English 102: English and American Literature from 1650 to 1789

Instructor: James H. Donelan              donelan@english.ucsb.edu

MWF 10-10:50, IV Theater 2

Enrollment is by section.

Office Hours: T, 11-12; W, 12-1, or by appointment, in 2702 South Hall

Description: This class on British and American literature of the 1660s through the 1790s will examine ideas of authority, freedom, colonialism, and the nature of civil society from the Restoration through the American War of Independence. We'll be reading works by Aphra Behn, Daniel Defoe, Alexander Pope, Benjamin Franklin, and Jonathan Edwards, among others, that reveal the period's many remarkable transformations of society, literature, and the mind.

Books: All books are required; none will be on reserve. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at the UCen Bookstore. ISBN numbers are provided below so you can get the right edition from any other source, such as Amazon.com. You will need your books soon, so get them right away!

The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Vol. 1C, Damrosh, et al.

ISBN #:0321106687, ISBN-13: 978-0321106681

The Federalist Papers, Hamilton, A., et al.

ISBN #: 0140444955, ISBN-13: 978-0140444957

The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. A, Baym, Nina

ISBN-10: 0-393-92739-3, ISBN-13: 978-0-393-92739-9

Requirements: The course requires regular attendance, active participation in discussion section,and timely completion of all assignments, including, a short essay (5-6 pages), a midterm, a longer essay (8-10 pages), and a final examination.

In addition, please do your best to observe the following rules:

• Papers should be no longer or shorter than the length assigned and submitted on time. Late papers will result in grade reductions.
• Never submit a paper without proofreading it carefully. Students are expected to adhere to MLA citation style.
• Your classmates, your instructor, and your teaching assistant depend on your presence in both lecture and discussion section and your full participation. Do not miss class unless you must.
• All university regulations regarding academic dishonesty will be enforced.
• You may be asked to provide preliminary materials, such as a prospectus, an outline, or a rough draft, for either or both of the essays.
• Please read the assignment for a particular day before class. Reading assignments vary in length and difficulty, so please plan ahead.

Syllabus

Key to Reading the Syllabus: “Longman” refers to The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Vol. 1C; “Norton” refers to The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. A. Milton’s Paradise Lost is available online and in any bookstore; you may complete the reading either way. “Federalist” refers to The Federalist Papers, a series of essays numbered and assigned by means of Roman numerals; translations from Roman to Arabic numerals follow in parentheses. Students are expected to have completed the readings in advance of the date on which they are assigned—lectures make much more sense when you’ve already looked at the text to which they refer.

I. The Restoration and its Times

3/30     Introduction and Logistics: The Transformation of the Transatlantic Notes

4/1       “The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century,” Longman, 2121. Notes

4/3       Milton, Paradise Lost, Books I and IV (online) Notes

4/6       Pepys, Excerpts from Diaries, Longman, 2146 Notes

4/8       Bradstreet, “Prologue,” Norton, 188; and “Contemplations” 195. Notes

4/10     Wigglesworth, “Day of Doom,” Norton, 218. Notes

II. Sin and Savagery

4/13     Rowlandson, Excerpts from Narrative, Norton, 235. Notes

4/15     Dryden, “Absalom and Achitophel,” Longman, 2213 Notes

4/17     Behn, Oroonoko, Longman, 2279 Notes

First Essay Due in Section This Week Topics

4/20     Wycherly, The Country Wife, Longman, 2358 Notes

4/22     Mather, “The Wonders of the Invisible World,” Norton, 308; and Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Norton, 425. Notes

4/25     “Perspectives: Reading Papers,” Longman, 2453 Notes

4/27     Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, “Houyhnhms,” Longman, 2541 Notes

4/29     Swift, A Modest Proposal, Longman, 2598 Notes

5/1       Midterm

III. Freedom and the Mind

5/4 Franklin, various writings and Autobiography, Part One, Norton, 449-518 Notes

5/6       Franklin, Autobiography, Parts Two, Three, and Four Norton, 518 Notes

5/8       St. John de Crèvecouer, “Letters,” Norton, 596 Notes

5/11     Pope, “Essay on Criticism,” Longman, 2601 Notes

5/13     Pope, “Essay on Man,” Longman, 2664 Notes

5/15     “Perspectives: Mind and God,” Longman, 2793 Notes

5/18     Paine, various writings, Norton, 629 Notes

5/20     Federalist I-X (1-10) Notes

5/22     Federalist XXXIX-LI (39-51), LXXVIII (78), and LXXXV (85) Notes

5/25     Memorial Day—No class today.

5/27     Boswell, various writings, Longman, 2944 Notes

5/29     Equiano, from Narrative, Norton, 674 Notes

IV. Late Enlightenment Longing

Second Essay Due in Section This Week Topics

6/1       Goldsmith, “The Deserted Village,” Longman, 2988 Notes

6/3       Wheatley, poems, Norton, 751 Notes

6/5       Conclusions

6/8, 8-11AM   Final Examination