Course Description
Many of us talk about "the novel" as if the term were both self-evident and immutably fixed. But eighteenth-century writers had no such misconceptions; in fact, early novelists often strenuously denied that their works were novels. After all, novels were trash—potentially dangerous, salacious trash, fit only for fools and whores and certainly not worthy of any literary consideration. It was not until late in the century that the term "novel" arrived at some critical acceptance. Modern critics, too, have struggled to define the novel, and especially the eighteenth-century novel, just as they have struggled to explain its apparent "rise." This course will study the British novel in the eighteenth century, focusing particularly on how novels defined and presented themselves—both textually and materially—and how the idea of the "novel" gradually coalesced into something we now understand as a coherent genre. In other words, how (and why) did novels sell themselves? And how (and why) did the idea of the novel eventually get sold?

Learning Outcomes 
Students completing this course should be able to demonstrate sophisticated understanding of eighteenth-century novels, of theories of the novel genre in the period, and of critical issues and scholarship on these subjects.
Students should also be able to demonstrate sophisticated understanding of book production in the long eighteenth century and of why a novel’s existence in history as a physical object matters for its interpretation as a literary artifact.
Students should also be able to articulate sophisticated ideas and interpretations of these texts and issues.
Students should also be able to conduct professional-quality research on the eighteenth-century novel.
    These outcomes will be assessed by means of class discussions, scholarly presentations, shorter essays, and an article-length seminar paper.

Required Texts and Materials
Note: AddAll and BookFinder are good ways to find used copies.

• Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko; or, the Royal Slave. 1688. Ed. Catherine Gallagher. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.
• Burney, Frances. Evelina. 1778. Ed. Kristina Straub. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1997.
• Congreve, William. Incognita; or, Love and Duty Reconciled. 1692. London: Hesperus, 2003.
• Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. 1719. Ed. Thomas Keymer. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007.
• Fielding, Henry. Joseph Andrews. 1742. Ed. Judith Hawley. Penguin, 1999.
• Godwin, William. The Adventures of Caleb Williams; or, Things As They Are. 1794. Ed. Gary Handwerk and A. A. Markley. Peterborough: Broadview, 2000.
• Haywood, Eliza. The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless. 1751. Ed. Christine Blouch. Peterborough: Broadview, 1998.
• Haywood, Eliza. Love in Excess; or, the Fatal Enquiry. 1719-20. Ed. David Oakleaf. 2nd ed. Peterborough: Broadview, 2000.
• Radcliffe, Ann. A Sicilian Romance.  1790. Ed. Alison Milbank. Penguin, 1993.
• Richardson, Samuel. Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. 1740. Ed. Thomas Keymer and Alice Wakely. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001.
• Sterne, Laurence. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. 1759-67. Ed. Melvyn New. London: Penguin, 2003.
• Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. 1764. Ed. Frederick S. Frank. Peterborough: Broadview, 2003.
• Additional secondary readings as listed below.

Requirements for Online Presence
All course meetings will be held via Zoom; the link is available in Blackboard and in the "welcome to the course" email.
In order to be considered present during class, you must have your camera on and remain visible for the duration of the class meeting time.
To avoid distracting ambient sounds, please keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking -- but of course don't forget to unmute it when you do speak!
Contributions to class discussion are welcome either via audio or chat.

Required Work
Click for details on each assignment.
Note that all assignments need to use both book-historical and literary-critical methodology.

Schedule of Readings and Assignments (subject to change)