Dr. Francesca Colonnese
fcolonne@uw.edu
Padelford A-312
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2:30-4:30 pm or by appointment.
All meetings are in-person unless specially arranged
English 200 C: Forms from the Nineteenth Century
Traditionally, literature has divided itself into poetry, drama, and narrative. These never have been sufficient to describe the full breadth of genres but form a basis from which to develop our understandings. For anglophone literate, many of the categories that you find today were developed in the 18th C (the novel, the gothic) and became stabilized as common categories in the 19th C. However, the innovations in technology, science, sociology, and philosophy that took place also alerted Victorians to how unstable their own conceptions of their selves could be. This is a period that is hyperaware of changes in media, the invention and spread of telephones, mechanical type, photography, and phonographs, that pair with change in understanding language and the mind, a building understanding of the unconscious, the brain, and the meditation of inner thoughts by language. Readers and writers became increasingly aware of how porous these categories can be and were relentless in their genre innovations. We’ll explore how this results in blending forms and genres and the consequences that has on our understandings of the texts. In addition, you’ll build a vocabulary for literary analysis and a set of habits for doing detailed analysis. These form the building blocks of good argumentative writing in many disciplines. By being attentive to genre and form, we will practice being ready to engage big ideas in persuasive but thoughtful ways. To get the most out of this class, please come ready to engage, to read, to speak, to write, and to put down your phone.
Required Materials:
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Penguin, ISBN 978-0140436068)
The Importance of Being Earnest 2002 movie (Available on MGM+, Amazon Video, Apple TV, and for free through the Seattle Public Library digital resources)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (Penguin, ISBN, 978-0140434743)
Paper and pen for in-class notes and work.
Readings not listed will be available on Canvas.
The Penguin editions are preferred as they help you find passages with your classmates. I recommend purchase these paperbacks if you can afford to do so. With some exceptions, free internet versions of longer texts are poorly edited and lacking in helpful annotations or notes. Used versions are widely available to keep costs lower.
Technology and AI Writing Policy:
No phones allowed. It is impossible to have good class discussions when people are staring at their devices. I encourage reading and taking notes on paper as it allows for you to better attend to the voices of your peers. You may bring a laptop, but you will be asked to close it periodically. Class quizzes are on paper unless you have a DRS accommodation.
As this is a literature class that takes seriously the construction of writing by other human beings for other human beings, you will be expected to write all your own assignments rather than use AI tools. If you use these tools for brainstorming or other help, you will write your instructor a note identifying that use. We will go over these boundaries in-class.
Attendance and Sick Policy:
It is difficult to succeed in this class if you do not attend. However, if you are sick, you should stay home in order to take care of yourself and to avoid spreading germs. Please email me if you are sick or have another emergency causing your absence, e.g. caretaking responsibilities.
Grading and Assignments:
For this class, you will have one assignment that must be done as class participation. The “Discussion Leader” assignment requires you to take over a short section of class time with your own questions and thoughts. For the writing assignments, you’ll have flexibility over which text you write about—you can expect to guide your own learning through your choices of texts and topics rather than being given a more rigid set of prompts. There will be a one-time grace period in November to revise assignments. Apart from the Poetry Close Reading and any creative projects, all work will be turned in on Canvas. You will have the option of submitting those online or in-person.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation: 20%
Discussion Leader Activity and Write-Up: 10% of Total Grade and 50% of Participation
Dramatic Transcription and Analysis: 15%
Poetry Close Reading: 20%
In-Class “Quizzes” on Readings: 10%
Final Project Proposal: 5%
Final Project: 30%
Participation: Literature classes are better when you actively engage with questions. Coming in having read the text for that day and ready to think with your classmates will be important for succeeding in this class. Ways to demonstrate participation: asking and answering questions, talking to a peer in small groups when asked, writing on the board when asked for volunteers, being seen writing during free write activities, being awake, etc. Participation is a measure of attention. I am looking for evidence that you brought your mind to class, not just your body.
Discussion Leader Activity and Write-Up: You will sign up to lead a short section of class in discussion. You do not to need to have a complete mastery of the text—your instructor will always be available to answer questions about the details of the text or the historical period. However, you will want to pick out a passage of the reading to direct your classmates to and to begin to analyze for them. You will want to prepare 3-4 questions related to your section.
On any given day 2-3 people will do this activity. If collectively you can get 90% or more of the class to speak, you will get an extra credit point. There may be moments when the class energy for larger discussion is at a low point; if so, you will be able to ask your peers to tackle these questions in smaller groups. By Sunday of your week, you will turn write up your analysis of the passage and other short questions on the Discussion Leader assignment.
