British Women Writers --Digitized

Course Description

In this class, we learn how to read novels according to traditional literary standards, but we have to read differently insofar as we are dealing with women writers. What difference does that make? What difficulties, if any, do women writers have in adopting to their own needs to those pre-existing generic forms such as the fairy tale, the novel, and the essay?

One major question we will ask all semester long is this: what is art? Do gender and/or feminist beliefs affect its meaning or value? We can define gender (masculine / feminine) as distinct from biology (male / female) and from sexual preference (gay, lesbian, straight, bi). Not all the women writers we read are feminists. One can define “feminism” as the belief that society suffers from the sexual oppression of women and that our society would be better for all human beings if this sexism were eradicated. Much feminist historicism has devoted itself to the problem of women’s professionalization as a writer defined, since Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own,” by publication in print form. Does the desire to be a professional writer, published in print, influence the content or style of the novels and poems we read? Does the desire to be a canonical author or great artist differ from the desire to be popular, and if so how?

Surely gender issues change somehow when women’s writing—both past and present—moves to the screen, But if so, how? How is gender configured in virtual reality, and what might be the consequences?

Students will learn relationships between gender and genre by reading ten novels in traditional print format, and will learn to see the genres of the printed book as a kind of software for generating identities and selves. We will be reading Wendy Chun as well as others in software studies, plus British theorists of cyberfeminism, in order to ask, does code itself structure gender? What kinds of ideologies might software and web presentation formats—even browsers—covertly impose upon digital or digitized writing by women?

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Work Required

This is a reading class. I do not presume that students are already good readers -- it takes practice and direction to learn to read well. You have to know what kind of animal you are reading, which I'll explain beforehand, and you have to know what kinds of notes to take. The notes you will be taking for this class are the quizzes and short writing assignments (one to two paragraphs) that will, along with the final exam, constitute your grade. You will put your assignments up on a blog designed for the course. At the end of the semester, you will turn in the folder distributed at the beginning, containing your comments on various assignments as well as a print-out of your entire blog.

Grades

 

 

 

Attendance

Attendance is critical to your success in this course. Failure to come to class, and to come prepared, will undermine your success in the class. Except in the case of sustained medical problems recognized as such by the university, more than three absences, even if some of them are excused, will lower your grade; after five absences, you will be asked to drop the class.

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Create Your Blog

You are welcome to use any Blog you would like to use, as long as you can give me the URL and as long as it has the capacity to accept comments from your classmates. But if you don't have a preference, it is VERY EASY to start your Blog:

1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/start
2. Follow the instructions for making your Blog.
3. Send me the blog address: http://__________.blogspot.com

All the URLs for Blogs will be posted at our Class Blog List Site: http://www.units.muohio.edu/englishtech/ENG233ASpring2009/blog.html

As is usual with all new technologies, it is best to save your work just in case there is some kind of failure. After you work in your Blog or in the Blog of a classmate, highlight what you have written with your cursor, and then click on "Edit, Copy" at the top of your browser. Open Word and click on "Edit, Paste." Save your document as the class date (MMDDYY) in a folder called "BritWomWrit"

Books

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (World Classics)
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights (World Classics)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
Angela Carter, Bloody Chamber
George Eliot, The Lifted Veil and The Mill on the Floss (World Classics)
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (Longman Cultural Edition)
Zadie Smith, On Beauty
Jeannette Winterson, Art and Lies
Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Woman / Wrongs of Woman (Longman Cultural Edition)
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Some of the readings will be handed out (HO).

Some of the readings are available in a class packet available at Oxford Copy Shop.

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Class Schedule of Readings and Assignments

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Class Assumptions -- in the form of an FAQ
(courtesy of Dr. Judith de Luce):

How much time should I spend on this course? The general rule of thumb for an undergraduate course is that you need to spend two hours outside of class for every hour in class. So, ordinarily you need to spend at least six hours a week in preparation for this class. Since this class meets twice a week, you need to plan your work very carefully. Waiting until Monday night to do the reading for our class isn't a very good idea.

What will the class be like? This will be a discussion class. That doesn't mean that people will simply say things off the top of their heads. It means that the work we do together will happen through the tool of disucssion. The professors are there to facillitate this work and will NOT under any circumstances do it for you. If people come unprepared, we will all sit in excruciating silence -- how this course goes is UP TO YOU. Please remember to be respectful of each other (and yourself!) in everything you say during class.

How can/should I prepare for class? Here is the single most important thing you can do to succeed in this course: make sure you have done the assigned reading before coming to class. Reading through assignments before you begin to read will help to focus your reading for a particular class; the assignments provide a basis for in-class writing and discussion. Studying with a friend is fun and helpful. And of course ask questions!

How can I become a more astute reader and critic? Try this link to "The Rational Critic."

My written English usage is not always effective; Joseph Williams's Style is an excellent guide to grammar and style. Is there any help on the Web? Take a look at Strunk's Elements of Style. It's old, but still helpful. In the most extreme cases, consider a tutor. Show us a rough draft. Have a friend read out loud what you have written; our writing never sounds so good or so unpersuasive as when someone else reads it out loud.

What should I never ask a professor? Never ask any professor if s/he is going to do "anything important" in a class you are planning to miss. Of course, it's important. Read The Opportunity Cost of Missing Class (Tim Tweten).

How important are due dates? Because of the number of assignments and quizzes, I cannot accept late ones -- everyone will miss one or two assignments, I presume, and I will curve the grades.

SupposeI have a suggestion about the course, a topic I wish we could discuss, some great link I found on the Web? Speak up: all suggestions are most welcome.

In order to meet the course objectives, we need to agree on some underlying Principles.

We will assume that dogmatic assertions of the "Truth" need to be examined carefully.

We will use language which is precise and accurate. To say that sexism "sucks" is not only vulgar but does not say anything at all. Say what you mean; if you conclude that a particular instance of sexism is detrimental to social progress, state specifically what it is and how it hurts us.

We will try to avoid any behaviors which demean or disparage individuals on the basis of their membership in particular groups (e.g., sexual orientation, gender, political ideology, physical or mental capacity, age, race, class, religion, etc.) We should all be able to expect a classroom community which is safe and comfortable. I would appreciate knowing if at any time you feel that something has been said or done which has interfered with your learning and participation in this class.

Finally: If you have a condition of any kind that will affect your ability to do the work assigned in this course, please see us within the first week of class. This self-disclosure will enable us to make adjustments that will allow all students to participate fully and equitably.

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