The fundamental concern of this course might best be described as epistemological.  Locke, Hume, Smith, and even Newton will not be very far behind a good deal of our enquiry, though this will be a literary studies class and not a philosophy or history of science class. 

Some of the questions I hope we will visit include the following:

* How do we know feelings – both in terms of sensory input (sight, sound, touch, taste, feel and those of a more complex/composite order such as pleasure and pain) and in terms of emotions?

* How can feelings be represented.  How do we turn pleasure and pain into writing? What happens to that pleasure or pain as writing, when it is re-presented and not experienced “first hand” or “immediately”

* How might such representations condition and construct how we experience those “primal” or “immediate” feelings.

* How do those diverse and often chaotic “feelings” and their representations (whether in our memories or in texts) constitute or come to stand in for what it is we now call a “self” or an “identity.”

* To what extent do additional categories such as “gender” or “class” or “race” play into the experience and/or representation of “feelings” (in the double sense) and how gendered (or classed or raced) subjects are constructed – and ultimately naturalized.

While we will spend the later part of the semester focusing this inquiry on what is often called “the literature of sensibility” (or “Pre-Romanticism”) and written from mid-century forward, we will also look at the “sources” of that subject of sensibility in earlier works, such as the amorous fiction of late Restoration writers.  Although the inquiry may seem genealogical, it will be important to note also the disruptions and points of resistance to the master narratives we may wish to impose.

At the same time, we will also be reading (or in some instances, rereading) both canonical and non-canonical works of the period, thereby surveying some of the main works and authors of the age. We will work with a variety of forms – satire, short fiction, locodescriptive and meditational poetry, and, centrally, the novel. 

A Note on Planning and Scheduling:  Please be aware that the reading load will be heavier some weeks than others and plan accordingly.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Weekly Discussion Questions
Because this is a seminar, and not a lecture class, the course is heavily dependent upon the quality of engagement of all participants.  The majority of our class meeting time should be taken up with lively discussion of a variety of questions and topics raised by the text for that week. In order to facilitate that discussion, each participant will prepare for each meeting a minimum of three detailed discussion questions for the group to debate. You will need to post the questions by not later than 9pm on Wednesday to our Blueline Site for the class to review in advance of our discussions on Thursday.  Please be sure to read your classmates' questions in advance as well. You should be nominally prepared to offer starting thoughts and lead any discussion you questions foster. That is to say, you should have thought about some possible answers to your own questions that you can suggest, as well as engaging the questions of others. These questions will be graded each week (out of 10 points).

In order to help you envision the level and specificity of questions you should compose and bring to class, I have created a Sample Questions sheet (linked toward our first readings of the semester). I offer these to you as possible models, and I thank Natalie Roxburgh for supplying these for us.

Scholarship Summaries
During the first meeting of class, you will be assigned three different weeks during the semester, for which you will research a recent scholarly essay pertaining to the text(s) for that week. You will summarize the essay and also present it to the class. You may not summarize any of the readings already assigned as Required or Recommended (e.g., your scholarship summary cannot be about a chapter in Lawrence Stone or and introductory section of the Fairer and Gerard anthology). Please note that several of the editions I have chosen (such as any of the Norton Critical Editions on the reading list), already include representative scholarly essays as part of the supplemental materials, and these may or may not be appropriate for you to use for scholarship summaries.  In some cases, particularly with the Norton editions, the essay is abridged.  If there is a work of scholarship included in the Norton Critical that interests you, you will need to find its original source and read the article or chapter in its entirety.   Please check with me if you wish to summarize an essay included in one of the Required texts.  Similarly, be aware that you will need to choose a substantial essay to review.  Three-page articles in journal such as Notes and Queries are not appropriate.

Final Essay
At the end of the semester, you will write a full-length scholarly essay that incorporates original interpretation, demonstrates skills in close reading and analysis, and successfully integrates relevant external research and scholarship to fully explore a topic that you have developed, based on the reading done during the semester.  Thus, you must write on a subject related to the readings and topic of the course (e.g., you may not write your essay on a 20^th century French writer).  I am happy to consult with you privately to help you brainstorm a possible topic to explore. You may wish to skim ahead on the syllabus early in the term, in case one of the authors or topics we will study toward the end of the semester might interest you. 

In order to facilitate the paper writing process, I will ask you to provide a prospectus to me mid-point in the semester, in which you will propose a topic for the final paper and provide a rough plan of research. You will also be asked to turn in a rough draft in advance of the end of the semester.

