English 155B - Fall, 2019

19th Century British Novel

Class Information

Instructor: Roy, Parama
CRN: 63213
Time: TR 12:10-1:30
Location: 1150 Hart
 

Description

This course is devoted to what is arguably the pre-eminent literary product of nineteenth-century Britain: the novel. It will combine detailed critical reading of five novels (Emma, Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, Lady Audley’s Secret, and The Island of Doctor Moreau) with a consideration of the intellectual, social, economic, and political contexts out of which these texts emerged. We will consider the following topics, among others: science, evolution, progress, and perfectibility; class, money, debt, inheritance, work, and gentlemanliness; monsters, madwomen, foundlings, orphans, and aliens; law, criminality, and punishment; and courtship, marriage, domesticity, and gendered codes of conduct. We will also devote some attention to the practices of novel reading, writing, and publication in this period.

Grading

Participation and attendance (10%); 5 unannounced quizzes (10%); one 4-5 page paper (20%); one 6-7 page paper (35%); and one take-home final (25%).

Texts

Emma, ed. George Justice (Norton Critical Edition, 4th edition), Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights, ed. Alexandra Lewis (Norton Critical Edition, 5th edition), Emily Bronte
Great Expectations, ed. Edgar Rosenberg (Norton Critical Edition), Charles Dickens
Lady Audley's Secret, ed. Natalie Houston (Broadview), Mary Elizabeth Braddon
The Island of Doctor Moreau, ed. Mason Harris (Broadview), H.G. Wells