Objectives: 
To study a variety of Victorian novels which span the century and which represent different approaches to the novel.  To explore a variety of critical approaches to the novel and to examine their efficacy as tools for novels reading. 

Texts: 
Charlotte Bronte, Villette (1853) 
Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone (1868) 
Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1852-53)  
George Eliot, Daniel Deronda (1874-76) 
Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (1855) 
Rider Haggard, She (1887) 
Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native (1878) 
Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (1886) 
William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1847) 

Michael Wheeler, English Fiction of the Victorian Period, 2nd Edition (1994)  

Schedule: 

          Feb 1     Introduction to the course 

          Feb 3     What is a novel? 
                         Read: Assigned article and Wheeler, Chapter 1  

          Feb 8     Vanity Fair 
                        Wheeler, Chap 2., 35-61 

          Feb 10    Vanity Fair 

          Feb 15    Vanity Fair 

          Feb 17    Bleak House 
                          Wheeler, Chap. 2, 82-98 

          Feb 22    Bleak House 

          Feb 24    Bleak House 

          Mar 1     Villette 
                         Wheeler, Chap. 2, 62-75  

          Mar 3     Villette 

          Mar 8     Villette  

          Mar 10    North and South 
                          Wheeler, Chap. 2, 75-82 

          Mar 12-21      Spring Break 

          Mar 22    North and South 

          Mar 24     The Moonstone 
                            Wheeler, Chap. 3, 100-104 

          Mar 29     The Moonstone 

          Mar 31     The Moonstone 

          Apr 5     Daniel Deronda 
                         Wheeler, Chap. 3, 132-154 

          Apr 7     Daniel Deronda 

          Apr 12    Daniel Deronda 

          Apr 14    The Return of the Native 
                          Wheeler, Chap 4, 198-213 

          Apr 19    The Return of the Native 

          Apr 21    The Return of the Native 

          Apr 26    Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde 
                          Wheeler, Chap. 4, 171-187 

          Apr 28    Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde 

          May 3     She 

          May 5     She 

Requirements:  

In-class writing (20%):   Because the novels for this class are long, no out-of-class response writing will be 
required.  We will do brief in-class response/brainstorming exercises which will form the basis of class discussion. A grade will be assigned for them on a contract basis:    10 or 9=A; 8=B; 7=C; 6=D; 5 or fewer=F  

Mid-term Take-Home Essay (20%): Distributed March 10; Due in my office no later than 5:00, Friday, March 25.  Essay will focus on novels from the first half of the course and on applying critical approaches to them.  

Panel (20%): Panels will be focused on looking at criticism and other material which will help us expand our 
approach to each novel.  Everyone will participate in one panel.  See separate handout on panels. 

Paper (40%): Paper will focus on a novel not included in the course.  See the appendices of Wheeler for help selecting your novel.  The paper should attempt to take a particular critical approach or perspective on the novel and articulate clearly what that approach is and what critical work you are drawing on to support your reading. 

Participation, Attendance, Preparation: This course is a collective and collaborative project.  Much of the critical work of the course is done in class, in conversation about the novels and criticism.  Regular attendance is expected as is regular and consistent preparation of the texts for class.