Welcome to ENG 181: Contemporary British Literature,
Culture, and Film
Instructor name: Molly Slavin
Contact information: mslavin@emory.edu
I strive to answer all emails within 24 hours; most times, I will answer more
quickly than that, but sometimes (with travel, reduced availability, etc), it might
take me 48.
Office hours: TBD
Class meeting time and place: TBD
Course description: Late twentieth and twenty-first century Britain is a
fascinating place (not to say it wasn’t fascinating at earlier times too!). The end of
World War II and the collapse of the British Empire brought many seismic
cultural changes to the island nation. These changes feature large in
contemporary debates in Great Britain about society, culture, politics, arts,
healthcare, education, religion… you name it! We’ll be tackling some of these
topics in our course this semester.
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In this 181 course, we’ll be looking at contemporary Britain through literature,
film, and secondary readings. The class is arranged into four units, each of which
is made up of one novel, one film, and assorted secondary articles and readings.
We will discuss such issues as imperialism, multiculturalism, war, identity,
immigration, racism, and neocolonialism. Do not expect to leave an issue behind
just because we have moved on from its unit; all these topics are interrelated and
linked! As the fall of the British Empire looms large in the late twentieth century
and early twenty-first, expect a great deal of discussion surrounding questions of
imperialism and colonialism. As we read and watch texts, we’ll also be working
on our own writing about contemporary Britain, in the form of class assignments
and activities (see below). We will be doing a variety of both out-of-class and inclass assignments designed to familiarize you with a broad variety of “types” of
academic writing (please see assignment descriptions).
Learning outcomes: This is a composition course, and so it is writing intensive. I
expect you not only to hone your writing skills but to also deepen your
understanding of the central critical issues considered in the class. By the end of
the semester, you should be able to:
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Highlight key issues in our readings and in the culture of 21st century
Britain
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Identify current British cultural debates and arguments as exemplified
through our readings and viewings
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Apply historical and social issues to your own writing, debate, and
analysis
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Develop written work with a clearly defined focus, thesis, and argument
and employ critical thinking and writing skills to articulate your thoughts
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Communicate your thoughts eloquently through prose
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And develop an understanding of the revision process, especially as it
relates to longer academic writing
Course texts: I will expect you to acquire some novels in this class. Some shorter
readings will be available online through Blackboard or eReserves. The following
is a list of texts and films which we will be discussing in this class. As for the
films, we will be holding class screenings the week before the film is discussed; if
you cannot or do not wish to make these events, you may acquire the films
through Emory’s Music and Media Library, by rental or purchase, or from an
online service such as Netflix or Amazon Video.
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Print books:
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Barnes, Julian. England, England. New York: Vintage International, 1998.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. (note: any edition is fine, but the Dover
Thrift Edition is only about $2 on Amazon)
Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter
in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.
McEwan, Ian. Saturday. New York: Anchor Books, 2005.
Smith, Zadie. White Teeth. New York: Random House, 2000.
Online sources:
The following is a list of items that will be made available to you on Blackboard
or via an online database such as JSTOR. Please print them out and bring them to
class on the scheduled day.
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Chinua Achebe, “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of
Darkness.’” (article)
Piers Brendon, chapter 9 of The Decline and Fall of the British Empire.
Robert Burns, “Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation”
Niall Ferguson, selections from Empire.
Paul Gilroy, selections from Postcolonial Melancholia.
Rudyard Kipling, “The Ballad of East and West.” (poem)
Phyllis Lassner, excerpt from Colonial Strangers: Women Writing the End of
Empire
John MacKenzie, “The Persistence of Empire in Metropolitan Culture”
(article)
George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant.” (article)
Bernard Porter, chapters 1 and 2 of The Lion’s Share.
Salman Rushdie, “The New Empire Within Britain” (article)
Edward Said, chapter 3 of Culture and Imperialism.
