English 242: Literary History
“By Force or Fraud”: Sexual Violence in Literature
Instructor: Erin Spampinato
Fall 2015, M 5-9:20 pm (with dinner break 6:30-7), Kiely 418
Office: Klapper 356
Office Hours: M 3-5 pm
Course blog url: https://english242fall2015spampinato.wordpress.com/
Password for protected readings: english242
Email: espampinato@qc.cuny.edu is my official email; I prefer you use erin.spampinato@gmail.com
General Description: This course explores literary history as a mode of inquiry, asking how authors
and their creations have responded to predecessors, and how such responses have transformed
literature in English over time. The course examines both how literary traditions have been
constructed in the past and what conceptual tools we now have available for defining and describing
literary traditions. The course includes material from before 1800 and after 1800, as well as material
from at least two national literatures. The texts included span at least two centuries, with at least one
portion of the course focused on poetry.
4 hours, 4 credits. You must have completed or be currently enrolled in English 170W in order to
enroll in this class.
VERY IMPORTANT: The subject of this section of English 241 is representations of rape in
literature, considered in relation to one another and to larger historical issues. As an ethically
engaged feminist critic, scholar, and educator, I will bring all the resources of my own education to
bear on the teaching of this sensitive subject. We will devote time in class to creating a language for
talking academically, ethically, and responsibly about rape and sexual violence, both in history and in
literature. Some of these discussions will prove challenging. I would love to have the most engaged,
diverse, and thoughtful class possible, and I encourage you to take the class even if you have some
trepidation about talking about these topics. I would much rather have a class with a diversity of
opinion than not. (And of course, I will make myself available to speak to you privately about your
concerns and to do what I can to ensure that you feel comfortable in the class.) That said, you must
protect your self first, and if discussing rape and sexual violence in an academic setting or reading
about rape and sexual violence will prove traumatic to you, I encourage you to change sections (or
come to the first day and see how you feel before committing to the semester).
However you self-identify (cis or trans, queer, straight, survivor, victim, ally, democrat, republican,
libertarian, etc), please know that I will do all in my power to make this class a safe space for you. I’d
like to especially note that cis-gender men who identify as heterosexual should feel comfortable
taking the class, and can count on my protecting their ability to express themselves. Obviously hate
speech will not be tolerated under any circumstances. We will discuss the difference between
acceptable and unacceptable academic speech and will come up with norms that suit us a group.
This class is ideal for those who want to expand their thinking (I include myself in that group).
Our final project will be a collaborative one: an online collection of essays organized around major
debates occasioned by the texts we read. This class requires that you are willing to engage with
technology and read deeply.
Learning Objectives:
o Actively read and annotate the texts in a way that supports your analysis and your future use
of the text in your academic career.
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Utilize necessary historical and contextual sources (reference texts, primary sources,
historical background).
Analyze trends within different historical scopes (for example, ‘long’ history of literature of
sexual violence, 18th century England, 20th century America).
Apply different theoretical lenses to the texts in order to produce diverse readings.
Apply concepts/positions from the texts to contemporary discourses on sexual violence
Identify, analyze, evaluate, and mindfully participate in discourse communities.
Use technology to present your ideas and discuss them with others.
Primary Texts:
Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (available on course blog)
Fanny Burney, Fantomina (available on course blog)
Samuel Richardson, selections from Pamela (available on course blog)
Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (you should purchase both
—any edition is fine)
William Butler Yeats, “Leda and the Swan” (available on course blog)
Philip Larkin, “Deceptions” (available on course blog)
Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (you should purchase—any edition is fine)
Ken Kalfus, Coup de Foudre (available on course blog)
All secondary texts will be available on the blog or through the CUNY library system online.
Expectations
(adapted from Jason Tougaw):

Participation (30%): I require that my students participate both verbally in class and in an
online class discussion (see ‘Blog Entries’ below). I am happy to coach you through this
experience if it is hard for you, and I grade participation holistically (based on your whole
performance in the class, rather than day by day). I require that you show me evidence that
you have read through your participation each day, and I encourage you to speak freely
about your questions, surmises, or wild ideas that might not work but are exciting. You
should feel free to experiment and question in this classroom.

Blog Entries (30%): Each week, three students will be assigned to post blog entries related to
the week’s reading. These entries should introduce an interesting angle others won’t likely
have thought about. Feel free to be creative. Possible genres for blog posts include:
o An explanation of the argument of a scholarly article about a text or author we are
reading
o A discussion of the innovations of an adaptation of a novel we’re reading.
o An imitation, homage, or parody of a writer or text we’re reading.
o An adaptation of a scene from a novel (in video, prose, poetry, graphic narrative, or
any genre of your choice)
o An overview of a public or online response to the author or text.
o A comparison between two texts.
o A discussion of the ways a contemporary social, scientific, or cultural text that we
have read illuminates a literary text.
These are suggestions, not requirements. Feel free to devise your own modes or genres. Blog
entries will require some research, but they need not be particularly formal. The blog is your
place to experiment and explore. I will evaluate your entries primarily on your critical
engagement (assigning a score between 1 and 10 for each). Entries should be about 3-5 short
paragraphs in length and should integrate relevant links, visual materials, or video. These
should be posted by the Friday before class at 12 noon.

Blog Comments (10%): Each week, students who have not posted blog entries should post a
response to at least one of that week’s posts–for a total of ten responses over the course of
the semester. Responses need not be lengthy or formal, but they should offer substance:
questions about the material posted, links to related material, observations about or counterarguments to points the author has made. I will evaluate comments based on engagement
(assigning each a score between 1 and 10). These should be posted by Sunday before class at
12 noon.

