HE306
Types of Fiction
Section 6001
Spring, 2006 
Professor Mace
Office Phone: 35215
e-mail: mace@usna.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:55-11:45; 1:30-2:20; 3:30-4:30; Tuesday 10:00-4:30 and by appointment.
In HE306 we will examine the definition and conventions of the novel. First, we will review the critical debate over the origins of this genre in the eighteenth century. Next, we will discuss the elements of novel and will explore how these have changed over the last three hundred years.
Texts
Aphra Behn. Oroonoko.
Ed. Joanna Lipking. Norton Critical Editions, 1997.
Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre. Third Edition. Ed. Richard J. Dunn.
Norton Critical Editions, 2001.
Charles Dickens. Great Expectations. Ed. Edgar Rosenberg. Norton
Critical Editions, 1999.
William Faulkner. Light in August. Random House, 1990.
Jean Rhys. Wide Sargasso Sea. Ed. Judith L. Raiskin. Norton Critical
Editions, 1999.
Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones. Back Bay Books, 2004.
Horace Walpole. The Castle of Otranto. Ed. W. S. Lewis and E.J. Clery.
Oxford, 1996.
Course Policies
Format of Papers: I expect you to type on the computer all paper proposals and final drafts. Other assignments (including quizzes, tests, and rough drafts) may be handwritten. Please double space your papers, number the pages, and put approximately one-inch margins on all sides. I will not accept handwritten final drafts, nor will I make allowances for papers handed in late because of computer or printer problems.
Writing Assignments:
You will write two four- or five-page papers. After you have decided
on a topic, you will write a short proposal (not more than a page) in which
you will briefly discuss your audience, your thesis, and your plan of organization.
You will also write one response paper and one summary of a piece of criticism;
a list of requirements for these assignments will appear shortly. Finally,
you will have frequent reading quizzes and a final examination.
You must hand all papers in on time. I will deduct a grade (10 points)
for each class a paper is late. Remember that the minimum requirement
for passing this course is to hand in all required essays.
Final Grade:
Essay One (final draft)
20%
Essay Two
25%
Response Paper
5%
Critical Summary
10%
Final Examination 10%
Participation
10%
Written Work (questions,
proposals, etc.) 5%
Quizzes
15%
You will be allowed to revise the first major paper for a better grade if you so desire. I will average the original grade and the new grade together to decide what goes in my records. I will also drop the lowest quiz grade.
Quiz Policy: Usually when you have a reading assignment, you can expect a short reading quiz at the beginning of the class for which the reading has been assigned. Over the semester you will have over twenty of these quizzes. When you have been absent from class, you will not need to take a makeup quiz; I will simply record no grade for the missed quiz. However, each of you must be present for two thirds of the quizzes. A student who misses more than one third of the quizzes for the semester will earn zeros on those quizzes given after he/she has missed more than the third. I will also drop the lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester.
Extra Instruction: I encourage you to seek extra instruction during office hours if you need help. Students receiving a grade of C- or lower on any essay must make an appointment for extra instruction as soon as possible after getting the essay back.
Tentative Class Schedule
Monday, 9 January: Course
introduction and discussion of the forms of and history of the novel.
Assignment for Wednesday, 11 January: Read
Aphra Behn Oroonoko pp. 5-34. Write down one question about the
reading and be prepared for a quiz. Links related to Aphra Behn and Oroonoko:
Bibliography
on Oroonoko Tour
of Restoration London Biography of Aphra
Behn
Wednesday, 11 January:
More on the novel. Introduction to Oroonoko.
Assignment for Friday, 13 January: Finish
Behn Oroonoko. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 13 January:
Discussion of databases for finding articles. Discussion
of Oroonoko.
Assignment for Wednesday, 18 January:
Read Horace Walpole, Castle of Otranto, pp. 6-59. Write down
one question about the reading.
Monday, 16 January: Martin Luther King Holiday. NO CLASS!
Wednesday, 18 January:
Discussion of Horace Walpole, Castle of Otranto.
Assignment for Friday, 20 January: Read Castle
of Otranto pp. 60-115. Write down one question about the reading. Walpole
Links: The Gothic: Materials
for Study Strawberry Hill
Friday, 20 January:
Finish Castle of Otranto.
Assignment for Monday, 23 January: Read Charlotte
Bronte, Jane Eyre pp. 1-57. Write down one question about the
reading. Bronte links: Bronte Sisters Web
The Bronte Sisters
Monday, 23 January:
Introduction to Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Wednesday, 25 January:
Read Jane Eyre pp. 57-109. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 25 January:
Discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Friday, 27 January: Read Jane
Eyre pp. 109-166. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 27 January:
Discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Monday, 30 January: Read Jane
Eyre pp. 167-219. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 30 January:
Discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Wednesday, 1 February: Read
Jane Eyre pp. 219-274. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 1 February:
Discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Friday, 3 February: Read Jane
Eyre pp. 275-321. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 3 February:
Discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Monday, 6 February: Read Jane
Eyre pp. 321-385. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 6 February:
Final discussion of Jane Eyre.