Elizabeth Kowaleski Wallace, “Postcolonial Melancholia in Ian McEwan’s
‘Saturday’” (article)
Others TBD
Films and Other Visual Media:
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A Passage to India, 1984 (dir. David Lean)
East is East, 1999 (dir. Damien O’Donnell)
British Empire in Colour (available online)
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This is England, 2006 (dir. Shane Meadows)
’81 (dir. Stephen Burke)
Academic honesty policy: Academic honesty and plagiarism is completely
unacceptable. I am happy to meet with you individually to discuss this in more
detail or if you have specific concerns. For a detailed explanation of Emory’s
honor code and academic honesty policy, please see:
http://catalog.college.emory.edu/academic/policy/honor_code.html
Disability policy: If you have a documented disability, Emory’s Office of
Disability Services promises to be “diligent and intentional in our efforts to
ensure access for faculty/staff, students, and visitors” (language from the ODS
website). Please familiarize yourself with your rights and responsibilities in this
area. The website for the Emory Office of Disability Studies is located here:
http://www.ods.emory.edu/
Attendance policy: Attendance is of the utmost importance in any college
course, but especially in a writing-intensive and topic-cumulative class such as
this one. Attendance and active participation will count for 10% of your grade;
you will receive three excused absences before beginning to be docked for points.
As there are always extenuating circumstances, crisis situations or extended
illnesses will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Technology policy: The classroom is like an airplane: all electronic materials
should be off, stashed, and stowed away. If we are reading a reading which was
made available online, you must print it and bring it with you to class. No
computers or phones are allowed.
Email policy: It is your responsibility as an adult and a scholar to read and
respond to all emails. On this note, you are expected to check your Emory email
at least once every 24 hours. There is no need to respond to class-wide emails,
but if the instructor contacts you personally, it is good etiquette to respond
within 24 hours (except on weekends).
Revision policy: Due to the nature of assignments in this class and the already
revision-heavy assignment descriptions, students may not complete extra
revisions for credit. Please see the assignments section for a more detailed
explanation of the nature of revision in this course.
Assignment and late work policy: Papers must be handed to the instructor in
hard copy at the beginning of the class in which the assignment is due. NO
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ELECTRONIC COPIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. For each day the paper is late (e.g.
not handed to the instructor in hard copy), I will dock one-third of one letter
grade. This includes weekends.
Writing Center information: The Emory Writing Center staff includes talented
and welcoming undergraduate and graduate students from a range of
disciplines. They are eager to work with all writers at all stages of the composing
process. Whether you are exploring ideas, revising a draft, or polishing a final
version of a project, the Writing Center is the place for you. They offer
discussion- and workshop-based tutorials for individuals and groups that enable
writers to approach their work with fresh eyes and to consider a variety of
strategies for writing, revising, and editing.
All Writing Center tutors are trained to work with digital and multi-modal texts
in addition to traditional papers. Tutors can talk with you about the purpose,
organization, and audience of your work, your design choices, or how you
engage other texts. They can also work with you on sentence-level concerns,
including grammar, syntax, and word choice; however, they will not proofread
for you. Instead, they will discuss strategies and resources you can use to become
a better editor of your own work.
The Writing Center is located in Callaway N212. Regular appointments are 45
minutes long. You should bring a copy of your assignment, any relevant writing
(notes, a draft, the url for your website, etc.), and a plan for what you want to
work on. If you have a laptop, we encourage you to bring it, especially if you’re
working on a digital text. If you are working on a traditional paper, please also
bring a hard copy of your work. In addition to our regular appointments, we
offer walk-in visits, a good resource when you have a quick question or can’t get
an appointment. To view our hours, make an appointment, and get more
information, go to writingcenter.emory.edu.
Multilingual Services: Emory offers a wealth of assistance for ESL and
multilingual students. For more information on services provided, please see this
link: http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/learning/esl/.
Academic Advising: For information on academic advising, please see this link:
http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/advising/
Counseling Services: Emory has an excellent counseling center. I urge you to
look at its offerings at any point throughout your career at Emory. The
information on this is available here: http://studenthealth.emory.edu/cs/.
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Assignments and Weights: This is a composition course, and so your writing
will count for the vast majority of your grade. There will be one major project
which we work on throughout the semester, as well as some smaller
assignments. Attendance and participation will also count as part of your grade.
I require all assignments to be handed to me in hard copy in class on the day that
they are due.
The grading breakdown is as follows:
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Major paper assignment: The major item on which we will work in this class
is a progressive essay that will be revised constantly throughout the class.
