Dr. Kvande's ENGL 4313 Fall 2016

English 4313: Fiction and Politics in the 1790s
MWF 10:00 -- 10:50
Fall 2016

Course description
Britain in the 1790s was a hotbed of political fervor, controversy, and paranoia. While some Britons eagerly celebrated the French Revolution and hoped it would spread to Britain, many others eyed it with terror and anxiety, fearing that it would produce upheaval and chaos in Britain. Political engagement was intense; many joined political societies (some of which openly called for revolution). The government passed the infamous “Two Acts” designed to restrict public meetings and public discussion (the Seditious Meetings Act and the Treason Act), and radical activists (like Thomas Paine) were tried on charges of treason. This was fertile ground for fiction of all kinds, especially political fictions. We’ll study the novels produced in Britain during this time and consider how they relate to and respond to their contexts.

Learning Outcomes and Methods of Assessment
Students completing the course should be able to identify, understand, and discuss British novels of the 1790s, including an understanding of the various types of novels published in the period. Sstudents should also be able identify, understand, and discuss the historical and political context of the 1790s and should be able to discuss how the novels of the period responded to that context. Students should also be able to analyze and interpret texts through close readings, construct clear and persuasive written arguments for their interpretations, conduct research carefully and systematically using library resources, and integrate that research into their own arguments. These objectives will be assessed through participation in class discussion, presentations, papers, and exams.

Required Texts

Bage, Robert. Hermsprong; or, Man As He Is Not. 1796. Ed. Pamela Perkins. Peterborough: Broadview, 2002.
Fenwick, Eliza. Secrecy; or The Ruin on the Rock. 1795. Ed. Isobel Grundy. Peterborough: Broadview, 1998.
Godwin, William. Things As They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams. 1794. Ed. Gary Handwerk and A. A. Markley. Peterborough: Broadview, 2000.
Hamilton, Elizabeth. Translation of the Letters of a Hindoo Rajah. 1796. Ed. Shannon Russell and Pamela Perkins. Peterborough: Broadview, 1999.
Inchbald, Elizabeth. Nature and Art. 1796. Ed. Shawn Lisa Maurer. Peterborough: Broadview, 2004.
Lewis, Matthew. The Monk: A Romance. 1796. Ed. Christopher Machlachan. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1998.
Radcliffe, Ann. The Italian; or, The Confessional of the Black Penitents. 1797. Ed. Robert Miles. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 2000.
Wollstonecraft, Maria. Mary, A Fiction and The Wrongs of Woman, or Maria. 1798. Ed Michelle Faubert. Peterborough: Broadview, 2012.
Additional readings available online.

Required Work
NB: students must complete all assignments in order to pass the course. Consult the detailed handouts for each assignment for specific guidelines.

ECCO report	5%
Context presentation on another 1790s novel	5%
Interpretive presentation	10%
Presentation-based paper (5-8 pages)	20%
Research paper (10-12 pages)	25%
Proposal and annotated bibliography for research paper	10%
Final exam	15%
Participation	10%

Policies

Schedule of Readings and Assignments (subject to change)
Readings with the notation "online" will be available through the Course Readings page, either as online texts or as password-protected PDFs.
You must have the day's assigned readings with you in class.

