Graduate of English Language and Literature
Fu Jen Catholic University

Curriculum: Spring 2007

Senior Thesis/4 credits

English Writing II/3 credits/Bro. Nichloas Koss

There is no description for this course.   Please feel free to contact the teacher if you have any questions.

Imitation of Life/1 credits/Dr. Afaa Weaver (May 21~July 2)

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the slave narrative by Linda Brent, and Quicksand, the Harlem Renaissance novel by Nella Larsen, will be our two points of focus in this introduction to African-American literature. The slave narratives and African-American spiritual songs are the beginning of African-American literature. The critical approach will be that of cultural trauma, referring to Ron Eyerman’s work Cultural Trauma/ Slavery and the Formation of African-American Identity, among others. As we identify themes in African-American literature and how they appear repeatedly in ways that evidence a cultural trauma, we will visit postcolonial discourse that treats the question of the recovery of lost cultural selves.

Identity in American literature and culture is a work in progress. We will explore the major aspects of this complex subject in the African-American and American literary traditions, taking the view of Toni Morrison and others who have written that African-American and American literature and culture are inextricably entwined. You cannot understand one without understanding the other. In this way we will draw parallels to Taiwanese issues of identity.

We will also discuss the Chinese presence in African-American literature and culture and how that further deconstructs the idea of a monolithic white or black American literature. Marilyn Chin, the prominent Chinese-American poet, writes extensively about African-American and Chinese-American culture. We will discuss “Blues on Yellow,” one of her blues poems. The period of the classic blues takes place during the Harlem Renaissance. For film references we will view scenes from the film version of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer prize novel Beloved, Imitation of Life, and Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever.

Required text: Norton Anthology of African-American Literature 2nd edition

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Modern and Contemporary English Poetry Seminar: W. B. Yeats and Philip Larkin/3 credits/Dr. Raphael Schulte

This seminar course will focus on two key poets in twentieth century Anglo-Irish poetry: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) and Philip Larkin (1922-1985). They lived, wrote, and published during the era of modernism and postmodernism (or, dare I say it, “anti-modernism”?)—an era in which the shadow of the Irish poet Yeats looms large. His poetry forms a presence that all poets and readers of poetry written in English since the turn of the century have had to come to terms with. Yeats’ career encompasses the late Romantic/Victorian poems of his first volumes to the mature style that formed the basis for high modernist poetics and helped establish the primacy of “New Criticism.” We will look during the first half of the semester at the poetry (and some prose) of Yeats and pursue a chronological overview of various poetic strands in his modern poetry. In the second half of the semester we will read some of the poems and prose of Philip Larkin, born twelve years before Yeats’ death. Larkin inherited and imitated Yeats’ style: Larkin’s first volume of poems, The North Ship (1945), echoes the older poet’s images, stances, and poetic concerns. By mid-century, however, Larkin was rejecting the influence of modernism and publishing poems with strikingly un-modern and un-yeatsian qualities. My goal is to acquaint you with an overview of these two pivotal figures in modern and contemporary English poetry, as well as illustrating various ways in which modern and contemporary poetry and poetics have been and currently still are being defined.

Each student will be responsible for three in-class presentations. In one of the presentations, you will lead the discussion of a particular aspect of the text(s) being addressed; in the second, you will briefly summarize and critique a recent critical writing about the work under discussion; in the third, you will apply a critical methodology of your choice to some aspect(s) of the work we will discuss that week. You will have the choice of writing two papers (the first due during midterm week; the second due at the end of the semester) or one long paper due at the end of the semester. You will also be expected to fully engage in class discussions. Your final grade for the semester will be based on the assigned writings, presentations, participation in class discussion, and attendance. As always, I welcome student input in our choice of texts and am willing to help students outside of class to understand better the texts we read and offer help with the paper(s) they write.

