English 4313: Eighteenth-Century Novels
MWF  10:00 -- 10:50
Spring 2015

Course description
In the early eighteenth century, as the genre of the novel began to grow popular, it was at first considered dangerous and salacious trash; by the end of the century, though, novels were being reviewed in polite critical journals just as much as they were being condemned for their frivolousness. How did this happen? And what defines novels anyway—where did they come from, and how did they get that way? We’ll survey the early history of the British novel in the eighteenth century, and we’ll consider how and why the novel could have been transformed from junk to high art. What qualities do novels have that allow them to straddle such divides? And how did the genre’s development respond to the cultural context of the eighteenth century?

Learning Outcomes and Methods of Assessment
Students completing the course should be able to articulate an understanding of the British novel in the eighteenth century and its historical and cultural contexts. Students should also be able to identify, understand, and discuss some of the major critical statements on the eighteenth-century British novel. 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

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

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.