ENG 350/533 Prof. Carnell
Rise of the Novel RT 1837/ 687-2222
Fall 1998 Office Hours: M, W, F 9-9:30,
MWF 11:00-12:05 W, F 1:45-2:45, and by appointment
Course Description - This course is intended to introduce students to the eighteenth-century origins of this important literary genre. As we trace the major formal developments in the novel between 1688 and 1815, we will consider not only how the novel came to take on its recognizably modern form but also how it both influenced and was influenced by the social, cultural, and political history of the period.
Texts - (required) Aphra Behn, Oroonoko (Norton Critical)
Eliza Haywood, Three Novellas (Colleagues Press)
Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders (Norton Critical)
Samuel Richardson, Pamela (Penguin)
Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews/ Shamela (Norton)
Charlotte Lennox, Female Quixote (Oxford)
Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto (Oxford)
Henry MacKenzie, The Man of Feeling (Norton)
Mary Wollstonecraft, Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman (Norton)
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (Norton)
Ian Watt, Rise of the Novel

(required for graduate students) - Nancy Armstrong, Desire and Domestic Fiction

Requirements - Undergraduates - Two essays (5 pages, 8 pages); midterm and final exams; one or more brief in-class presentations.
Graduate Students - Two essays (7 pages, 12 pages); midterm and final exam; one or more in-class presentations.
Grading - essay 1 = 15%, midterm = 15%; essay 2 = 25%; final = 25%; class participation = 20%. Essays will be graded based not only only on the quality of your insights, but also on the care with which you make your argument, and polish your prose-punctuation, grammar, and spelling mistakes will be counted off. Missing class or coming late frequently will significantly lower your paraticipation grade.
Drafts, Rewrites - Since this is a writing course, not having a full draft for workshop will also lower your final essay grade.
The first essay may be rewritten and turned back in with in two weeks, if accompanied by the original paper on which each error has been numbered and by an explanation page of all errors and revisions.
Format - All papers should be typed, 250 words/page, with a title page and works-cited page, following standard MLA format.

Schedule of Assignments

M 8/31 "What is a Novel?" open discussion and history
W 9/2 Behn, Oroonoko, full text
F 9/4 "The Nun" (handout) - Undergraduate reports from Norton criticism
M 9/7 Labor Day - No Class!
W 9/9 Haywood, The Distressed Orphan
F 9/9 Haywood, The Double Marriage
M 9/14 Defoe, Moll Flanders 1-75 - Undergrad report on background/bio
W 9/16 Moll 75-150
F 9/18 Moll 150 - 225
M 9/21 Moll finish - Undergraduate reports from Norton selections
W 9/23 Watt, Rise of Novel 1-60 - Undergrad reports
F 9/25 Watt 93 - 134 - Undergrad reports
M 9/28 Richardson, Pamela 1-92 - Undergrad report on background/bio.
W 9/30 Pamela 92-180
F 10/2 Pamela 180-271
M 10/5 Pamela 271-361
W 10/7 Pamela 361-451
F 10/9 Pamela finish;
Graduate student reports on Armstrong
M 10/12 Columbus Day - No Class!
W 10/14 Fielding, Shamela (p.271-306 in Norton edition of Joseph Andrews)
F 10/16 Workshop - **Essay 1 (bring two copies full draft for peer critique)
M 10/19 Fielding, Joseph Andrews - 1- 70;
*Essay One due - final version
W 10/21 Joseph Andrews 70-144
F 10/23 Joseph Andrews 144-209
M 10/26 Joseph Andrews finish - Undergrad reports from Norton criticism.
W10/28 Lennox, Female Quixote 1-83
F 10/30 Quixote 83-163
M 11/2 Quixote 163-239 - Graduate and/or undergraduate report(s) on romance
W 11/4 Quixote 239-322 - Graduate report on McKeon and ideology
F 11/6 Quixote finish
M 11/9 Midterm exam
W 11/11 Veteran's Day - No Class!
F 11/13 Walpole, Castle of Otranto 1-59
M 11/16 Otranto finish - Graduate or undergraduate report(s) on gothic
W 11/18 MacKenzie, Man of Feeling 1-51
F 11/20 MacKenzie, Man of Feeling finish;
Graduate or undergraduate report(s) on sentimental novel
M 11/23 Wollstonecraft, Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman 1-74
W 11/25 Maria, finish
F 11/25 Thanksgiving - No class!
M 11/30 Austen, Pride and Prejudice; - Undergrad report on background
W 12/2 P&P
F 12/4 P&P; - Undergrad reports on Norton criticism
M 12/7 P&P, finish - Graduate report on Armstrong or other
T 12/8 **Workshop - 2nd essay (bring two copies of full draft)
W 12/9 Final discussion - consensus on exam topic
*Second Essay Due
F 12/18 **8:30-10:30 a.m. **Final Exam**

General Topics for Essay Assignments

Essay 1 - What is a novel? Answer in purely formal terms, based on the texts you have read so far, with attention to style, point of view, structure, organization, theme or etc.