Week 1	M 8/29	Introduction to the course
	W 8/31	Godwin, Caleb Williams preface through vol. I, ch. vii
	F 9/1	Godwin, Caleb Williams through end of vol. I
Week 2	W 9/7	Godwin, Caleb Williams through end of vol. II selections from Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (Appendix B.I.i in Broadview ed of CW) selections from Price, Discourse on the Love of Our Country (online)
	F 9/9	Godwin, Caleb Williams through vol. III, ch. viii
Week 3	M 9/12	Godwin, Caleb Williams through end (including alternate ending); Kelly, English Jacobin Novel introduction (online)
	W 9/14	Fenwick, Secresy through vol. I, letter vii
	F 9/16	Fenwick, Secresy through vol. II, letter v Presentation 1: Taylor Lewis
Week 4	M 9/19	Fenwick, Secresy through vol. III, letter iii Johnson, Equivocal Beings introduction (online)
	W 9/21	Fenwick, Secresy through vol. III, letter xiv Presentation 2: Lourdes Martinez
	F 9/23	Fenwick, Secresy through end ECCO Report due
Week 5	M 9/26	Inchbald, Nature and Art through vol. I, ch. xx; selections from Paine, Rights of Man (online)
	W 9/28	Inchbald, Nature and Art through vol. II, ch. xxxi Presentation 3: Kirsten Dalquist
	F 9/30	Inchbald, Nature and Art through end Presentation 4: Hugh McCabe
Week 6	M 10/3	Bage, Hermsprong through vol. I selections from Godwin, Political Justice (in Godwin, CW, Appendix B: 2 & 3)
	W 10/5	Bage, Hermsprong through vol. II, ch. xvii; Presentation 5: Alexis Green
	F 10/7	Bage, Hermsprong through vol. III, ch. viii Presentation 6: Raymond Russell
Week 7	M 10/10	Bage, Hermsprong through end Presentation 7: Kallum Griffin
	W 10/12	Context presentations 1790 Ann Radcliffe, A Sicilian Romance: Hugh McCabe 1791 Elizabeth Inchbald, A Simple Story: Cassandra Guajardo Ann Radcliffe, The Romance of the Forest: Emma Seidensticker Charlotte Smith, Celestina: Alexis Green 1792 Robert Bage, Man As He Is: Erin Hicks Thomas Holcroft, Anna St. Ives: Taylor Lewis
	F 10/14	Context presentations 1793 Eliza Parsons, The Castle of Wolfenbach: Jackson Hicks Charlotte Smith, The Old Manor House: Lourdes Martinez 1794 Charlotte Smith, The Wanderings of Warwick: John Wallace Charlotte Smith, The Banished Man: Kallum Griffin
Week 8	M 10/17	Context presentations 1796 Frances Burney, Camilla: Sierra Vierrege Jane West, A Gossip’s Story: Briana Stewart 1797 Hannah Foster, The Coquette: Raymond Russell 1798 Charles Brockden Brown, Wieland: Allison Kowalczyk Charlotte Smith, The Young Philosopher: Daniel Walker 1799 Mary Hays, The Victim of Prejudice: Kirsten Dalquist
	W 10/19	Hamilton, Translations of the Letters of a Hindoo Rajah through vol. I, letter iii
	W 10/21	Hamilton, Translations through vol. I, letter ix Presentation 8: Cassandra Guajardo
Week 9	M 10/24	Hamilton, Translations through vol. II, letter xiv Grenby, The Anti-Jacobin Novel introduction (online)
	W 10/26	Hamilton, Translations through end Presentation 9: Emma Seidensticker
	F 10/28	Lewis, The Monk through ch. II
Week 10	M 10/31	Lewis, The Monk through ch. IV Miles, “The 1790s: The Effulgence of Gothic” (online) moved to M 11/14
	W 11/2	Lewis, The Monk through ch. VII Presentation 10: Briana Stewart
	F 11/4	Lewis, The Monk through ch. IX Presentation 11: Erin Hicks
Week 11	M 11/7	Lewis, The Monk through end Presentation 12: Sierra Vierrege
	W 11/9	Radcliffe, The Italian through vol. I, ch. v
	F 11/11	Radcliffe, The Italian through vol. I, ch. x Presentation 13: Jeffrey Hicks
Week 12	M 11/14	Radcliffe, The Italian through vol. II, ch. v Miles, “The 1790s: The Effulgence of Gothic” (online)
	W 11/16	Radcliffe, The Italian through end of vol. II Presentation 14: Daniel Walker
	F 11/18	Radcliffe, The Italian through vol. III, ch. iv Presentation 15: Allison Kowalczyk
Week 13	M 11/21	Radcliffe, The Italian through end Proposals and annotated bibliographies due
	W 11/23	Thanksgiving holiday; no class
	F 11/25	Thanksgiving holiday; no class
Week 14	M 11/28	Wollstonecraft, The Wrongs of Woman pp. 155-220 selections from Wollstonecraft’s Vindications (Appendix A: 3 & 4, plus additions online)
	W 11/30	Wollstonecraft, The Wrongs of Woman through 288 Presentation 16: John Wallace
	F 12/2	Draft of research paper due for workshop; bring 2 copies of your draft and print 2 copies of the workshop sheet
Week 15	M 12/5	Professor at conference (available by email for paper help); no class
	W 12/7	Professor at conference (available by email for paper help); no class
Finals	Tuesday 12/13	Final exam 7:30am -- 10:00am Research papers due at start of final

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