English 260: Modern British Literature
Instructor: Marieke Kalkhove
Office: 402 Watson Hall
Office hours: Thu 1:00-2:00 and by appointment
Email: m.kalkhove@queensu.ca
This course uses a thematic approach to explore key concepts in Modern British
literature. In the Fall Term, we will situate the works of important Modernist writers in
their historical context. The decline of the British Empire, the onset of World War I, and
the development of psychoanalysis influenced concepts of national and sexual identity.
With these social shifts, the role of visual art and literature changed. We will not only
examine Modernist prose and poetry, including the works of Joseph Conrad, W.B. Yeats,
James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, but also cubist and post-impressionist paintings. In the
Winter Term, we will focus on the themes of science and medicine. New developments in
science and technology, including ideas about medical philosophy and the place of the
human in the natural world, influenced the shape and ideas of British literature at the turn
of the twentieth century. In this section we will explore the nature of these changes in
relation to the literature of the time in the context of British Modernism as a whole. We
will study a selection of poetry, prose and plays, along with excerpts from relevant
medical and scientific writings of the era, by writers such as Charles Darwin, T. S. Eliot,
H. G. Wells, Aldous Huxley and George Bernard Shaw.
Required Texts:
JonStallworthy and David Daiches, eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature,
Eighth Edition, Volume 2: The Twentieth Century.
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
Virginia Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway.
E.M. Forster, A Passage to India.
Recommended Texts:
Diane Hacker, A Canadian Writer’s Reference, 3rd ed.
Abrams and Harpman, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 8th ed.
Grades:
20% Argumentative paper (1500 words, due October 15)
30% Argumentative paper (1500 words, due November 19)
20% Short quizzes and in-class exercises
30% Final Exam
(The Fall term grade accounts for 50% of the final grade)
Writing Assignments:
Please type and double-space all your written work and hand in all essays at the
beginning of class on the due date. Extensions will only be granted under exceptional
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circumstances, and must be negotiated with your TA in writing, at least one week before
the deadline. In the case of ill health, these circumstances must be documented. Late
papers will be marked down 2% per day late (including weekends). If you hand in your
paper late, please submit it in person (in class or during office hours). Do not leave your
paper in your TA’s mailbox or slide it under the office door. No essays will be accepted
more than two weeks after the due date; a grade of zero will be assigned in such cases.
Late papers may forfeit the right to a full commentary. If you have any questions about
the upcoming assignments, please contact your TA via email and/or see him or her during
office hours. Although it is acceptable to ask detailed and specific questions about your
assignments via email, your TA will not read rough drafts of your paper.
If you use criticism of any kind – critical books, articles in journals, or on-line sites – you
must acknowledge your sources. The minimum penalty for plagiarism is a grade of zero
on the assignment, and a claim of ignorance or “accidental” plagiarism will not be
accepted. Please consult the “Academic Integrity Document.”
Quizzes and in-class exercises:
Because it is important to attend the lectures and come prepared to class, a portion of
your grade will be based on quizzes and in-class exercises. The quizzes will test your
knowledge of the readings, while the in-class exercises will test your ability to think
analytically about the text. There will be a total of six quizzes/class exercises, but only
the four quizzes with the highest grades will count toward your mark.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS
(Please bring your books to class!)
Week 1:
Sept. 15
Sept. 17
Week 2:
Sept. 22
Sept. 24
Week 3:
Sept. 29
Introduction to Modernism
The poetry of Thomas Hardy: “Neutral Tones” (Norton 1869), “A Broken
Appointment” (Norton 1870), “The Darkling Thrush” (Norton 1871),
“The Ruined Maid” (Norton 1872), “The Convergence of the Twain”
(Norton 1878).
The early poetry of W.B. Yeats: “The Song of the Happy Shepherd”
(Reserve), “The Indian to His Love” (Reserve), “The Lake Isle of
Innisfree” (Norton 2025), “The Man Who Dreamed of Faeryland” (Norton
2026-27).
The poetry of W.B. Yeats: “Easter, 1916” (Norton 2031-33) “The Second
Coming” (Norton 2036-37), “Leda and the Swan” (Norton 2039), “Sailing
to Byzantium” (Norton 2040), “Lapis Lazuli” (Norton 2046-47).
The Modern short story: James Joyce, “The Dead” (Norton 2172-2199)
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Oct. 1
Week 4:
Oct. 6
Oct. 8
James Joyce’s “The Dead” cont.
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Essay writing: thesis statements and close readings
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man cont.
Week 5:
Oct. 13
Oct. 15
James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man cont.
Ford Madox Ford, “On Impressionism” (Reserve), Virginia Woolf, “The
Mark of the Wall” (Norton 2082-87) and “Modern Fiction” (Norton 208792).
ESSAY #1 DUE THURSDAY OCTOBER 15
Week 6
Oct. 20
Oct. 22
Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway cont. (start reading A Passage to India)
Week 7
Oct. 27
Oct. 29
Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway cont.
D.H. Lawrence, “Odour of Chrysanthemums” (Norton 2245-58).
Week 8
Nov. 3
Nov. 5
George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant” (Norton 2379-84) and “Politics
and the English Language” (Norton 2284-93).
E.M. Forster, A Passage to India
Week 9:
Nov. 10
Nov. 12
E.M. Forster, A Passage to India cont.
E.M. Forster, A Passage to India cont.
Week 10:
Nov. 17
The Modern short story: Katherine Mansfield, “The Daughters of the Late
Colonel” (Norton 2333-46) and “The Garden Party” (Norton 2246-56)
Nov. 19
Katherine Mansfield cont.
ESSAY #2 DUE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19
Week 11:
Nov. 24
Nov. 26
Samuel Beckett, Endgame (Norton 2394-2420)
Samuel Beckett, Endgame cont.
Week 12
Dec. 1
Dec. 3
Wrap up
Review for Christmas Examination
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