Victorian Novel Unit (250 pts)
[Group Presentation (80 pt), Drafting (20 pt), Giving Feedback (30 pt), Responding to Feedback (20 pt), Analytical Essay (100 pt)]
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Choose a novel written in the British Isles between 1820 and 1900. A partial list includes:
 Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma by Jane Austen (Regency instead of Victorian)
 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
 Hard Times, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
 Dracula by Bram Stoker
 Middlemarch, Silas Marner by George Eliot
 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
 Turn of the Screw by Henry James
 Tess of the Durbervilles by Thomas Hardy
 The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Group Presentation (80 pts)
Groups will be determined by those reading the same novel. Groups work together after everyone has read the
novel to determine how best to present the following:
 Plot (very briefly)
 Characters (names, characteristics, role in novel)
 Themes
 Important imagery and symbolism
 Influence of Victorian Era on novel
Groups are responsible for having a handout for the class as well as some visual component of their
presentation (poster, film clips, props, etc.). The method of presentation is up to the group, so long as all
required aspects are covered with specific reference to the novel. Groups should do research as needed to help
clarify their thinking about the novel.
Presentation Rubric
20 Handout (is informative, clear, without factual or typographical error, and prepared in advance for copying)
10 Covers plot, character, theme, imagery/symbolism/etc., Victorian Era
15 Emphasis on Theme, imagery/symbolism, and Victorian Era
15 Specific examples from the text are used to clarify theme, imagery/symbolism
10 All group members participate and are audible, clear, effective in speaking (eye contact, etc.)
10 Visual is clear, visible, effective (large enough to be effective for those in back of the room!)
Analytical Essay (100 pts)
 This is NOT a "book report". Summaries WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
 Your essay must ANALYZE, EVALUATE, and DISCUSS WITH EXAMPLES the effectiveness of your
chosen topic. Use the rubric as a guideline for what your paper should include.
 All paper topics should include discussion of how the Victorian era affects the novel, what about that time
period informs your topic in ways that would not be the case had the novel been written at a different time?
Possible topics:
Character Development: Analyze the ways in which the author develops this character. Do we learn about
the character primarily though his/her actions? Through description? Through dialogue (his/her own or others'
comments about him/her)? Through the opinions of other characters? If this is the case, are the opinions of the
other characters reliable? Show, using specific examples, NOT what the character is like, but how the author
shows us that character. This is NOT a character summary; it is an evaluation of the author's technique.
Theme: Determine a theme of the book you have read. Theme can be revealed through a number of elements
including symbols, characters, events, and even the title. There may be more than one theme within a work.
Explain how the theme influences the book or how the various elements work together to create that theme.
Does the theme cast a character in a different light? Does the theme influence how the plot progresses? How is
the theme important? What do you understand differently about the book because you recognize this theme?
What aspects of the work create and develop the theme?
The Use and Results of a Literary Device
Choose only ONE device. Do not try to write about every device in the book, or try to write just a list of all the
instances where the device you choose appears; this will not lend itself to analysis, and such a "laundry list" will
not meet the assignment. Determine how the use of that device (imagery, allusion, etc.) influences the story and
theme. How does it change the reader's perspective on the story? Use examples and explain your ideas clearly.
Extra Credit (quality dependent, up to 5 points extra) for writing a particularly detailed and thoughtful
evaluation in your peer review, and writing a particularly thoughtful response to the peer review you received.
(This is also likely to improve your grade on your paper, as you will have written a better paper for having
revised thoughtfully and in a detail oriented way.)
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Grading Rubric (use this as a checklist as you read over and revise your paper)
(8 pts) Format (minus 2 points for each of these lacking or incorrectly done)
 3-5 pages minimum
 typed, double-spaced, 1" margins all around
 12 point font (no larger, no smaller), Times New Roman font
 page numbers and last name in header on each page (at 0.5”)
 SPELL-CHECKED
(10 pts) Conventions (minus 2 points for each of these lacking or incorrectly done)
st
nd
 no 1 or 2 person used (no "I", "we", "you", or other forms of these)
 multiple paragraphs (not one large one)
 spelling/punctuation correct
 uses complete sentences (no run-ons or fragments)
 avoids question marks or exclamation points in favor of declarative sentences
 uses formal English grammar appropriately
(7 pts) Citations
 bibliography of the book appears on the paper at the end including the following information: author,
title, publication date, city where published, publishing company
 page numbers in parentheses at the end of any sentence in which information is conveyed or quoted
 if you use ANYTHING from your research, you MUST CITE that reference
(15 pts) Organization
 Introduction
 has a clear thesis statement
 clear and easy to understand
 pertains to the topic of the paper (not a clever anecdote or some other unrelated piece of information)
 is not a summary of the events from the book
 shows analysis
 Logical Organization
 transitions are clear; paper flows smoothly
 sequence is logical; the ideas build along with the support
 Conclusion
 explains clearly the topic of the paper
 does not merely repeat the introduction
 does not introduce new ideas not discussed in the paper; is the logical result of the ideas in the paper
 discusses the conclusions drawn from the discussion and support of the body of the paper
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(10 pts) Absence of Summary (papers that are entirely summary will not be graded and will have to be
redone)
 examples are succinct and do not include any more than the absolutely necessary minimum of
information to make your point
 use as a guideline either that all summary should be in a dependent clause (e.g. "When Peter kills the
wolf, it is...") OR that discussion of a needed bit of summary is at least three times longer than the
summary itself
(25 pts) Analysis
 the bulk and push of your paper should be your ANALYSIS of your topic in terms of:
 how your topic affects your book and how you can tell
 how that effect is achieved and how you can tell
 you should have a clear and well-supported position (say "This shows how..." not "This seems to
indicate" or "I think this means") be/sound certain in your phrasing of the points you are making
 (25 pts) Support
 clear, specific support is given for each claim and analytical contention
 connections between support used and claim are explained; do not leave it for your reader to figure out
the connection
 a quote or example is not, by itself, support; it is to be used as support where you explain how that quote
or example proves your point.