Assignment for Wednesday, 8 February: Read
Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, pp. 3-52. Write down one question about
the reading. Links for Jean Rhys: Information about
Jean Rhys and Wide Sargasso Sea Background and Discussion
of Wide Sargasso Sea
Wednesday, 8 February:
Discussion of Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea.
Assignment for Friday, 10 February: Read Jean
Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea pp. 52-112. Write down one question about the
reading.
Friday, 10 February:
Discussion of Wide Sargasso Sea.
Assignment for Monday, 13 February: Read Charles
Dickens, Great Expectations, pp. 9-55. Write down one question about
the reading. Some Links for Dickens: David Perdue's Charles Dickens
Page Charles Dickens,
An Overview (Victorian Web)
Monday, 13 February: Discussion
of Wide Sargasso Sea. Introduction to Great Expectations
Assignment for Wednesday, 15 February: Read
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations pp. 55-96. Write down one
question about the reading.
Wednesday, 15 February:
Discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Friday, 17 February: Read Great
Expectations pp. 96-148. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 17 February:
Discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Wednesday, 22 February: Read
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations pp. 148-198. Write down at
least one question about the reading.
Monday, 20 February: Presidents’ Day Holiday! No Class!
Wednesday, 22 February:
Discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Friday, 24 February: Read Great
Expectations pp. 198-254. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 24 February:
Discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Monday, 27 February: Read Great
Expectations pp. 254-309. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 27 February:
Discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Wednesday, 1 March: Read Great
Expectations pp. 309-359. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 1 March: First
Essay Assigned. Final discussion of Great Expectations.
Assignment for Friday, 2 March: Read William Faulkner,
Light in August, pp. 3-56. Write down one question about the reading.
Links for Faulkner: William Faulkner
on the Web
Friday, 2 March: Introduction
to William Faulkner, Light in August
Assignment for Monday, 6 March: Read Light
in August, pp. 57-101. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 6 March: Discussion
of Light in August
Assignment for Wednesday, 8 March: Write a
proposal for the first essay. Read William Faulkner,
Light in August pp.102-169. Write down one question about the
reading.
Wednesday, 8 March:
Proposal for the first essay due. Discussion of Light
in August.
Assignment for Friday, 10 March: Read Light
in August pp. 170-219. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 10 March:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Monday, 19 March: Read Light
in August pp. 220-286. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 13 March through Friday 17 March: Spring Break!
Monday, 20 March:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Wednesday, 22 March: Read Light
in August pp. 287-339. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 22 March:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Friday, 24 March: Read Light in
August pp. 340-391. Write down one question about the reading.
Friday, 24 March:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Monday, 27 March: Complete the
first essay.
Monday, 27 March: ***Essay
One Due*** Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Wednesday, 29 March: Read Light
in August pp. 392-414. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 29 March:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Friday, 31 March and Monday, 3 April:
Read Light in August pp. 415-465. Write down one question about
the reading.
Friday, 31 March: No class.
Monday, 3 April:
Discussion of Light in August.
Assignment for Wednesday, 5 April: Read Light
in August, pp. 466-507. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 5 April:
Final discussion of Light in August
Assignment for Friday, 7 April: Read The
Lovely Bones, pp. 3-57. Write down one question about the reading.
relevant links: Information on Alice Sebold
Friday, 7 April:
Introduction to Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones.
Assignment for Monday, 10 April :
Read The Lovely Bones, pp. 58-125. Write down one question about the
reading.
Monday, 10 April:
Final essay assigned. Discussion of The Lovely Bones.
Assignment for Wednesday, 12 April: Read The
Lovely Bones, pp. 126-186. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 12 April:
Discussion of The Lovely Bones.
Assignment for Friday, 14 April: Read The
Lovely Bones pp. 187-247; write down one question about the reading; Write
a proposal for the final essay.
Friday, 14 April:
Proposal for the final essay due. Discussion of The
Lovely Bones.
Assignment for Monday, 17 April: Read The
Lovely Bones pp.
248-299. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 17 April:
Discussion of The Lovely Bones.
Assignment for Wednesday, 19 April: Read The
Lovely Bones, pp. 300-328. Write down one question about the reading.
Wednesday, 19 April:
Final discussion of The Lovely Bones .
Assignment for Monday, 21 April: Work on the
final essay.
Friday, 21 April:
Videotape of a novel we have read.
Assignment for Monday, 24 April: Work on your
final essay.
Monday, 24 April:
Videotape of a novel we have read.
Assignment for Wednesday, 26 April: Complete
your final essay.
Wednesday, 26 April: ***Final Essay Due***
Friday, 28 April: Class evaluation. Discussion of the final examination.