Dramatic Transcription and Analysis: This assignment asks you to find a short scene from a tv show, movie, anime, or other scripted media of your choice. You’ll submit both a transcription of the scene and an analysis of the dramatic setting and adaptation possibilities.
Poetry Close Reading: You will receive 5-6 poems to pick from for doing a close reading annotation and analysis. You will start by writing out one stanza by hand and adding notes to it. For the second half of the write-up, you will produce a few paragraphs turning those annotations into a fluid close reading.
In-Class “Quizzes” on Readings: During the term, there will be six “quizzes” throughout the term. These will be open book questions about your response to the text, the nineteenth-century historical context, or other “big thoughts” questions. These are not tests on character names or other specific details but will be difficult to complete if you are not reading the texts. These will be graded on a 0-, 1-, and 2-point scale with the lowest score dropped. If you wish to make-up a quiz, please make an appointment—I will ask you to respond to a similar question in/near my office.
Final Project Proposal: A short write-up of your idea for your project. NB: We will not be quite finished with our major novel before this is due. However, we have read enough that you should be able to start developing an idea if that is your chosen text.
Final Project: You will have the option of either a traditional argumentative essay or a creative project. Either will reflect your ability to think about both the small and big picture features of a text.
Late Work: All late work may be penalized by up to 5% deducted per day. Please email me if you need know you will not meet a deadline—extensions are almost always granted if you send an email that sets a new deadline for yourself. Late work will not usually be given written feedback, but oral feedback is available if you set a meeting.
Course Schedule:
ALL READINGS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Reading is for the day it is listed. E.g. Read Act I or The Importance of Being Earnest before you arrive in class on Wednesday, October 1.
Week 0:
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Welcome, Class Kick-Off
Watch The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) movie, available on MGM+, for rent on Apple TV, Amazon, and other platforms. If you rent the movie, be sure to do your discussion post before your rental expires.
Importance of Being Earnest Discussion Post Due on Friday, Sept. 26 at 11:59 pm
Week 1:
Monday, Sept. 30: Introduction to Forms
Reading: Effective Discussion Habits Handout
Wednesday, Oct. 1: Drama on the Page
Reading: Importance of Being Earnest Act I
Discussion Leader Sign-up Due by Friday, Oct. 3 at 11:59 pm
Week 2:
Monday, Oct. 6: Satire and Farce
Reading: Importance of Being Earnest Act II
Wednesday, Oct. 8: Drama and Adaptation
Reading: Importance of Being Earnest Act III
Week 3:
Monday, Oct. 13: Traditions in Poetry
Reading: Robert Browning, “My Last Dutchess”, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Cry of the Children”, Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Pied Beauty”, “Binsey Poplars”, Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach”
Wednesday, Oct. 15: Picturing the Dramatic Monologue
Reading: Robert Browning, “Fra Fillipo Lippi”, “How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix”
Dramatic Transcription and Analysis Due by Friday, Oct. 17 at 11:59 pm
Week 4:
Monday, Oct. 20: Lyric and Nature
Reading: Toru Dutt, “Our Casuarina Tree”, “The Lotus”, Tekahionwake / E. Pauline Johnson, “The Song My Paddle Sings”, “The Corn Husker”, “The Lost Lagoon”, Amy Levy, “A London Plane-Tree”
Wednesday, Oct. 22: Narratives in Verse
Reading: Augusta Webster, “A Castaway”, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, “Sultana’s Dream”, Constance Naden, “Love versus Learning”
Week 5:
Monday, Oct. 27: Gothic Poetry
Reading: Christina Rossetti, “Goblin Market”
Wednesday, Oct. 29: Gothic Traditions
Reading: Thomas Hardy, “The Withered Arm” & Selections from John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice
Poetry Close Reading Due by Thursday, Oct. 30 at 11:59 pm
Week 6:
Monday, Nov. 3: The Novel
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 1-7
Wednesday, Nov. 5: History of Epistolary Novels
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 7-15
Week 7:
Monday, Nov. 10: Genre and Female Authors in the 19th C
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 16-19 & George Eliot, “Silly Novels by Lady Novelists”
Wednesday, Nov. 12: NO CLASS (Instructor at NAVSA Conference)
Revision of Past Assignments or Discussion Leader Catch-ups Due by Friday, Oct. 15 at 11:59 pm
Week 8:
Monday, Nov. 17: Voices in the Novel
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 20-30
Wednesday, Nov. 19: Social Messaging and Victorian Literature
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 31-37
Week 9:
Monday, Nov. 24: Domestic Settings
Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 38-45
Wednesday, Nov. 26: NO CLASS – Pie Eating Prep Day
Extra Appointments Available for Final Project Planning
Final Project Proposal Due by Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 11:59 pm
Week 10:
Monday, Dec. 1: Finding an Ending
Reading: Reading: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Ch. 46-End
Wednesday, Dec. 3: Class Discussion of Projects, Wrap-up
Final Project Due by Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 11:59 pm
University Policies
Statement of Commitment
The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use is powerful and holds the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world—skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”
As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities. Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, and class. These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue. We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.
Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, genders, national origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.
Code of Conduct
We at the English department will not allow hate speech in our classrooms. According to the American Bar Association, hate speech is “any speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits.” Racism and xenophobia will not be tolerated in this course, nor will transphobia, homophobia, ableism, classism, or other statements or practices that uphold white supremacy. Although courses will touch on these topics, this classroom still holds a line between reasonable discussion and expressing prejudice, using epithets, and espousing violence based on identiy.
Religious Accommodations Clause
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Faculty Syllabus Guidelines and Resources. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form available at https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is presenting someone else's ideas or writing as your own. In your writing for this class, you are encouraged to refer to other people's thoughts and writing--as long as you cite them. As a matter of policy, any student found to have plagiarized any piece of writing in this class will be immediately reported to the College of Arts and Sciences for review.
Complaints
If you have any concerns about the course or your instructor, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Stephanie Clare, sclare@uw.edu. If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive, you may contact English Department Chair, Habiba Ibrahim, hibrahim@uw.edu, (206) 543-2690.
Writing Resources
NOTE: Tutoring services are extremely valuable as a source of help and feedback. If you bring me proof of receiving writing tutoring for this class, you will be given extra credit.
The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional writers in all fields at the UW. We will work with writers on any writing or research project, as well as personal projects such as applications or personal statements. Our tutors and librarians collaborate with writers at any stage of the writing and research process, from brainstorming and identifying sources to drafting and making final revisions. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please see our website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrc), or come visit us in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library.
The CLUE Writing Center offers free one-on-one tutoring and workshops, and is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday to Thursday in Mary Gates Hall, throughout the regular school year (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters). It's first come, first served — so arrive early and be prepared to wait if necessary! CLUE also offers tutoring on a range of other subjects, including math, science, and so on. Read more here: https://webster.uaa.washington.edu/asp/website/get-help/clue/writing-center/
University of Washington Resources for Students
Accommodations
If you need accommodation of any sort, please let me know so that I can work with the UW Disability Resources for Students Office (DRS) to provide what you require. This syllabus is available in large print, as are other class materials. More information about accommodation may be found at http://www.washington.edu/students/drs/. I understand that the accommodations process may be insufficient to address all your needs or that we may have conflicting access needs. The best way to navigate this is through a brief conversation about the accommodation—you will not be asked why you need such an accommodation,
Campus Safety
Preventing violence is everyone's responsibility. If you're concerned, tell someone.
- Always call 911 if you or others may be in danger.
- Call 206-685-SAFE (7233) to report non-urgent threats of violence and for referrals to UW counseling and/or safety resources. TTY or VP callers, please call through your preferred relay service.
- Don't walk alone. Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255).
- Stay connected in an emergency with UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online at www.washington.edu/alert.
For more information visit the SafeCampus website at www.washington.edu/safecampus.
Health and Wellness
Health & Wellness provides support, advocacy, consultation, and education to the University of Washington campus community. Services are free for UW students, faculty, and staff. You can work with advocates on your behalf or on behalf of someone you know. Programs include Alcohol & Drug Consultation and Education, Suicide Intervention, Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, Stalking and Harassment Advocacy, and Student Care Program. For more information: http://depts.washington.edu/livewell/
Counseling Center
UW Counseling Center workshops include a wide range of issues including study skills, thinking about coming out, international students and culture shock, and much more. Check out available resources and workshops at: https://www.washington.edu/counseling/
Any Hungry Husky
The Any Hungry Husky program helps mitigate the social and academic effects of campus food insecurity. By providing students, staff, and faculty with access to shelf-stable, non-perishable goods and community resources at no cost, this initiative aims to lessen the financial burden of purchasing food and supplement nutritional needs. This resource is for everyone in the UW community. Learn more here: http://www.washington.edu/anyhungryhusky/
Q Center
The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, allies) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/.
FIUTS
Foundation for International Understanding through Students: FIUTS is an example of a campus organization that can bring together your social and academic learning. “FIUTS is an independent non-profit organization which provides cross-cultural leadership and social programming for UW's international and globally minded domestic students. FIUTS is local connections and global community!” FIUTS also offers a free international lunch on the last Wednesday of every month beginning with a lunch on September 28 from 11:30-1:30 in the Kane Hall Walker-Ames room. Consult FIUTS' web site for a detailed calendar of events and links to many resources http://www.fiuts.washington.edu.