ENL 137N: Modernity, War and Empire British Literature 1900-1945

Dr. Laurel Recker MWF 11-11:50 146 Olson larecker@ucdavis.edu Office hours: Mon. & Wed. 12-1 in 303 Voorhies

This course examines fiction and poetry (as well as a bit of non-fiction) to interrogate the aesthetics and politics of British modernisms, which are notorious for their formal experimentation (and scandalous subject matter!). Our texts address the political and social changes that manifest across Britain as it faces world wars, the decline of empire, and the rise of the United States as a global power. We will consider how these influences contribute to the production of British literary conventions and, in particular, how they help to define the characteristics of modernism(s).

Texts

Dubliners, James Joyce To the Lighthouse and A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf More Pricks than Kicks, Samuel Beckett Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad Collected Stories, Elizabeth Bowen The Great War and Modern Memory, Paul Fussell Course Reader (featuring poetry& more)

Grading

2 (very) short essays: 30% Blogs: 20% Midterm: 20% Participation: 10% (includes quizzes) Final Exam: 20% Assignment Details

Details for the essays and exams will be announced in class.

Blog Discussions This assignment has several components:

A) Twice during the quarter you will be asked to provide the class with a leading question about the day’s readings. This leading question should be thoughtful, complex, and open-ended in nature, rather than a “yes” or “no” factually-based question. It should demonstrate your own critical analysis of the text(s) and inspire discussion. It can address any aspect of the text that you find intriguing, and you’re welcome to compare it to other texts we’ve read. (Note: Convince me that you’ve not only read the text carefully, but that you’ve thought about it in relation to the concerns of this course.)

B) You will turn in an electronic copy of your question along with a 250-500 word response (your answer) on the Smartsite blog by 5 pm the day BEFORE our discussion of the texts. For example, if you are assigned to blog on Monday’s texts, then your blog is due by 5 pm Sunday. (Note: The priority of this assignment is your thought. It is a severe mistake to borrow any of your thoughts for this assignment from another source. That’s plagiarism.)

C) Each week, you will be required to comment on at least ONE of the leading questions posed by your classmates.

Attendance & Participation

You’re required to be at every class on time, ready with your materials and thoughts. You’ll also need to share your questions and comments with us. We’re all in this together, folks! Any in-class writings contribute to your participation grade as well. If you miss a class for a medical reason, please provide me with official documentation (like a doctor’s note) so that your absence can be excused.

Quizzes

During the first half of the quarter, we will have a weekly quiz on assigned chapters from Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory. Additionally, there will be pop quizzes throughout the quarter that ensure you're keeping up with the readings. All quizzes will be factored into your final participation grade. Please note that missed quizzes cannot be made-up.

Late Papers:

All assignments are due at the beginning of class on their due date. Anything turned in late loses 1/3 of a letter grade per day. (For example, an A paper will receive an A- if it is turned in one day late, and a B+ if it is turned in two days late, etc.) Please note that you only have one week—that’s seven days—to turn in late assignments. Work will not be accepted after those seven days have passed.

Need Help?

I am very happy to help you with any questions you might have about the assignments. If you’re confused for any reason, come visit my office hours. We can make an appointment that’s convenient for you, and you can always ask questions through email.

Good news!

There are fantastic writing tutors on campus who are happy to help you for free! They’ll help you start, revise, and proofread, and I highly recommend them! They’re at the Learning Skills Center in 2205 Dutton Hall. You can reach them at 530-752-2013 or through their website: http://lsc.ucdavis.edu/writing.html

Warning:

Plagiarism is absolutely, irrevocably, and always unacceptable. If I suspect plagiarism of any kind, I will immediately report it to Student Judicial Affairs. If you have any questions about this, it is your responsibility to see me immediately. More information is available here: sja.ucdavis.edu/files/plagiarism.pdf

Please . . .

Don’t text during class—yes, I can see you. Similarly, don’t listen to music during my class (even when you’re writing.) This is a university classroom. If you don’t want to be here, feel free to leave, but don’t cause distractions for others. Thanks!

Class Schedule F 9/27 Introduction

Week 1 M 9/30: Poetry Selections (Smartsite) W 10/2: Conrad, Heart of Darkness (pages 1-54) F 10/4: Conrad, Heart of Darkness (pages 55-96)

• Fussell Ch. 1 & 2: “The Satire of Circumstance” & “The Troglodyte World”

Week 2 M 10/7 Joyce, “The Sisters,” “An Encounter,” “Araby,” “Eveline,” “After the Race” W 10/9 Joyce, “Two Gallants,” “The Boarding House,” “A Little Cloud,” “Counterparts,” “Clay” F 10/11 Joyce, “A Painful Case,” “Ivy Day in the Committee Room,” “A Mother,” “Grace,” “The Dead”

• Fussell, Ch. 3 & 4: “Adversary Proceedings” & “Myth, Ritual, and Romance”

Week 3 M 10/14 Woolf, “Women in Fiction” (Course Reader) W 10/16 Woolf, A Room of One’s Own (Chapters 1-3) F 10/18 Woolf, A Room of One’s Own (Chapters 4-6)

• Fussell, Ch. 5 & 6: “Oh What a Literary War” & “Theater of War”

Week 4 M 10/21 Woolf, To the Lighthouse (pages 1-82 a.k.a. Part I, Chapters I-XVI) W 10/23 Woolf, To the Lighthouse (pages 82-144 a.k.a. Part I Chapter XVII-end & all of Part II) F 10/25 Woolf, To the Lighthouse (pages 145-209 a.k.a. Part III)

• Fussell, Ch. 7 & 8: “Arcadian Recourses” & “Soldier Boys”

Week 5 M10/28 Poetry Selections (Course Reader)

• Fussell, Ch. 9: “Persistence and Memory”

W 10/30 Review for Midterm F 11/1 Midterm

Week 6 M 11/4 Eliot, “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” (Course Reader) W 11/6 Eliot, “The Waste Land” Parts 1-2 (Course Reader) F 11/8 Eliot, “The Waste Land” Parts 3-5 (Course Reader)

Week 7 M 11/11 NO CLASS W 11/13 Poetry Selections - Yeats (Course Reader) F 11/15 Poetry Selections - Yeats (Course Reader)

Week 8 M 11/18 Selections from Katherine Mansfield (Course Reader) W 11/20 Bowen, TBD F 11/22 Bowen, “The Inherited Clock”

Week 9 M 11/25 Beckett, More Pricks Than Kicks W 11/27 Beckett, More Pricks Than Kicks F 11/29 NO CLASS

Week 10 M 12/2 Poetry Selections (Course Reader) W 12/4 Poetry Selections (Course Reader) F 12/6 REVIEW

Final Exam on Tuesday, Dec. 10th, from 1-3 p.m.