ENGL 8181:Seminar in Victorian Literature

Recommended Texts
Solveig C. Robinson, ed., A Serious Occupation: Literary Criticism by Victorian Women Writers (Broadview)
Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook (6th edition)

COURSE PURPOSES
In this seminar we will study works by British women writers of the "long" nineteenth century in the context of the great cultural and social issues of the time: the extension of empire, the conflict of science and religion, the economics of industrial society, the progress of political and social reform, and debates over women's roles, rights, and responsibilities—what Victorians referred to as the "Woman Question." In particular, our discussions will focus on the separate nineteenth-century "spheres" of domestic and public life, to explore how popular ideology constructed the domestic sphere as a political and economic alternative to the public world, calling into question the very structures of Victorian society, and becoming a major force in political history that has continued to shape modern culture. By concentrating on popular genres such as domestic fiction, the Gothic, mystery, fantasy, and children's literature, we will consider the diverse efforts of women writers (and some early filmmakers) to "authorize" themselves in the burgeoning literary and mass-media marketplaces of the nineteenth century, and the complex ways that these works both represented and shaped their historical and cultural contexts .

REQUIREMENTS
Students will present two short (15 minute) oral reports on a topic related to one of the course texts, regularly formulate topics for the class to discuss, lead one class discussion, and write a paper proposal and substantial (20-25 page) research paper. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be distributed in class and posted online. If you have any disability, either temporary or permanent, that might affect your performance in this course, please let me know as soon as possible so that I may adapt materials or testing to provide for equitable participation. The UMD Access Center (726-8217) can also provide further information and assistance.

Final grades will be determined as follows:
*Informed participation in seminar discussions (30%)
*Research proposal and project (40% of grade)
*Leading Class Discussion (10%)
*Seminar Reports (20%)

Reading
All students will be expected to participate in seminar discussions; your presence and active, informed participation are therefore essential to your success in the class and the success of the class itself as a shared scholarly endeavor. Please come to class prepared to engage with the texts, your colleagues, and me by reading the assigned works by the first date they are listed on the schedule and having questions and ideas to contribute to our discussion. I also encourage you to take reading notes on each text, and to mark passages we discuss in class. Please be sure to turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones, before class begins.

Attendance
You are required to participate in all class meetings, which means that attendance is manditory. More than two absences will affect your final grade in the course, and more than three absences may constitute grounds for failure. Also remember that late arrivals or early departures will cause you to miss announcements, quizzes and/or important class material—and will also detract from your participation grade for the class. If you do have to miss a class, or arrive late, it is your responsibility to obtain class materials, assignments and information from myself and/or class colleagues. Please keep me posted regarding unavoidable absences by a brief note, by message on my voice-mail (726-8640), or by e-mail.

Please be aware that incompletes (a grade of "I") are granted only in the following very limited circumstances: a student must contact the professor and specifically request an Incomplete; no more than one or two weeks of class, or one assignment, can have been missed; a student must already be in good standing; s/he must have a documented family or medical emergency; s/he must arrange a schedule with the professor for making up the missed work that is acceptable for both professor and student.

Research Essay
Your research essay will focus on a topic that we will agree upon in individual conference, should center on one of the assigned texts for the class, and be based on original ideas and research. Please plan to meet with me about your seminar topic by the fourth week of class (2/12), and to consult with me regularly as you work on your essay. A 5-page prospectus, plan of research, and bibliography is due by March 26. The completed essay is due on 7 May 2009 and should be 20-25 pages long.

Formal writing (done outside of class) must use correct and current (6th ed.) MLA format, be word-processed, free from mechanical errors, double-spaced, and printed in "best quality" using a standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Students are encouraged to get (and give) feedback on the research essay with a classmate. Be sure to keep a copy of any work you hand in.

Late Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, and must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Papers left in the professor’s box, or dropped off by students who do not remain in class, will be considered late, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that any work not directly submitted has actually reached the professor. Assignments may not be submitted via e-mail.

I will not grant extensions on assignments unless merited by prior arrangement between us and documented proof of your inability to complete the assignment on time due to truly exceptional circumstances (a death in the immediate family, truly severe illness, etc.). Last minute computer and printer problems do not count as an emergency. Please back up your work and plan accordingly. Unless you have received an extension, late work will only be accepted up to five days after the due date, but a letter grade will be taken off for every day it is late.

Academic Integrity
Students are expected to know and abide by UMD’s Student Academic Integrity Policy. Suspected violations will be reported to UMD’s Academic Integrity officer, and may constitute grounds for failing an assignment or the course.

Spring 2009 Reading and Assignment Schedule