As you may see from the calendar, the class is divided up into four major
units. At the end of each unit, you will turn in a “step” of your paper. The
first step will be 3-4 pages, the second will be 6-7 pages, the third will be
10-11 pages, with the final product expected to be 15-17 pages. You will be
expected to add to and revise what you already have before turning in the
next step to accommodate newly discussed material. The first question I
hand out will be a general question, and from there, I will give more
specific feedback and direction. The first two steps of your paper will be
worth 10% each; the second step will be worth 15%; and the final step will
be worth 20%, for 55% of your total grade.
Exam: There will be an in-class, writing-intensive exam on date goes here.
It will be composed of essay questions and will be done in-class. The
midterm will be worth 20% of your grade.
Presentation: On the first day of class, we will divvy up the units and
topics and each student will choose one to present. These presentations
will take place on Fridays throughout the semester and should involve
summary, analysis, and questions for discussion, as well as a typed
summary of your presentation, which you will hand to me for grading.
You will be expected to complete one presentation, which will count for
15% of your grade. We will go over this in more detail in class.
Attendance and participation: As stated above, attendance and participation
is a very key component to this class. You will be allowed three excused
absences; after that, your grade will begin to suffer. It is important,
however, not only to show up, but to participate in a meaningful way.
While talking the most is not necessarily being the most engaged
participant, it is important to show me that you are aware of what is going
on around you and fully engaged in the discussion. Attendance and
participation will count for 10% of your grade.
Grading Criteria:
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An A paper will have a clear and articulate thesis that puts forth a strong
argument. The body of the paper will be in line with the ideas proposed in the
introduction and will include strong transitions and topic sentences. Ideas will be
expressed coherently and connections between subjects will be clear and
thoughtfully expressed. A conclusion which summarizes the main ideas and
ends on a thoughtful note should also be included. The A paper will be virtually
free of spelling and grammatical mistakes.
A B paper will have many of the same attributes as an A paper, although it will
not be executed as cleanly. An introduction, body, and conclusion will all be
present, although prose may feel “clunky” or ideas may feel poorly articulated or
not completely thought out at times. The argument may at times be unclear or
confusing. A B paper may miss opportunities to draw connections across areas
and may be marred by a sizeable number of spelling and grammatical errors.
A C paper will have a weak or nonexistent thesis and bare or incomplete body
paragraphs. Obvious connections may be made, but it will be clear the writer has
not thought as deeply about the issues as the writers of A or B papers. The
argument will be weak or obfuscated in a number of areas or overall. A
conclusion may be missing or incomplete, and there may be a high number of
spelling or grammatical errors.
A D paper will have a missing or extremely weak thesis. The argument may not
be discernible or comprehensible, and connections and transitions will be at a
minimum. The body paragraphs will not succeed in advancing the argument (if
there is one to begin with), and the conclusion may be weak or missing
altogether. A D paper may have a large number of spelling or grammatical
errors.
A paper will receive an F if:
- it is not turned in on time
- it is off-topic or on an unapproved topic
- it is completely incomprehensible
- it includes no sources or is written as an unsubstantiated opinion
Calendar: Subject to change. Topics are cumulative and will build upon each
other; do not expect to leave a topic behind just because its allotted time is over.