Our texts for this course are Richard J. Finneran’s revised second edition of The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats, and Anthony Thwaite’s edition of the Collected Poems of Philip Larkin. Both Yeats and Larkin were also known for their prose writings, so if students interested in the class want to read some of the plays or prose by Yeats and Larkin, please let me know.

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Literature and English Language Teaching/3 credits/Ms. Hsin-Hsin Cindy Lee

Early 20th Century American Masterpieces/3 credits/Fr. Daniel Bauer

This course offers students an introduction to several important writers who have had a lasting effect on the American literary scene. The writers are Edith Wharton, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. The list of works we will study depends to some degree on the background of the students in the course. Most probably we will focus in the beginning on a few ghost stories by Wharton, and then read Ethan Frome. For Dreiser we are likely to read Sister Carrie, several character portraits from Twelve Men, and perhaps a short story or two. Again, depending on student interest, for Fitzgerald we will probably focus on the novel Tender is the Night and several of his short stories. Time permitting, we will also read several short stories by Hemingway. Students should anticipate strong class participation, three journals (4 pages each), and a final paper 15-20 pages long.

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Modern/Postmodern Fiction/3 credits/Prof. Cecilia H.C. Liu

In this course we read a number of novels by modern and/or contemporary writers and a number of essays by theorists of postmodernism and metafiction. We will pay particular attention to the function of the narrator, the problems of subjectivity and agency, the intertextual and reflexive nature of much of the fiction, the use of pastiche and parody, the end of History and the importance of histories, the ex-centric perspective, and the relations between 'narrative' and 'history' (or perhaps, more accurately historiography for history in its written form) and the 'novel'. Authors to be studied include Virginia Woolf, John Barth, John Fowles, A. Byatt, Italo Calvino and Michael Cunningham, etc.

Texts:

Barth, John. Lost in the Fun House. New York: Anchor, 1988.
Byatt, A. S. Possession. London: Vintage, 1991.
Calvino, Italo. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. New York: Harcourt, 1981.
Cunnigham, Michael. The Hours. London: Fourth Estate, 1999.
Fowles, John. The French Lieutenant's Woman. London: Vintage, 1996.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt, 1925. Taipei: Bookman, n.d.

Requirement:

1) active participation in class and on the internet,
2) reviews/critiques of journal articles
3) a 30-minute report on a novel of your choice with an outline/ handout,
4) a term paper (around 15 pages) and
5) a final presentation at the end of the semester.

Grading Policy:

Journal reviews/critiques 30%
Active participation in class and online discussion 15%
a 30-minute in-class report 20%
a final presentation 15%
a term paper (15 pages) 20%

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Restoration Literature: England 1660-1714: An On-Line Graduate Seminar/3 credits/Dr. Marguerite Connor

What we call “Restoration literature” comes from very specific period in English history: from the restoration of the Stuart kings to the throne in 1660 to the death of Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, in 1714. Many Restoration literature courses continue on through the 18th century, but I have decided to use the boundary set by Queen Anne’s death, for this is an incredibly rich period in English literature, and I would like to take the time to savor its many flavors.

During the semester we will cover works by the “famous names”: Dryden, Behn, Swift, Congreve, and Milton as well as look at the works of some of the “minor” writers of the time: Butler, Bunyan, Rochester, and Manley.

We will also be looking at many different genres. The Restoration period is most famous for its drama, and indeed, we shall be reading a number of plays this term, but this was also a time when the essay form flourished, and some say that it was perfected. Of course we will be looking at some of the best. We shall also be reading poetry and some early narratives.

Requirements for the course: Participation in the on-line discussions is mandatory; one set of discussion questions for the class based on one week’s main readings, one short position paper, and a long paper. You will be asked to post a brief synopsis of the paper as well as your bibliography for all of the class to share.

Grading: Short paper, 20%, Class participation, 10%, Guiding questions, 20%, final paper, 40%, abstract and bibliography, 10%

Short paper: 750-1000 word position paper on one of the works studied before the paper is due (mid term). Can be a work we covered or one by an author we’ve covered. Must include a close reading/argument. MLA standards.

