Professor Jessica Burstein
Office hours: Wednesday mornings 8:00-10:00am Padelford A502, or by alternate appointment. See "office hours" section of syllabus in Files for more details. Office hours are held in person. I expect to remain masked while in my office,
and ask you to do the same.
Jb2@uw.edu. Ph: 206-616-418
TAs
Anne Duncan (M 9:30am-10:20am, 12:30pm-1:20pm)
Office hours: TW 1:00-2:00pm Padelford B5-C
aduncan1@uw.edu
Micaela Chavez (W 11:30am-12:20pm, 2:30pm-3:30pm)
Office hours: M 11:30am-1:30pm Padelford B5-B
mchav@uw.edu
JohnMorgan Baker
Sections: Fridays, AE--11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.; AF--1:30-2:20 p.m.
Office hours: TTh 11:30a.m.-12:30 p.m., over Zoom (link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/93547767297)
E-mail: bakerw5@uw.edu
Course Description
This class is an introduction to the study of English literature. While the word literature can mean simply things written on other things (think of words on paper like buttons on a sleeve; or even words on a screen, like what you’re reading right now) here literature means literature taught in an English department, and refers to poetry, fiction, and what I call “fiction-facing material”: the nonfiction essay, the prose poem, jokes, allegories [fables and fairy tales], epigrams and aphorisms, and songs. This class focuses on fiction and poetry, with possibly one pass at a nonfiction essay. We will use different kinds of literary criticism as a way into better understanding the stuff. Prime among them is “close reading.” To this end we will spend a lot of time with one of the best novels ever. [Sic.]
The course is structured as a series of interconnected lectures and exercises. It is not a course on how to write a paper; it is a course that will acquaint you with skills to be a better reader and observer. The overall method in which the student is trained combines big-picture thinking with detail in order to achieve the most powerful (aka persuasive) effect. I employ a pragmatic approach in lecture, using ordinary language as a means of understanding literary terms and ideas. You'll get a lot of vocabulary, and be tested on it. Another aspect of the pragmatic approach is to hit you with actual source material, rather than telling you what literature means.
A major learning objective is understanding the differences between macro (big) with micro (little); meta- with infra-, then recognizing them, and finally achieving a balance on your own as you read and think about what you’re reading. The latter is called “critical thinking.” This should help you with future courses, wherever you are in the humanities (or, I pray, the sciences). I also want to acquaint you with some excellent writers, and convey a sense of some possible paths of study. One major learning outcome is being able to identify and deploy what constitutes evidence for an argument. If you want to go to law school, take this class. My goal is to equip you to answer a question about literature in concrete ways, rather than by nervously starting your reply with "To me....."
Oh, and you’ll write a poem.
Readings will include Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray: A Norton Critical Edition, 3rd ed.--which is required in this specific edition, in hard copy (note: this is not the same as "hardback"; the edition is in paperback): ISBN-13: 978-0393696875. Grading is based on exams, quizzes, and some writing. This course is in-person only.
See syllabus 3.0 in files for all information. Week 6 Readings are online in Files as “Week 6 Readings.”
WEEK 6
Monday 30 Oct: Midterm, held in class.