PLEASE NOTE: The final paper should be approximately 25 pages in length.  It may be a couple (i.e. TWO) pages more or less than that, but substantively fewer pages (or a paper of 18 pages) is not acceptable and will severely affect your grade.  If you find that your topic only generate 10 pages of writing, you should reconsider your topic.

You are required to use proper documentation (MLA style), making sure that your final draft is free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Be sure to revise your essay attentively, taking care to make your argument logical and easy to follow. When you are rewriting, pay particular attention to style and mechanics. PROOFREAD YOUR ESSAY CAREFULLY. You may wish to have a friend also proofread. Errors of inattention, such as typographical flaws, are easily avoided. When they are left in a paper due to carelessness, they distract and often irritate the reader, making her less willing to follow your argument.  All essays should be typed, double-spaced on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Top, bottom and left margins should be 1", with the right margin (unjustified) approximately 1" also. Type size should be standard 10 or 12 point and printed in letter quality. Put your name and course number in the upper right corner. Do not number the first page, but put a number in the upper right corner of all following pages. All papers should have an appropriate title on the first page. You do not need a binder, folder, or title page. Do not staple your pages; use a paper clip to hold them together.

I am happy to meet with you at any time to discuss possible paper topics, review outlines and thesis statements, and (with adequate advance notice) look over substantial drafts. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need further guidance in writing these major essays. 

Write your paper with a view toward publication in a scholarly journal. You are participating in a wider community of scholars, both in the class and beyond. If, after the semester has ended, you wish to pursue publishing your essay, I would be happy to work with you in selecting journal to which you may wish to submit your essay and going through the professional process of submitting scholarship for consideration for publication. 

EVALUATION OF CLASS PARTICIPATION

Because this is a seminar, the quality of the class for everyone is in large part dependent on the quality of preparation and visible engagement of each individual participant. While a seminar format creates an atmosphere that naturally facilitates regular discussion, I offer below some more concrete descriptions different levels of participation and classroom citizenship. Please realize that although you may have prepared the readings, and may be actively listening to others, if you do not actively demonstrate your preparation and ideas in discussion, there is no way to see and hence evaluate the quality of your preparation and participation.   At two points in the semester, I will ask you to submit a self-evaluation of your seminar participation, and I will provide, in response, a developmental evaluation and provisional grade, to allow you to better achieve your goals for participation.

Below are guidelines to help you attain the participation grade you desire:

A Level: These students are visible and obvious class leaders. Such a student contributes consistently, regularly and enthusiastically to class discussion. But such a student also does not dominate. Talking a lot doesn't guarantee an A. Rather, talking in a way that develops the conversation, builds on the comments of others, and is thoroughly grounded in the text under discussion. A-level participants don't ramble. Perhaps the most noteworthy characteristics of the A participant is that s/he always has very clear evidence from the text (being able to point to relevant passages and concrete details). Moreover, s/he doesn't just talk to the instructor. S/he engages everyone in the class, asks questions or builds on the comments of others, and addresses others' remarks as well as promoting his or her own position. These students are excellent and exceptional in their performance in every class.

B Level: These students contribute regularly to each class meeting. The B-level student has much in common with the A student; what differentiates the two is the degree of consistency of performance. The B student is sometimes a class leader, but not always. The B student is reliable in giving concrete evidence and details, but less specific than the A student. S/he always does good work, usually engages others, but may not do so every class meeting. These students are above average in their contributions in terms of both content and delivery.

C Level: These students give useful and relevant ideas and opinions ; however, they may not tie their ideas with evidence from the text or they may not contribute very frequently. The C student only rarely engages others in the class by asking questions or furthering points. These students are very obviously not the class leaders, although they come prepared to all class meetings and are productive members of the class. They are average in their work, doing only what is required but no more.

D Level: These students are physically present and actively listen, but do not contribute with any regularity, or if they do, their contributions are vague and not carefully articulated. Their preparation and participation is never reliable and they do not make an effort to engage with others in the class.

F Level: These students are often absent. If they attend regularly, they are obviously and frequently unprepared and inattentive. An F-level student may also be one who makes insulting and unproductive comments, talks while others have the floor, or engages in other disruptive or disrespectful behavior. Numerous absences or flagrant rudeness should guarantee a failing grade.

ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY

Your success in this course is predicated upon your active presence in each class meeting. Frequent absences will adversely affect your final grade. Tardiness, even of a few minutes is inconsiderate toward the entire class.  It is your responsibility to attend every class meeting on time. Because we meet only once a week, after more than three absences you risk automatic failure of the course. Also, be aware that tardiness or early departure from three (3) classes is the equivalent of one (1) absence.

