Chabot College
Fall 2002
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for English 38
SURVEY OF MODERN BRITISH LITERATURE
Catalog Description:
38 - Survey of Modern British Literature
3 units
A survey of British poetry, drama and prose fiction studied in the context of the important historical and
cultural events of the last two centuries, including but not limited to the rise of science, the impact of
industrialism and colonialism, the consequences of the two world wars, the collapse of the British Empire
and contemporary events. Strongly recommended: Eligibility for English 1A. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. demonstrate familiarity with and explain a critical perspective on the varied achievements in
imaginative literature by 19th and 20th century British writers;
2. analyze literary works in relation to their historical and cultural contexts with particular attention to
identifying unstated premises and hidden assumptions;
3. demonstrate understanding of the structure of the works studied and analyze them in terms of such
literary components as plot, character, tone, style, and figurative uses of language (such as
metaphor, irony, paradox, symbol);
4. recognize the diversity of the works while comparing their treatment of common themes, such as the
effects of social class stratification;
5. critically evaluate distinctive elements of 19th and 20th century British literature (such as cultural
insularity) while drawing and justifying inferences about the literary works based on these elements;
6. demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the particular contributions of 19th and 20th century
British writers to American history and contemporary American culture;
7. evaluate arguments in literary critics and related nonfiction in terms of fairness, accuracy,
completeness, and effectiveness.
Course Content:
1. Representative samples of literary works including poetry, drama, essays, short stories, and novels
2. Supplemental readings giving historical, cultural and critical contexts for the works studied
3. Media relevant to the historical and cultural milieu of the works studied
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lecture
Large and small group discussion
Student presentations
Multimedia
Guest lectures by writers and critics, when possible
Field trips to visit museums, to attend plays, readings, and other performances
Chabot College
Course Outline for English 38
Page 2
Fall 2002
Typical Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
Achievement of the outcomes of the course will be evaluated by the instructor on the basis of the
following, with particular attention to the development of critical analytical skills:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Write a research paper, involving a critical analysis of thematic or structural aspects of the works considered
b. Present an oral report relating course materials to the lives and values of students
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. short critical papers
b. one long critical paper or research project
c. journal writings
d. oral presentations
e. quizzes and exams, including a final examination
f. participation in small and large group discussion
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Vanity Fair, Thackeray, Modern Library Pub., 1950
Great Expectations, Dickens, Dodd, Mead Pub., 1948
Wuthering Heights, Bronte, Houghton Mifflin Pub., 1956
Pride and Prejudice, Austen, McMillan Pub., 1962
Middlemarch, Eliot, Houghton Mifflin Pub., 1956
To the Lighthouse, Woolf, Harcourt Brace and World Pub., 1955
Sons and Lovers, Lawrence, Viking Press Pub., 1958
Possession, Byatt, Vintage Pub., 1991
English Verse, Peacock, Oxford University Press Pub., 1928-31
English Romantic Poets, Stephens, American Book Co. Pub., 1952
English Political Thoughts in 19th Century, Harper Pub., 1982
The Golden Notebook, Doris Lessing, harper Perennial Pub., 1994
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tom Stoppard, Grove Press Pub., 1967
Complete Works, Vols 1&2, Harold pinter, Grove Press Pub., 1977
The Angel at the Gate, Wilson Harris, Faber Pub., 1982
An Origin Like Water: Collected Poems, 1967-1987, Eavan Boland, Norton Pub., 1997
East, West: Stories, Salman Rushdie, Vintage Pub., 1995
Sugar & Spice & Trial Run, Nigel Williams, Methuen Pub., 1988
White Teeth, Zadie Smith, Random House Pub., 2001
Special Student Materials:
None
dk 11/13/01
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