Lectures – Fridays – 9.30-11.20 (CPD-LG.63)

Date	Topics and texts	Assignments
20/1	Introduction – Progress and decadence
3/2	Carmilla
10/2	Carmilla
17/2	Carmilla
24/2	Science and morality	Weekly group presentations begin (11.30-1.20)
3/3	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
10/3	Reading Week
17/3	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
24/3	The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
31/3	Navigating uncertainty
14/4	The Time Machine
21/4	The Time Machine
28/4	The Time Machine
		Essay submitted through Turnitin by 7 May

[Short texts will also be studied on an ad hoc basis during classes]

 

Active attendance, contribution to class discussion and activities.

 

A PowerPoint presentation, to be delivered in the hour after the weekly lecture (Fridays 9.30-12.20). Please send your PPT file to the instructor before the tutorial.

Each member of the group (4-6 people) must present one section of the presentation.

Your topic should be focused around a short text of the period. The text can be on any topic (e.g. literature, science, politics, society etc.). You may choose to concentrate on a close reading, or you may wish to expand your presentation to take in the literary, cultural and social contexts of the time. It is recommended that you discuss your topic with the course instructor.

[N.B. 20% will be allocated to the group as whole and 20% will be allocated according to each individual contribution]

 

Essay (1800-2000 words) on a self-selected topic from the course [N.B. Prior consultation with course tutor is recommended]

Guidelines

Your essay must include:

Title

Your full name + the name you use in class (if it is different from your formal name)

Word count

Bibliography [N.B. Print sources need a publisher, place and year of publication. Online sources must include a website link and date of access. You may use any citation format, but please be consistent in your use]

Double-space your essay throughout. Any direct quotations should be indented and footnoted

Please submit your essay through Turnitin, no later than one week after the last class (2 December)

Topic

It is advisable to keep the focus of your topic quite narrow. You only have a maximum of 2000 words. If your focus is too wide, you will not be able to analyze it in sufficient depth.

Writing style

Avoid colloquial language (e.g. ‘Marlowe was a pretty cool guy’) and contractions (e.g. ‘don’t’, ‘isn’t’ etc.). The tone of your essay should be objective at all times. You are not writing an opinion piece, but you may still give your considered opinion, especially when supported by evidence. Generally, a sense of objectivity and balance will give your writing more authority. Evidence can be from printed primary sources (original play texts, legal documents, letters, diaries, images etc.) from the period. Quoting secondary sources by respected scholars on the subject is also a form of evidence. However, their opinions can be contested and/or updated if new evidence comes to light. Phrases like ‘according to…’, ‘in the opinion of…’ will establish that your evidence is based on other people’s research. It is also advisable to use phrases like ‘this suggests that…’, ‘the implication appears to be…’ etc. In this way, you establish a sense of neutrality and make clear that there may be alternative viewpoints. You may choose your method of citation, but be consistent and clear.

Structure

Begin with an introduction and background to your topic to prepare the reader for your argument, which should be evenly balanced. Where possible, include opposing points of view and, where necessary, provide conflicting evidence. The argument analysis is the main part of your essay and should demonstrate your command of the topic. Finally, bring together all the strands of your analysis, before coming to a tentative conclusion.

Rubrics

Essays will be assessed according to the following criteria: organization of materials, clarity of evidence, balance of argument, depth of analysis, objectivity of writing style, nuanced use of language, correct formatting and citation.