Course Prerequisite:

English 110 is a prerequisite for all literature courses in the English department.

Course Description:

In this course, we will read various short stories and novels of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in order to better understand and appreciate the specific thematic and formal elements of prose fiction. For each novel or short story we read, we will be concerned with the telling as well as the tale. In addition to looking at aspects such as character, theme, and meaning, we will also examine the structure, style, and language of the fictions under consideration. The first half of the course will look at works by four writers from the early 1800s to the early 1900s; in this part of the course, we will be especially interested in the development of fictional technique and the relationship between narrative form and content. The second half of the course will focus on the genre of detective fiction as it has evolved from the late nineteenth century to the present. Because of its inherent focus on methods of storytelling, the narrative quest for truth, and the assessment of moral responsibility, detective fiction provides a rich and fascinating "case" for the serious study of fictional form.

Required Texts:

• Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
• Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
• James Joyce, Dubliners
• Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
• Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon
• Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
• Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn

• In-class Presentation/Paper: At the beginning of the semester, you will sign up for a date on which you will lead discussion of a specific passage from that day’s reading assignment. In addition to making a presentation, you will hand in a 2-3-page paper that summarizes your presentation. This paper will be due in class on the day of your presentation.

• Midterm Exam: You will have a midterm exam on Thursday, 4 October. The midterm exam will consist of one essay question. Topics will be discussed prior to the exam date.

• Analytical Paper: Five pages, due Thursday, 29 November. I will give you more specific suggestions and guidelines as the due date approaches. All papers should be double-spaced with 1" margins and should conform to MLA style. Late papers will lose 1/3 of a grade for every class day late. Papers will not be accepted more than two weeks after the due date unless prior arrangements have been made with me.

• Take-home Final Exam: You will have a take-home final exam for this course. The final exam will consist of two essay questions and will be based on both readings and class lectures. I will distribute the questions during the final class meeting on Thursday, 13 December. The exam will be due in my mailbox or office by 5 pm on Monday, 17 December. You will be responsible for all material on the syllabus, whether or not we have discussed it in class.

Attendance in class is required. Every absence after your third will lower your course grade by one grade per absence. If you miss more than six classes, you will not pass the course. You are responsible for material covered in class whether you are in class or not. If you do miss a class, see one of your classmates to find out what you have missed before you ask me. I will take roll at the beginning of every class. If you come to class late, it is your responsibility to let me know of your presence. If you are more than 10 minutes late to class, you will be marked absent.

I expect you to participate regularly in class. "Participation" means that you have done all of the reading assignments carefully, you have brought your text(s) to class, and you are prepared to contribute to class discussion with questions or responses. You will not receive credit for participation simply by attending class.