you to write three "discussion questions" for each class. These questions will be handed in to me, and will become part of your participation grade.

Attendance is expected at all times. More than two unexcused absences in the course of the term will result in your final grade being dropped, and each additional absence will also result in a drop in grade. Class participation will comprise 15% of your final grade.

To ensure that you attend class and keep up with the reading assignments, there will be frequent unannounced quizzes. Quizzes will begin promptly at 11 a.m.; there will be no making up missed quizzes, except for students who have excuses from their class dean. The quizzes should not be difficult for anyone who has carefully done that day's assigned reading, and will also make up 10% of your overall grade.

Written assignments:

1) Close reading essay: Your first writing assignment will consist of a brief (3-4 pp.) essay in which you will first analyze a specific passage from Roxana and then show that passage's importance to the work as a whole. A handout for this assignment will be provided in class. [15% of final grade]

2) Essays: You will write two critical essays (5-7 pp. each) on novels covered in class. No outside research is required, but you should feel free to consult such sources if you wish. These papers are due on March 20 and on the last day of class, May 1. Late papers will not be accepted without a valid reason and unless you have asked for and received an extension. [Each paper comprises 20% of final grade]

3) Final Exam, consisting of identification passages and two essays. [20% of final grade]