Guiding questions: Once during the semester, students will be responsible for providing the discussion questions on a week’s reading. Look over the syllabus and let me know when you’d like to sign up. Obviously, only one student per class.

Long paper: 10-15 pp on some aspect of Restoration literature. Your typical term paper - you can look at themes, motifs, politics and literature, history and literature. Please discuss your choice with me BEFORE week nine, but any time before then. Proper MLA style is mandatory, of course.

Unit One - Introduction
Week 1: Introduction: The history/setting of the Restoration period.
For preparation, read the introduction to the period in the Norton, 1767-85.

Items in red are supplementary readings. We will not go over them more than briefly in class, but I will answer questions about them and you may use them in discussion and in final papers, of course.

Unit Two - The Poet Laureate
Week 2 Dryden, the Poet Laureate
An Essay in Dramatic Poesy, 1838-42
Absalom and Achitophel, 1791-1815 (before reading, also read in the Bible, 2 Samuel 13-18 for understanding)
Annus Mirabilis, 1838-42

Unit Three - Rakes and Cavaliers
Week 3: Earlier Poets
All the poetry is available through EngSite. Don’t panic, as these are mostly short poems!

John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (caution, might offend some readers)*
“The Disabled Debauchee” 1990
“A Satyr on Charles II”
“Satire on Mankind”
“A Song: To this moment a rebel I throw down my arms”
“A Song: Absent from thee…”
“The Imperfect Enjoyment”
Aphra Behn
“On Her Loving Two Equally”
“To the Fair Lucinda”
“The Disappointment”
“On Desire”
Charles Sackville
“A Ballad When at Sea”
“Four Poems on the Countess of Dorchester”
“On the Countess Dowager of Manchester”

Week 4: Masters of Comedy
Wycherley, The Country Wife, Plain Dealer
Etherege, Man of Mode

Unit Four - The Serious Side
Week 5: The "Other" Restoration Literature
Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, selections1856ff
Milton, Paradise Lost (selections TBA)

Week 6: Milton, Paradise Lost, con’t

Unit Five - Political Satire
Week 7: The Early Jonathan Swift
Tale of a Tub (1697), 2023ff
"A Description of a City Shower" (1710), 2009
“Abolishing Christianity in England”, 2031ff
PAPER DUE

Week 8: The Political Essayists
All the essays are available through EngSite
Defoe “True Born Englishman,” (1701), “Shortest Way with the Dissenters” (1702)
Manley, “The New Atalantis” (1709), “Queen Zarah” (1705)

Week 9: The Masters of the Essay
Addison and Steele, all the essays in the Norton
Choose one for close reading. Instead of a 2-hour lecture, I will do a 1-hour lecture, and you will each prepare a PPT presentation on one essay for me and the rest of the class.

Unit Five - Drama and Reform
Week 10: Examples of drama
Congreve, The Way of the World, 1912
Pix, The Beau Defeated* I am trying to arrange for this to be seen. Fu Jen’s English department did a production of it in 1997. That way you can watch the tape instead of reading it. Though reading it is good.

Week 11: Moral Reformers
Collier is available through EngSite
Collier, “A Short View…” selections TBA
Rowe, Jane Shore
Unit Six - Satire’s Apotheosis

Week 12: Pope
The Rape of the Lock 2233
Essay on Man 2263
An Essay on Criticism 2216
Eloisa to Abelard 2255
Epistle 2: To a Lady 2270

Unit Seven - Narratives to Novel
Week 13 Aphra Behn’s Narrative
Oroonoko, 1866
The Fair Jilt available on EngSite

Weeks 14-15 An Early Novel
Defoe, Roxana

Week 16 Final papers and discussions due

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Independent Studies/3 credits/Dr. Raphael Schulte