It is an infringement of academic integrity to cheat on a test or exam, to use papers downloaded off the internet or kept in fraternity or sorority files, or copied from printed books and journals. Plagiarism refers to the use of other people’s ideas (including those of other students and published authors) that are improperly documented, so as to give the reader the impression they are your own. Taking a sentence or paragraph from a work is as bad as copying the entirety of the essay.

The penalty for plagiarism is a failing grade for the course. College policy also requires that instructors report all incidents of plagiarism to the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s office has the right to impose stronger penalties up to and including expulsion. The Dean’s office keeps a record of confirmed plagiarism cases, and must respond honestly when a graduate program or potential employer attempts to verify a student’s record.

Simply put: there is never a situation where cheating or plagiarism is the right choice. You are disrespecting the institution, the instructor, your classmates and, most of all, yourself. If you are having problems, or feel that you can’t cope, see me first and we will figure out a solution.

Please note: "Double submissions" (i.e., the submission of work written for another course or instructor in college or graduate school), no matter if revised or altered, will be considered a violation of academic honesty and the penalties the same. If you have any questions about these issues, please do not hesitate to ask me for guidance.

All Texts are available at the Creighton University bookstore.  It is essential to purchase the editions specified, as these editions contain important paratextual material which you may wish to (indeed, need to) consult.

Required Texts

1.        Paula Backscheider and John Richetti, eds.  Popular Fiction by Women, 1660-1730 ( Oxford , 1996) 0198711379

2.        Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders (SECOND EDITION, Norton Critical). 0-393-97862-1

3.        Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (St. Martin's Press, Inc.,1999)  0312115695

4.        Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels (Bedford-St. Martin’s, 1995). 0-312-06665-1

5.        Samuel Richardson, Pamela ( Oxford , 2001)  0192829602

6.        Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews and Shamela (Norton Critical Edition). 0-393-955559

7.        Samuel Johnson, The Major Works ( Oxford World Classics, 2000). 0192840428

8.        Horace Walpole The Castle of Otranto   (Penguin, 2002) 0140437673

9.        Henry Mackenzie, The Man of Feeling ( Oxford , 2001) 0192840320

10.     Frances Burney, Evelina (Norton, 1998) 0393971589

11.     David Fairer and Christine Gerard, eds. Eighteenth-Century Poetry.  SECOND EDITION (Blackwell). 1-4051-1319-7

Recommended Texts

1.        Linda Colley, Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1830  (Yale, 1994) 0300059256

2.        Roy Porter, English Society in the Eighteenth Century (Penguin, 1982) 0-14-01389-6

3.         G.J. Barker Binfield, The Culture of Sensibility: Sex and Society in Eighteenth-Century (Chicago) 0226037142
 

CLASS SCHEDULE

Be sure to come to class having thoroughly read all assignments and prepared all materials due for that day. Your active participation in seminar discussion is vital to the success of the course.

N.B.: Additional Supplemental Reading may be assigned during the course of the semester.

Week One 1/13: Course Intro. Review of Policies and Procedures. Gray’s “Elegy on A Country Churchyard.”  Sign up for scholarship summaries.

Week Two 1/20: Popular Fiction by Women. Read: pp. 1-152

Week Three 1/27: Popular Fiction by Women. Read: pp. 153-322.

Week Four 2/3: Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders

Week Five 2/10: Alexander Pope, selected poems and Rape of the Lock (read also the paratextual materials, pp. 91-429, required).

Week Six 2/17: Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels.

Week Seven 2/24: Samuel Richardson, Pamela.

Week Eight 3/3: Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews and Shamela.

SPRING BREAK 3/10

***Week Nine 3/17: Samuel Johnson, “ London ” (2-8), “The Vanity of Human Wishes” (12-21),  Life of Savage (128-64), Rambler 60 (204-7), “Preface” to A Dictionary of the English Language (306-334), “ Milton ” (698-716). Seminar Paper Prospectus due.

Week Ten 3/24: Fairer and Gerard selections: Thomson (211-238); Akenside (330-346); Gray 347-363); Joseph Warton (383-391); Thomas Warton (392-403); Goldsmith (459-69); Cowper (526-550). 

Week Eleven 3/31: Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto.

Week Twelve 4/7: Henry Mackenzie, The Man of Feeling.

***Week Thirteen 4/14: Frances Burney, Evelina. Submit Rough Draft to Keegan by 4/15 at 5pm (no discussion questions this week)

EASTER BREAK 4/21

Week Fourteen 4/28: Frances Burney, Evelina

SEMINAR PAPER DUE WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 by 5pm .  NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED.

***Classes marked with asterisks will meet "virtually" on Blueline.

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