Papers
There are three 4-6 page papers due in this
class and two shorter papers, intended not only to give you the
opportunity to explore the books we are reading, but also to give you
practice with some of the critical skills necessary for the study of the
British novel.
All assignments must tell your audience something they didn't already know
about the text(s) in question--no plot synopses or chapter summaries
allowed. In addition, remember that characters in a novel are just that:
fictional creations with no ability to choose a path beyond that which the
author allows them. Therefore, be sure to avoid arguments that treat the
characters like real people. Essays should generally restrict themselves
to one novel; students who want to read one book against another should
get my approval first (having a tightly focused thesis will help here).
You're free to develop your own topics and theses, but I'll also provide
some ideas to help you brainstorm. Brief accounts of the three essays
follow; you'll be given more detailed instructions on each one at least
two weeks prior to its due date. See the Class Home
Page for some helpful tips on paper writing.
E-Mail Instigators
Twice, I will ask each of you to
set the tone for a given day's discussion by sending an instigator post to
our class listserv. This instigator should be a 250-word paragraph
(approximately) that will prompt discussion on the days' reading
assignment. It can take several different forms: a detailed question that
you would like the class to address, comments on a problematic passage in
need of interpretation, or a sample reading presented for evaluation. Keep
in mind that these paragraphs are not papers--their prime purpose is to
open up ideas for discussion rather than make a specific argument. The
instigators give you a chance to shape the agenda for the course and to do
so in a forum (the class listserv) that isn't directly controlled by the
instructor. For this reason, I'd like to encourage those of you not
posting on a given day to respond to the "official" instigator with your
own opinions and thoughts about the reading assignment. Instigators offer
you a space in which to have fun and be creative (or even quirky); I hope
you take advantage of that opportunity. The instigator assignments will
begin when we start reading Jane Eyre and run through the rest of the
semester. Once you sign up for an instigator slot, you're responsible for
posting your remarks to the class listserv by no later than 5 p.m. on the
day prior to the class discussion you're instigating. Once the population
of the class has settled, we'll create a schedule for the instigators.
I'll also ask each of you to respond at least twice on the listserv to
instigator posts written by your classmates. These responses will be
unscheduled, but will be counted as part of your participation grade.
Class Participation
I expect everyone to take part in
class discussions. We can all benefit from what others in the class have
to say, and I anticipate learning a lot from each of you. The classroom is
a place to test out ideas and comments that may find a place in a paper
later on, so speak up! Class participation will figure into your final
grade.
Late Papers
I will subtract 2/3 of a letter grade for
each day, including weekend days, that papers are late. So if your paper
ends up at "B" quality, but you hand it in a day late, you will receive a
C+ for that paper. There are no exceptions to this policy without prior
arrangements. If you are having any trouble meeting any deadline in this
class, please contact me.
Tardiness, Attendance
Please be on time for each
class. Attendance is required. Because I know that emergencies and
accidents do occur during the semester, I allow you two absences. Your
final grade will drop by 1/3 of a letter grade for each absence beyond the
first two. More than 12 absences will constitute failing the course. If
you have extreme emergencies--such as a death in your immediate family, or
an extended illness requiring hospitalization or more than 10 days of
bedrest--please contact me. For every class missed, you are responsible
for finding out what you missed and making up the work. Please see me if
you have any questions about these policies.
Plagiarism
All writing submitted for this course is
expected to be original. All borrowed material must be acknowledged,
including materials found on the web, or ideas that I or your classmates
bring up in class or on the listserv. Neglect to acknowledge indebtedness
for facts, ideas, or expression will be interpreted as plagiarism. The
University of Pennsylvania requires that any paper containing plagiarized
material receive an F. There are no exceptions to this rule. Be sure,
therefore, that you know exactly what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
If you are unsure about whether or not you need to acknowledge a source in
your writing, make sure that you ask me in advance. As Penn's Code of
Academic Integrity states, "If a student is unsure whether his action(s)
constitute a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, then it is that
student's responsibility to consult with the instructor to clarify any
ambiguities." Please see the Class Home
Page for further explanation of the Plagiarism Policy. I take this
issue very seriously, and will not only give an "F" to any paper that has
been plagiarized, but will fail a student for this course in an
extreme case.
E-mail and the Internet
It will be necessary for you
to have an e-mail account to participate in this class. If you already
have an account, then you have probably been automatically subscribed to
the listserve for this class (jacobson55@english.upenn.edu). For those of
you who have not been automatically subscribed, you need to get an e-mail
account and subscribe right away (see me). You are responsible for
checking your e-mail regularly, as there might be announcements about
changes in the assignments. I will always post such announcements by 8:00
p.m. the night before a class. More importantly, the list is intended for
discussions. Some of this will be self-generated, for you will undoubtedly
want to continue class discussions or discuss issues we are unable to
cover in class. I will also frequently ask you to respond to the reading
or give mini-reports to your classmates using the listserve. When replying
to a message that was sent to the whole group, please make sure that you
indicate whether you are sending your mail to the whole group or to the
individual who sent the message. (Often, we don't want everyone to see a
private reply.)
Grading
All of your papers will receive letter grades.
There will also be a letter grade for class participation, based on the
quality and the extent of your involvement in the classroom and on-line
(your e-mail instigators and any other messages you post). As mentioned
above, absences after the two "freebies" will lower your final grade.
Here is the break-down of the final grade (all percentages are
approximate):
. .
Reading and Assignment Schedule January 17: First Class, Introduction 19: Emma, chapters 1-9 21: Emma, chapters 10-19 ========================================================= 24: Emma, chapters 20-28 26: Emma, chapters 29-36 28: Emma, chapters 37-45 ========================================================= 31: Emma, chapters 45-55 February 2: Emma 4: Jane Eyre, chapters 1-6 ========================================================= 7: Jane Eyre, chapters 7-15 9: Jane Eyre, chapters 16-17 FIRST PAPER DUE, 1 PM 11: Jane Eyre, chapters 18-22 ========================================================= 14: Jane Eyre, chapters 23-27 16: Jane Eyre, chapters 28-33 18: Jane Eyre, chapters 33-38 ========================================================= 21: Jane Eyre 23: Bleak House, chapters 1-4 25: Bleak House, chapters 5-10 ========================================================= 28: Bleak House, chapters 11-19 March 1: Bleak House, chapters 20-25 3: SECOND PAPER DUE, 1 PM ========================================================= 6: Bleak House, chapters 26-35 8: Bleak House, chapters 36-42 10: No class, chapters 43-49 ========================================================= 13: No Class, Spring Break 15: No Class, Spring Break 17: No Class, Spring Break ========================================================= 20: Bleak House, chapters 50-59 22: Bleak House, chapters 60-67 24: Bleak House ========================================================= 27: The Mill on the Floss, Book First, Cpts. 1-8 29: The Mill on the Floss, Book First, Cpts. 9-13 31: THIRD PAPER DUE, 1 PM ========================================================= April 3: The Mill on the Floss, Book Second and Book Third, Cpts. 1-5 5: The Mill on the Floss, Book Third, Cpt 6 to end of Book Fourth 7: The Mill on the Floss, Book Fifth ========================================================= 10: The Mill on the Floss, Book Sixth, Cpts. 1-12 12: The Mill on the Floss, to end 14: The Mill on the Floss ========================================================= 17: Dracula, chapters I-X 19: Dracula, chapters XI-XIV 21: Dracula, chapters XV-XIX FOURTH PAPER DUE, 1 PM ========================================================= 24: Dracula, to end 26: Dracula 28: Last Day of Class ========================================================= FINAL PAPER DUE DURING FINALS WEEK, EXACT DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED