Title: ENGLISH 221 (British Literature)
Author: kim brogan
Last saved by: Stephanie Mood

ENGLISH 221 (British Literature).				Instructor: TONY DING
Fall 2006							Office: 559A
MW 2:00-3:15						Hours: 1:00 - 1:50 MW
Room 574							Telephone: 644-7492
								Email: tony.ding@gcccd.edu

“The players are the abstract and brief chronicles 
of their time”
 (Hamlet 2. 2. 524).

REQUIRED TEXTS: Kennedy,  The Norton Anthology of English Literature 8^th ed. OPTIONAL TEXT: Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. Hieatt, A. A.
RECOMMENDED PREPARATION
Students should have passed English 120 or English 122.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey of English literature from the middle ages to 1800. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Although it is not necessary that students have had a previous literature, course, they must have good reading skills, open minds, a love of language, and a strong work ethic. This will enable the students to: identify themes and stylistic characteristics of the major writers of the British Isles from the old English period through the end of the 18^th century, interpret the works in question against a background of the social, historical, and philosophical developments of the time, recognize the literary forms--e.g., English drama, the sonnet, the epic, satire--both in terms of their formal characteristics and their place in the development of English literature, analyze and understand the specific formal and thematic characteristics of the major writers studied and recognize their relationship to the writers who preceded and followed them. 

COURSE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Quizzes at regular intervals on Old English, Medieval, Poetry, Renaissance, Seventeenth century, and Eighteenth century readings (One sentence, paragraph, and short essay answers: 100 points).  Two take home essay assignments (essay #1:  Beowulf, Spenser, or Marlowe, and essay # 2: Milton, Swift, or Johnson: 200 points).  Two in class essays: Chaucer and Shakespeare (200 points). Final exam (100 points). 

When writing the take home essay assignments, students should demonstrate the ability to write clear, coherent paragraphs controlled by topic sentences, developed with adequate supporting material, and closed with appropriate conclusions.  Furthermore, the paragraphs should include a variety of sentence patterns substantially free of major spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, IE, errors which interfere with communication.

COURSE POLICIES

To receive a passing grade in this class, you will have to complete three formal essays of acceptable standard.  Late papers are only accepted within one week of the deadline and will not receive more than a “C.”    Reading assignments will also be subject to short quizzes or formal responses (no make-up quizzes).  There will be two in-class essays for the midterm exams (One letter grade late penalty).  There is one extra credit quiz on the final day of this class.   Participation in class discussion, which includes reading out loud from the text is expected as poetry is meant to heard as well as read.    
	If you do not attend all class meetings, your success in this class will be seriously compromised.  However, you may be dropped if you miss four classes.  Punctuality is a matter of courtesy; therefore, regular and excessive tardiness will be taken into consideration in the final grade.  In addition, conduct and class discussions should adhere to civilized standards.  Some students may have strong views on some of the topics that we will discuss.  However, although this is an academic environment where free speech is encouraged, I expect students to treat each other with respect and adhere to civil, ethical, and tolerant standards.  Therefore, I urge you to avoid racism, sexism, ageism, ethnocentrism, homophobia, and general classroom misbehavior.  Finally, plagiarism is a serious academic problem which is penalized with a “F” for the class or, in egregious cases, expulsion from the college.

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Students Programs and Services       (DSP&S) early in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible.  Students may contact DSP&S in person in room 110 or by phone at 619-644-7112 (voice) or 619-644-7119 (TTY for deaf).

Course Calendar

*** Information in this calendar may be subject to change.
					
8/21	Introductions and personal introduction essay			1 - 6
8/23	The history, geography, and language of the British Isles	29 - 99
8/28	Introduction to Anglo Saxon literature: Beowulf.		7 - 20	
8/30	Quiz #1.  Intro to the Middle Ages				210 - 235	
9/1	Last day to drop without a “W” appearing on your record.
9/4	Labor Day	
9/6	Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prologue		235 - 252
9/11	“The Miller’s Tale”					
9/13	Quiz/essay 						469 - 498
9/18	The Sixteenth Century,  Renaissance		525 -530, 569 - 577
9/20 	How to read poetry.  Wyatt, Surrey		909 - 911, 917 - 923
9/25	Last day to apply for cr/ncr.			614 - 616,  864 - 868)
9/27	Sydney, Spenser.			(Sonnets 12, 18, 19, 29, 94, 116, 129, 130)
10/2	Shakespeare.	Quiz #3			933 - 954
10/4	Sydney: The Defense of Poesy			616 - 622			
10/9	Spenser: Shepherd’s Calender			772 - 783
10/11	Spenser: The Faerie Queen  Quiz #4		970 - 71, 990 - 1025	
10/16	Marlowe: Dr Faustus				1043 - 1060.  Act I
10/18	William Shakespeare				
10/23	Twelfth Night 	Quiz #5			Act 2 & 3			
10/25 Twelfth Night						Acts 4&5
10/30	Twelfth Night
11/1	Midterm essay					1209-30, 1292-94,1393-1403
11/6	Ben Jonson						1233 -52, 1268 - 72
11/8	Donne						1643-55, 1670-74,1684,1691,
11/9	Last day to drop semester length courses
11/10	Veterans Day.					
11/13	Cavaliers: Herrick, Lovelace, plus Marvell 	1771-74, 1782 - 90
11/15	Quiz #6 Milton					1815 - 1858
11/20	Milton: Paradise Lost				1948 - 1986, 1989 -2010
11/22	Milton: Paradise Lost				2045-2068, 2081-83, 2100 -06
11/23, 24, & 25  Thanksgiving Holiday
11/27	Restoration and Eighteenth century, Dryden	2298 - 2312 
11/29	Swift							2428 - 2473
12/4	Swift							2505 - 2525		
12/6	Pope & Johnson						
12/13 Final Exam (1:30 - 3:30).

** We will also try to fit in these other writers and their works: Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight; Ballads; Mystery, Morality, and Miracle plays;  Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur, More’s Utopia; Bacon; Winstanley (1740); and Addison.