Final Project (30%): This semester, we will create an online collection written debates
occasioned by our class discussions. Each student will be responsible for one essay (20%)
and for some organizational aspect of the project to be determined (10%).
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
(adapted from Amrohini Sahay)
Whenever you draw upon another text in your papers, you need to acknowledge the source.
The absence of such acknowledgement is regarded as plagiarism. As Diana Hacker explains in
A Writer’s Reference,
To be fair and ethical, you must acknowledge your debt to the writers or those sources. If
you don’t you are guilty of plagiarism, a serious academic offense.
Three different acts are considered plagiarism: (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed
ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put
summaries and paraphrases in your own words. (331)
It is the student’s responsibility to learn the proper forms of citation, but we will discuss them in
class. Students sometimes plagiarize when they are confused about what attribution means. If you
feel any confusion about these issues, do not hesitate to speak with me. I’m happy to try to make this
complicated issue more clear to you.
Grade Breakdown:
Participation – 30%
Blog Entries – 30%
Blog Comments – 10%
Final Project – 30%
Behavioral Policy: Intellectual and emotional safety and respect for diversity of thought, person, and
action must prevail in this classroom at all times. Learning cannot happen unless people feel safe to
succeed and also to fail. We all need to feel that we are part of a community of learners who will not
judge us if we sometimes fail. If you cannot participate within those bounds, you will not be allowed
to attend class.
You are asked to share with the class your preferred name and pronoun, and you are required to learn
the preferred names/pronouns of others in the class. When you respond to someone, you are
challenged to speak academically. That means be specific about your claims and the claims of others
(ie: “When Catherine claimed that technology is evil, I thought she might be generalizing,” rather than,
“I disagree with what she said”). You are asked to be generous with your fellow students and with me.
Use your technology responsibly in the classroom.
Accommodations: In keeping with the college’s policy of equal access for students with disabilities,
any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations should go to the Office of Special
Services, Kiely Hall Ill. The office will supply you, if appropriate, with a Letter outlining your
accommodation needs. You can reach the office by calling (718) 997-5870. All information regarding
special accommodations for disabilities will be kept confidential.
Writing Center: Located in Kiely Hall room 229, the Writing Center is a place where you can seek
help with your papers or with your writing in general. In my experience, students who use the
Writing Center are much more successful than students who do not. You can set up an appointment
by calling (718) 997- 5676. Their website, with more information about their services, can be found
at:
http://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/SupportPrograms/SupportCenter/Pages/WritingCenter.aspx
Office Hours: My office hours exist for you and I would be delighted to speak to you during them!
As an adjunct professor who is also a student, I sometimes do not have as much time to respond to
student emails or read student writing as I would like during the week. My office hours, however, are
two hours that I set aside weekly to focus on ONLY such issues. Please come see me! If you have a
class during my office hours, email me for another appointment time.
Statement of Contractual Obligation
This syllabus is your contract with me and by choosing to remain in this course, you agree to abide by
the above policies and procedures. If you feel you are unable to fulfill any of the terms of this syllabus,
please contact me immediately so we can make arrangements if possible.
Reading Schedule
(Subject to change! Please make sure you regularly check in on the class blog for updates.)
Unit One: The Early (and Political) History of Rape in Literature
August 31: Introduction
Sept 7: no classes, Labor Day
Sept 10: classes follow a Monday schedule, our class meets.
Nafize Bashar, “Rape in England between 1550 and 1700” *available on course website*
Carine M. Mardorossian, Framing the Rape Victim: Gender and Agency Reconsidered (Introduction,
Chapter 1, and Chapter 2) *full text available on Jstor via Queens College Library databases*
Sept 14: no classes
Sept 21: Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock * available on course website*
Toni Bowers, Force or Fraud (Introduction) * available on course website*
Sept 28 Fanny Burney, Fantomina * available on course website*
Patricia Meyer Spacks, Privacy (Chapter 1: Privacies, and Chapter 6: Exposures) *available as
an electronic resource via Queens College library*
Oct 5: Samuel Richardson, selections from Pamela and other readings* available on course website*
Jenny Davidson, Hypocrisy and the Politics of Politeness (Pamela chapter) *available as an
electronic resource via Queens College Library*
Unit Two: Sexual Violence and Female Subjectivity in Realist Representation
Oct 12: No Class
Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd
Oct 19: Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy, “The Ruined Maid” * available on course website*
Oct 26: Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles
(Supplementary readings TBD)
Nov 2: Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Ubervilles
Davis, William. “The Rape of Tess: Hardy, English Law, and the Case for Sexual Assault.”
Nineteenth Century Literature. (sept 1997) 52.2 pp 221-231. *available via Jstor with your
Queens College library account*
[Mini-Unit: Myth vs. Reality]
Nov 9: William Butler Yeats, “Leda and the Swan” and source materials; Philip Larkin “Deceptions”
and excerpts from Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor, and “The Maiden
Tribute of Modern Babylon”. *available on course website*
Unit Three: Rape, Violence, Consumer Culture, and Global Capitalism
Nov 16: Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (supplementary readings TBD)
Nov 23: Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (supplementary readings TBD)
Nov 30: Ken Kalfus, Coup de Foudre * available on course website*
(supplementary readings TBD)
Dec 7: Ken Kalfus, Coup de Foudre * available on course website*
(supplementary readings TBD)
Dec 14: Final (informal) Presentations