Restoration through Revolutions: 1660-1815
From Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels
September 2: Introduction & Historical Contexts
Contexts: Enlightenment, The Restoration, Slavery & the Slave Trade, Women in Print, and the Popish Plot
Kant, What is Enlightenment?
Milton, Paradise Lost, Book I
Close Reading assignments
September 9: Freedom, Epic & Heroism
John Milton, Paradise Lost: (flag the following passages for easy access)
(Use The John Milton Reading Room from Dartmouth College if you are still waiting for your books to arrive. You'll find it useful to read the short Arguments at the beginning of each book as well.)
Invocation to the Muse: Book I lines 1-355 (on handout from class)
God on Man: Book III. 80-134
Satan - "Me miserable": Book IV. 32-113
Description of Adam & Eve: Book IV. 287-318
Adam to Eve: Book IV.411-435
Satan on tree: IV.512-527
Eve to Adam: IV.635-638
Satan tempts Eve: IV.797-809
Eve reports dream to Adam: V.33-93
Adam & Raphael discuss Eve: VIII.521-78
The Fall: All of Book 9
Confession & Sentencing: X.1-234, especially 137-156
Commiseration: X.720-768, 873-895, 923-936
Suicide? Penitence: X.967-1006, 1013-1104.
Expulsion: XII. 552-end
Homework: (1) Read Milton passages above
(2) 1 Close Reading of a selected passage. (Refer to the assignment handout for instructions).
(3) Work on buying the Norton Anthology Volume C. You will need it for the following week's readings.
September 16: The Slave Trade
Aphra Behn, Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave (2313)
Oladuah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (3033)
Phillis Wheatley, poems
September 30: Periodicals & Restoration Drama
Read Norton Anthology: Restoration Literature (2198-2199) and The Periodical Essay (2639-41)
William Congreve, The Way of the World (2359-2420)
Addison & Steele, The Spectator: "The Aims of the Spectator" (2644), "Wit: True, False, Mixed" (2652); "Paradise Lost" (2657); check out the original!
Eliza Haywood, The Female Spectator (just browse link and scroll through the journal by clicking on it)
OCTOBER 7: Wit, GEnius & Taste - Dryden & Pope
John Dryden, An Essay of Dramatic Poesy (2252, 2256-8)
Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism (2669-2678): Parts I and II up to Part II, line 423
Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (2686-2704)
October 14: LOW PEOPLE & HIGH PEOPLE - RICHARDSON & FIELDING - VIRTUE
"Low People and High People" (2435-2440)
Samuel Richardson, Pamela (only pages 3-67, 178-208, 497-503) - (not in the anthology; please purchase)
Henry Fielding, excerpts from Joseph Andrews and Shamela (excerpts here)
Write a personal essay (at least 1.5 pages) on Virtue, responding to this competition prompt
(If you are behind in your Close Readings, you are welcome to write both the Virtue essay and a close reading for next week).
October 21: Midterm Exam
Midterm Study Materials (here)
October 28: DANIEL DEFOE
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (1-86, 109-114, 144-146, 166-191)
November 4: JONATHAN SWIFT
Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal (2633)
Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Parts I, II and IV
November 11: DEBATING WOMEN
Jonathan Swift, "The Lady's Dressing Room" (2767)
Lady Wortley Montagu, "The Reasons That Induced Dr. Swift to Write a Poem Called the Lady's Dressing Room" (2770)
Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (here)
November 25: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
No class; read Pride and Prejudice, Volume II
December 2: Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, Volumes I and II
December 9: Austen Conclusions, Writing Workshop & EXAM REVIEW
Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, Volume 3
Writing workshop: bring a hard copy of your full rough draft to class
Exam review: review your notes and make a list of key terms and concepts
Final Exam: December 16, 6:00-8:30
Check your email and fill out the Course Evaluation before it expires! A link should have been sent to you from the Vice Provost.
Please be sure to bring your midterm exams to return to me when you take the final.
Essays are due in hard copy.
Samuel Johnson, Rambler No. 4 (2923)
Samuel Johnson, Preface to Dictionary of the English Language (2929)
Samuel Johnson, The Preface to Shakespeare (2936)
Samuel Johnson, Lives of the Poets (2947)