Midterm - Respond to Watt, based on the novels you have read so far.

Essay 2 - Try to define the relationship between the genre of the novel and social, political, historical context, responding to other critics as necessary (undergraduates may rely on criticism from Norton editions and Watt; graduate students should refer to several other works of secondary criticism of their own choice).

Final Exam - Class will design essay topic(s) together

Reserve Materials - Available at Library Reserve Desk (3-day reserve)

Armstrong, Nancy. Desire and Domestic Fiction (Oxford UP 1987)
Ballaster, Ros. Seductive Forms: Women's Amatory Fiction (Oxford UP 1992)
Bowers, Toni. The Politics of Motherhood (Cambridge 1996)
Greene, Donald. The Age of Exuberance (Random House, 1970)
McKeon, Michael. The Origins of the English Novel (Johns Hopkins, 1987)
Radway, Janice. Reading the Romance (U N. Carolina P, 1984)
Watt, Ian. The Rise of the Novel (U Calif. P. 1957)

Standard Abbreviations for Grading

As I have recently developed tendonitis of the wrist, it is extremely painful for me to make extensive handwritten comments on your papers. To eliminate strain on my tendon, I have devised the following abbreviations:

T = Thesis statement (main argument of essay)
T? = Is this the Thesis, or Where is the Thesis? T unclear = This seems to be the Thesis, but it is not yet clearly articulated.
t.s. = topic sentence (for paragraphs)
t.s.?
t.s. unclear


agr = agreement problem-either subject, verb, or pronoun; may also be marked
p. agr = pronoun agreement - (See Hacker sect.22/23)
v. agr = verb agreement - ( Hacker sect. 21)
ant = antecedent problem-either missing or improper agreement (Hacker 22)
awk = awkward phrasing - read aloud and rephrase for clarity, eloquence.
cap = inappropriate capitalization, or needs capitalization
cit = citation problem: either no page #, or improper MLA format in some aspect.
( Hacker 54)
c.s. = comma splice -(Hacker. 20/32)
conv = style too conversational for written work
dev = needs development
d.m. = dangling modifier - (Hacker 12e)
d.q. = quote is "dropped" or not introduced by normal sentence usage (Hacker)
fr = sentence fragment (Hacker 19)
jarg = jargon
no , = no comma
om = omitted word
p = any punctuation error
par. ? = should this be a paragraph as it stands; is it too long or too short; does it have a t.s.?
pass. = unnecessary use of passive voice (Hacker 28c/58c)
sp = spelling error
t = tense problem; remember references to other texts should be in present tense.
trans? (or link?) = where is the transition between paragraphs or ideas?
w = wordy
ww = wrong word or odd word choice
x = all errors resulting in a point subtracted a marked with a small 'x'.
^ = something is missing-either word, punctuation mark, or space

Base Grades: Starting grades before mechanical errors are subtracted (1 pt./error; maximum 15pts off)
90-100 - Extremely clear Thesis statement, strong supporting paragraphs & transitions. Eloquent.
80-90 - Clear Thesis, clear supporting paragraphs and transitions.
70 - 80 - Thesis unclear or not adequately supported by rest of essay.

Please Place on 3-Day Reserve for

Prof. Carnell
English 350/533
Rise of the Novel
Fall 1998
Est. enrollment = 25

Armstrong, Nancy. Desire and Domestic Fiction (Oxford UP 1987)
PR830.D65.A7.1987

Ballaster, Ros. Seductive Forms:Women's Amatory Fiction (Oxford UP 1992)
PR858/W6/B34/1992

Bowers, Toni. The Politics of Motherhood (Cambridge 1996)
PR448/M66/B69/1996

Greene, Donald. The Age of Exuberance (Random House, 1970)



McKeon, Michael. The Origins of the English Novel (Johns Hopkins, 1987)
PR841.M3.198

Radway, Janice. Reading the Romance (U N. Carolina P, 1984)
Z1039.W65.R32.1984

Watt, Ian. The Rise of the Novel (U Calif. P. 1957)