Title: British Literature
1 British Literature
2Course Description
- Aims
- 1. To provide the learners with a brief outline
of the history of British literature up to the
first half of the 20th century - 2. To introduce learners to the imaginative use
of English and to help them towards an
appreciation of literary language and literature
3Course Description
- Aims
- 3. To consolidate and extend the learners
knowledge and fluency in English through
interaction with literary texts
4Course Description
- Aims
- 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
5Course Description
- Aims
-
- 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.
6- 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
7- Textbooks
- 1. Wang Hong. 2000. English Literature Reading
and Appreciation. Guangzhou South China Science
and Engineering University Press. - 2. ---.2006.20th-century British Literature.
Wuhan Wuhan University Press. - 3. Frankenstein (provided by the teacher)
- Jane Eyre
8- 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. - ???,??.2002.?????????.???????????.
9 Assessment
- Assessment
- General performance
- (including term paper. Exercises, quiz,
presentation) 50 - Final examination 50
10 Term Paper Requirements
-
- TitleBeginning of English Novel
- (concise and concrete)
- Research Question(s)
- Why did English novel come into
- being in the 18th century?/ In what
- way is English novel a middle-class
- literature? (i.e. the questions the paper is
supposed to answer)
11- 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.
12- 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
13 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)
14- 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.
????????????????????? ???????ed (s)
15- 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)
- ????,????5?????????,????5???,????,??????
16- Requirements
- 1.write the paper only after the proposal
oked - 2.title in size 3, bold subtitle size 4,
bold body size small 4 - 3.1st page the proposal, followed by the paper
and Works Cited - 4.word account 1000-1500 printed out
- 5. never plagiarize!!!
17??????
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1
2 Intro. to the course lecture reading assignment
3 Medieval Age lecture and discussion the same
4 Renaissance (1) Introduction lecture and discussion
5 Renaissance (2) Drama Shakespeare lecture and discussion
181.If canceled, this weeks class should
accordingly go to the next week
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6 Renaissance (3) Poetry Prose Sonnet 18 Of Studies discussion National holiday1
7 Revo. Restoration Miltons Paradise Lost lecture and discussion
8 Enlightenment (1) Jonathan Swift lecture and discussion
9 Enlightenment (2) Pope Thomas Gray discussion
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10 Romanticism (1) William Wordsworth lecture and 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 presentation term paper due by Nov.28
20?? ???? ???? ??/??
15 20th century Introduction term paper due by December 2
16 Short fiction discussion
17 Revision
18 Final exam
21 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 18th-century
- Gullivers 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 18th century diary-like detailed description
and narration language difficulty .
22 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 19th-century
- Frankenstein Mary Shelley the 1st
science-fiction exploring the formation of human
nature and relation between human life and
science important literary resource to todays
filming industry language difficulty , small.
23 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 19th-century
- Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen about womens
life (marriage) in late 18th century very good
writing, esp. the dialogues language difficulty
. - David Copperfield Charles Dickens
semi-autographical good description of childs
inner world and the character portrait language
Difficulty .
24 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 19th-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 .
25 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 19th-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 .
26 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
-
- 19th-century
- Silas Marner George Eliot a religious fable
about religion of humanity language dif
small. - Tess of DUrbervilles Thomas Hardy tragic fate
of a pure young peasant woman at the time of
capitalist invasion into the country in the
19th-century England language dif .
27 Recommended Novels for Reading (British)
- 20th-century
- Sons and Lovers D.H. Lawrence Oedipus Complex
the study of man-woman relations language dif
. - The Fifth Child Doris Lessing about distortion
or horror of human nature/ a human-born monster
Language dif , small.
28 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 peoples spiritual life? -
29 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? -
30 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?
31 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?
32 Homework
- Reference Questions for Unit 1
-
- 10. What are the 3 periods/stages of Chaucers
literary career? - 11. In what way do we call Chaucers
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?