Week 1: Introductions and foundations; begin Unit 1, “Imperialism”: read
Bernard Porter
Wednesday: introductions
Friday: discuss Chapters 1 and 2 of Bernard Porter, The Lion’s Share (BB); read
selections from Part 1 of They Say, I Say
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Week 2: “Imperialism” unit continued: begin Heart of Darkness
Monday: discuss Heart of Darkness, part 1 and chapter 3 of Edward Said, Culture
and Imperialism (BB)
Wednesday: discuss Heart of Darkness, part 2
Friday: student presentations
Week 3: “Imperialism” unit concluded: complete Heart of Darkness and watch A
Passage to India
Monday: discuss Heart of Darkness, part 3 and Chinua Achebe, “An Image of
Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness.’” (BB)
Wednesday: discuss A Passage to India and George Orwell, “Shooting an
Elephant” (BB)
Friday: student presentations
Week 4: begin Unit 2, “Multicultural Britain”: read assorted articles and
White Teeth
Monday: discuss Salman Rushdie, “The New Empire Within Britain” (BB); watch
Ali G and other skits in class
Wednesday: discuss White Teeth, part 1 and “Rivers of Blood” speech (available
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3643823/Enoch-Powells-Riversof-Blood-speech.html)
Friday: student presentations
*Step 1 of major assignment will be due in Week 4
Week 5: “Multicultural Britain” unit continued: read White Teeth and assorted
articles
Monday: part 2 of They Say, I Say and class discussion on step 1
Wednesday: discuss White Teeth, part 2, and look at ethnicUK
(http://www.peterdench.com/#/ethnicuk/00001Book117)
Friday: student presentations
Week 6: “Multicultural Britain” unit continued: read White Teeth and assorted
articles
Monday: discuss White Teeth, part 3 and MacKenzie, “The Persistence of
Empire in Metropolitan Culture” (BB)
Wednesday: discuss White Teeth, part 3
Friday: student presentations
Week 7: “Multicultural Britain” unit concluded: finish White Teeth and watch East
is East
Monday: discuss White Teeth, part 4 and pages 193-201 of Lassner (BB)
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Wednesday: discuss East is East and Kipling poem (BB)
Friday: student presentations
Week 8: begin Unit 3, “War and (Neo) Imperialism”: read assorted articles and
begin Saturday
Monday: discuss British Empire in Colour, Chapter 9 of Piers Brendon (BB),
timeline of fall of British Empire from the BBC (available
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/endofempire_overview_
01.shtml); read part 3 of They Say, I Say
Wednesday: pages 1-52 of Saturday
Friday: student presentations
*Step 2 of major assignment will be due at start of Week 8
Week 9: “War and (Neo) Imperialism” unit continued: read Saturday and assorted
articles
Monday: discuss Saturday pages 53-119
Wednesday: discuss Saturday pages 121-177 and selections from Gilroy,
Postcolonial Melancholia (BB)
Friday: student presentations
Week 10: “War and (Neo) Imperialism” unit concluded: finish Saturday and watch
documentary (no student presentations this week)
Monday: discuss Saturday pages 179-242 and Wallace, “Postcolonial
Melancholia in Ian McEwan’s ‘Saturday’” (BB)
Wednesday: finish discussing Saturday, pages 243-289 and exam review
Friday: exam
Week 11: begin Unit 4, “Identity”: read assorted articles and begin England,
England
Monday: discuss England, England, pages 3-25 and an interview with Barnes:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/1998/aug/30/fiction.julianbarnes
Wednesday: discuss England, England, pages 27-107
Friday: student presentations
Week 12: “Identity” unit continued: read England, England and assorted articles
Monday: discuss England, England, pages 108-180 and Vera Nunning, “The
Invention of Cultural Traditions…”
(http://www.julianbarnes.com/docs/nunning.pdf)
Wednesday: discuss England, England, pages 181-245
Friday: student presentations
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*Step 3 of major assignment will be due at the start of Week 12
Week 13: “Identity” unit concluded: finish England, England and watch This is
England
Monday: finish discussing England, England, pages 246-275 and Kakutani review
(http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/05/09/daily/051199barnes-bookreview.html)
Wednesday: discuss This is England
Friday: student presentations
Week 14: the vestiges of Empire (no student presentations this week)
Monday: Northern Ireland: discuss ’81, look at Derry and Belfast murals, discuss
BBC history of the Troubles (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/troubles)
Wednesday: Scotland: discuss Robert Burns poem, “Such a Parcel of Rogues in a
Nation” (BB), BBC Q&A on Scottish independence
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13326310); watch BBC
webcast in class (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24772646)
Friday: Wales/Cornwall: discuss John Harris, “Could Wales Leave the United
Kingdom?” (http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/feb/01/couldwales-leave-united-kingdom), Robert McCrum, “Free Cornwall!”
(http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jun/24/free-cornwallindependence-campaign), Nigel Hicks, “Cornish Independence is
Back on the Menu”
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3632981/Cornishindependence-is-back-on-the-menu.html), and Andrew Smith, “The
Break-Up of Britain is Underway…”
(http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/andrew-smith/the-breakup-ofbritain-is_b_1692906.html)
Week 15: Wrap Up (no student presentations this week)
Monday: discuss Niall Ferguson, Empire
Wednesday: review
Friday: student presentations of papers
*The final step of your paper will be due on the last day of class; specific date
TBD.
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