 support is not merely summary
 support takes up less space than analysis of support
 (20 pts) Drafting
 drafts done to schedule, in class on time as requested, most especially when it affects other students'
grades
 all drafts done as assigned, not half-hearted, half-done
Giving and Responding to Feedback
Giving Feedback (30 pts) Giving effective, thorough feedback is an act of generosity--hopefully one that is
reciprocated by your partner. You have the ability to see in others' papers things they cannot see on their own.
You can tell when they haven't fully explained or supported something (though it's clear in their head). You can
more easily identify problems that the writer is likely to read past without seeing the errors. Your role in
making your partner's paper effective and successful is huge. [30 points based on thoroughness of feedback,
specificity of suggestions, clarity, courtesy, and effectiveness]
 Look for: tense shifts, problems with number agreement, awkward words that don't quite fit, and other
mechanical problems
 Write directly on your partner's paper.
 Type up 2 pages of double-spaced comments including praise, questions, suggestions, comments (may refer
directly to numbered points on the paper)
The following are important things to consider when writing the two pages of feedback.
A. Clear referencing of paper. Find a way to reference the paper specifically, whether it be to quote, to put a number
on the original document where you're making a comment, to number the paragraphs or lines, or whatever works best for
you and your partner. Make sure that when your partner is reading your comments that it is clear about what in the text
you are talking.
B. Specific feedback. One of the most helpful things you can do is to give specific suggestions about specific places
within the text. Give your partner ideas for how to reword a sentence, for different words when one in the text is
awkward, for new support to add where support is inadequte.
C. Effective suggestions/Questioning to inspire thought and reflection. Asking questions and commenting on what a
certain section seems to say and what you believe the writer wanted to say is the most useful kind of feedback you can
give--be liberal with your questions and comments; they let the writer know if the reader is understanding what the writer
actually intended to say. Even if you can't think of a suggestion, ask how something might be made better.
D. Gentle correction. Acknowledging that you’re not sure, framing something as your opinion, or phrasing something
gently for the writer helps the feedback to be well-received and thus more helpful. Comments like, "You might want to
consider," and "This seems awkward," are much more effective than "Do this," or "This is awkward." The golden rule
applies: give feedback worded in a way you'd like to receive feedback.
E. Positive feedback/encouragement. Try to have positive comments--even when they’re the, “This is good, but...”
kind. Again, this helps the writer accept the feedback well, but also gives the writer a sense of where the paper has gone
right to be able to try and do those things more.
Responding to Feedback (20 pts) When you get your feedback, you should read it at least twice, looking
through your paper as you do so. Your next step is to revise your paper. Once your paper is revised, you
should look at the feedback, look again at your paper, and probably make more corrections. It is highly likely
that, while writing your reflection on the revision process, you will find more places to revise. [20 points based
on thoroughness and thoughtfulness of response]
 Look one last time at your feedback and final draft, thinking about how you used each suggestion.
 Write a two page double-spaced response to the feedback, reflecting on how you used (or didn't use) the
feedback you were given, why you made the revision choices you did, and how each improved your paper.
 You must explain your reasoning at every turn; reflect on the writing process, specifically explain what you
did, WHY you did it (or didn't do it), and HOW it improved your paper for each suggestion you were given.
Due Dates (note these in your assignment notebook with a reminder one week prior)
Feb 11
Your name and the author and title of your chosen book written on a sheet of paper and
handed in for approval
Feb 27
Your decision on what topic you will write on and a brief outline/paragraph describing
your plan for your paper (what specific aspect, for example, of character development
you intend to discuss)
Wed, Mar 3
Group plan for presentation style
Fri, Mar 5
Group handout prepared for copying
Mon, Mar 8 begin
Notes on specific examples in your book that you intend to use as part of your support
PRESENTATIONS for your discussion
Fri, Mar 12
Complete copy of the rough draft/detailed outline of your paper in class
Wed, Mar 17
Complete printout of the first draft (not the rough draft--you should already have read
through this at least once) of your paper which you will send home with another student
for detailed peer review.
Thur, Mar 18
Peer review of other student's paper. This will include a) comments, praise, and
questions written directly on that student's paper, as well as, b) at least one page, typed,
with a list of suggestions for improvement, comments on what you think the writer
means somewhere, questions about details that might lead the writer to improve, etc..
Your final paper, in a folder, with the above assignments, as well as all of your draft
Mon, Mar 22
work and feedback from other students, and your 2-page typed response to the peer
review, explaining why you did or did not take each piece of advice given.
Lateness will result in a deduction of 5 points per day late.