English 3309-001 Fall 2009

English 3309-001: Modern and Contemporary British Literature

Fall 2009: Science in Modern Society

This course will look at the way literary narratives in 20^th century Britain have portrayed the interplay between science and society. In this period, the sciences of evolution, energy, entropy, and chaos theory accompany a host of social schemes and concerns, powerfully refracted in the storyworlds under narration: eugenics, degeneration, political order vs. cultural chaos, the possibility (or not) of individual and social renovation, of global utopia or planetary catastrophe. In the process, we will think about observation as an activity that connects the scientific study of nature and the literary study of narratives. Students will give several formal class reports and write a midterm and final paper.

Expectations, outcomes, assessments

2-paragraph write-up

Oral commentaries

Library resources

the exterior of the Bernal Sphere space colony depicted above

REQUIRED TEXTS

Note: only these specific editions are acceptable.

If they are unavailable on the shelves of local bookstores,

then order them directly from an online bookstore.

H. G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau, ed. Harris (Broadview)

H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, ed. Danahay (Broadview)

Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (Harper Perennial)

Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End (Del Rey)

J. G. Ballard, Best Short Stories (Picador)

Naomi Mitchison, Solution Three (Feminist Press at CUNY)

Doris Lessing, Shikasta (Vintage)

Tom Stoppard, Arcadia (Faber & Faber)

Ronald Wright, A Scientific Romance (Picador)

SYLLABUS

Day	Readings: page numbers refer to the required editions cited above	Assignments
AUG 31	Introduction Analyzing Narrative
SEP 2	Island of Dr. Moreau Introduction, pp.13-58	Locate a section of this reading that particularly interests you and prepare a comment on it to contribute to class discussion.
9	Island of Dr. Moreau the novel, pp.69-175 Appendices D-E, pp.195-234	2-paragraph write-up
14	The War of the Worlds Introduction, pp.9-29 Book I, pp.41-134	Oral commentators: Autumn, Brady
16	The War of the Worlds Book II, pp.135-91 Appendices A-C, E-G, pp.193-222, 233-47	2-paragraph write-up
21	Brave New World pp.1-115	Oral commentators: Ty, Ashley
23	Brave New World Chapters 8-18: pp.116-231	Oral commentators: Seba, Constance, Denice
28	Brave New World Revisited pp.233-34	2-paragraph write-up
30	Childhood’s End Foreword, Chapters 1-9: pp.vii-117	Oral commentators: Micah, Mundo
OCT 5	Childhood’s End Chapters 10-24, Appendix: pp.117-240 B. Clarke, from Posthuman Metamorphosis	Oral commentators: Perisseia, Rachel, Matt
7	Ballard, Best Short Stories Introduction, pp.1-99	Oral commentators: Sam, Bryce, Samuel
14	Ballard, Best Short Stories pp.149-70, 189-211, 233-80	Oral commentators: Stacy, Stephanie, Chasen
19	Midterm essay due grading criteria essay tips and guidelines	Write a 6 pp. (@ 1800 word) essay comparing and contrasting two of the literary works we have studied so far. Locate on your own and bring several useful sources of information into your discussion in a significant way. Effectively handled internal and/or external research will boost grades accordingly. Provide formal documentation and proper essay and quotation mechanics in MLA style and/or MLA style for Web sources. Botched documentation and/or mechanics will lower grades accordingly. If you need help, ask.
21	Midterm exam	Instructions
26	Solution Three Foreword, pp.7-90	Oral commentators: Denice, Autumn, Jacqueline
28	Solution Three pp.91-160, “Afterword”	Oral commentators: Brady, Anthony
NOV 2	Shikasta Some Remarks, pp.1-83	Oral commentators: Matt, Ty
4	Shikasta pp.83-170	Oral commentators: Rachel, Bryce
9	Shikasta pp.170-264	Oral commentators: Seba, Mundo, Stephanie
11	Shikasta pp.264-365	Oral commentators: Micah, Chris
16	from Chaos: Making a New Science: “Images of Chaos” “The Dynamical Systems Collective”	2-paragraph write-up
18	Arcadia: the play, pp.1-97	Oral commentators: Sam, Chasen
23	Research day
	Thanksgiving break
30	A Scientific Romance Part I Term paper prospectus due (3 points): Turn in 2 pages on your term paper. Giving about a paragraph to each, succinctly lay out 1) your topic, 2) the interpretive issue at stake or the frame through which you will treat your topic, and 3) your current formulation of the thesis for which your essay will argue.	Oral commentators: Samuel, Perisseia, Jacqueline
2	A Scientific Romance Part II	Oral commentators: Stacy, Constance
7	A Scientific Romance Part III-V	Oral commentators: Chris, Anthony, Ashley
9	Term paper due grading criteria	Write a 12 pp. (@ 3600 word) research essay comparing and contrasting two of the literary works since the midterm. Your paper needs to contain and connect the following components: • A sharp focus on a topic relating the selected fictions to a significant issue regarding science in society. • A clear and specific critical thesis (an interpretive judgment) about your topic. • The inclusion of three or more sources, completely and properly documented, beyond the assigned primary and secondary readings. Outside sources: • One and only one outside source can be taken from a Web site. • On-line scholarly articles count as Web sites. • At least two outside sources must come from traditional publications of appropriate sorts: journal articles and scholarly books from the library stacks. Provide formal documentation and proper essay and quotation mechanics in MLA style and/or MLA style for Web sources.
14	Final Exam	4:30-7:00 p.m.

Day

Oral commentators:

Denice, Autumn, Jacqueline