LA SALLE UNIVERSITY
English 250
Writers and Their Worlds
(Londoners and Dubliners)
Dr. Lehr
Spring, 2006
DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES
This course looks at the works of five major authors who lived and wrote in London or Dublin
during the nineteenth and twentieth century: Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard
Shaw, James Joyce, and Harold Pinter. The course focuses not only on their plays and fiction,
but also on the literary movements of the period and their place in them. Specifically, the goals
of the course are as follows:
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To gain an appreciation of five major writers (Dickens, Wilde, Shaw, Joyce and Harold
Pinter) through careful reading and discussion of their works,
To understand the milieu in which these writers lived and wrote,
to present analysis of their texts in class discussion and individual presentations,
to write essays that effectively convey an understanding of specific texts and literary
terms.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Collected Works of Harold Pinter, Volume One. New York: Grove
Press, 1976.
Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. New York: Oxford University
Press (World’s Classics), 1999.
Joyce, James. Dubliners. Introd. by Edna O’ Brien.
New York: Penguin Putman (Signet Classic), 1991.
Plays by George Bernard Shaw. New York: Penguin Putman
(Signet Classic), 1960.
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Ernest and Other Plays.
Introd. by Sylvan Barnet. New York: Penguin Putman (Signet
Classic), 1985.
CLASS ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION
Classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. Class attendance is mandatory. To participate fully you
need to attend all classes. More than three absences may lower your participation grade, and
more than six may result in a failure. Attendance will be taken at each class shortly after the
period begins. If you come to class after the attendance is taken, you will be marked late (three
“lates” is equivalent to one absence). If you are fifteen or more minutes late, you will be marked
absent, so please do not come in and disrupt the discussion. If you know you will be missing a
class, please notify me in advance; and if you are absent, please get handouts and assignments
from another student.
During class, we will discuss the assigned reading, listen to oral reports, or work in discussion
groups. Courteous participation is essential. Therefore, turn off all cell phones, leave food
and beverages outside, and refrain from talking to another student while the instructor or your
classmates are speaking.
To check that you have completed the assigned reading, I will occasionally give unannounced
short quizzes. Thus, you want always to be prepared with your textbooks and the assignment
completed.
To maintain a good participation grade, you need to follow these rules.
OFFICE AND CONFERENCES
You need to attend two conferences with the writing fellow to review drafts of your papers
(one conference per paper); and you also need to meet with me at least once during the
semester. However, you can come any time to see me in my office to discuss a paper or any
topic related to our course. To make an appointment, please sign your name beside a specific
conference time on the sheet taped on my office door (Olney 156).
Office Hours: Monday: 8:30-11:30; Tuesday & Thursday: 8:30-9:15, 12:15-1:00; and
other times by appointment
Mailbox: English Department (Olney 141)
Telephone: (215) 951-5002 (After several rings, calls will be transferred to the English office-951-1145.); E-Mail: lehr@lasalle.edu; Fax: 215-951-1488
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES
There will be 2 papers, 2 examinations, and 5 announced quizzes and an oral report.
Papers
25% (10% and 15%)
Mid Term Examination
15%
Final Examination
20%
Quizzes/Oral Report
25%
Participation
15%
You must submit a printed copy of your papers on time; late papers, with few exceptions, will
receive a lower grade. Quizzes generally cannot be made up, if you are absent the day of one;
and only because of exceptional circumstances, can exams be made up. For all in-class work
(e.g., quizzes and exams), you want to use blue or black ink (not pencil).
PLAGIARISM
All work submitted must be your own. If you need help, please seek it from your instructor,
writing fellow, or tutors in the Writing Center. In preparing papers, acknowledge all secondary
sources consulted whether you actually quote or paraphrase them or you just review them.
(Include a Works Consulted or Works Cited page.) To check for plagiarism, you want to
submit your papers to turnitin.com before submitting a printed copy to me. If you do
plagiarize, your paper will receive a Failure—and if your plagiarism is consciously done, you will
receive a Failure in the course. Additionally, you may be referred to the University for further
disciplinary action (see the Student Handbook).
SCHEDULE
The following gives a general overview of the readings, exams, and papers along with their
tentative due dates. Specific assignments as well as detailed directions for papers will be given
in class.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII
Week
Readings/Assignments
Tues. Jan. 17
Introduction to the course; topics for oral reports
Thurs. Jan. 19
Dickens’ Oliver Twist, I-VIII: 1-63
Tues. Jan. 24
Oliver Twist, IX-XVII: 64-137
Thurs. Jan. 26
Oliver Twist, XVIII-XXIII: 137-185
Tues. Jan. 31
Oliver Twist, XXIV-XXXII: 185-255; Quiz # 1
Thurs. Feb. 2
Oliver Twist, XXXIII-XXXVIII: 255-306
Tues. Feb. 7
Oliver Twist, XXXIX-XLVI: 306- 377;
PAPER # 1 DRAFT
Thurs. Feb. 9
Oliver Twist:
Tues. Feb. 14
Oscar Wilde, “Introduction”: viii-xxxiii
Thurs. Feb. 16
The Importance of Being Ernest: Act I: 115-141; Quiz # 2
Tues. Feb. 21
The Importance of Being Ernest: Act II: 141-173
Thurs. Feb. 23
The Importance of Being Ernest: Act III: 173-190;
PAPER # 1
Tues. Feb. 28
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Thurs. Mar. 2
George Bernard Shaw, “Forward”: vii-xv &
Mrs. Warren’s Profession: Act One: 54-69; Act Two: 69-87
XLVII-LIII: 377-440
[ MAR. 7 & 9: MID-SEMESTER HOLIDAY—NO CLASS]
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
Tues. Mar. 14
Mrs. Warren’s Profession: Act Three:
87-100; Act Four: 100-115
Thurs. Mar. 16
Arms and the Man: Act One: 116-132; Quiz # 3
Tues. Mar. 21
Arms and the Man: Act Two: 132-151
Thurs. Mar. 23
Arms and the Man: Act Three: 151-175;
PAPER # 2 DRAFT
Tues. Mar. 28
Joyce, “Introduction” (vii-xi); “The Sisters”: 1-11
Thurs. Mar. 30
“Araby”: 23-30; “Eveline”: 31-36; Quiz # 4
Tues. Apr. 4
“The Boarding House”: 58-66; “Counterparts”: 84-97
Thurs. Apr. 6
“Clay”: 98-106; “The Dead”: 183-207
Tues. Apr. 11
“The Dead”: 208-236; PAPER # 2
Thurs. Apr. 13
Pinter, The Birthday Party, Act One: 19-46
Tues. Apr. 18
The Birthday Party, Acts Two: 47-76; Quiz # 5
Thurs. Apr. 20
The Birthday Party, Act Three: 77-97
Tues. Apr. 25
The Room: 99-126
Thurs. Apr. 27
Review and Evaluation
[MAY 1-5: FINAL EXAMINATION]
Rev. 01-10-06