ENLT 336: European Romanticism (Spring 2013)

Prof. Wendy C. Nielsen


Spring 2013: Tuesdays in UN 3004 & Thursdays in UN 2002 11:30-12:45
http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/336s13.html

Prof. Wendy Nielsen
Office Hours: drop in Tuesdays 3:30-5:30, Thursdays 10:30-11:30, & by appt. in Dickson Hall 352.
Email: nielsenw@mail . . . 

Texts available at University Bookstore (please use translations selected here):

Additional texts available online and on Blackboard:

Course Description: What were French and German authors writing about before and after Shelley composed Frankenstein? The European Romantic Movement aims to foster understanding of the term “Romantic,” especially as it relates to the fiction, prose, poetry, and drama in Britain, France, Germany, and abroad ca. 1780 to 1830. We will read harbingers of the European Romanticism (Rousseau’s Confessions, and Goethe’s Sufferings of Young Werther); key texts of the period (Goethe’s Faust, Shelley's Frankenstein, and Hoffmann's Sandman); poetry by Droste-Hülshoff, Novalis and Heine; and overlooked writers and artists who influenced major issues of the day like the French Revolution, colonialism, and women’s rights. The class will discuss themes common to Romantic-era writing, such as nature, utopia, freedom, the grotesque, and the uncanny across several fictional genres (poetry, drama, prose, memoir, and novellas). Students will leave the course with an appreciation for the ways in which literary movements transcend national and generic borders. Satisfies pre-1900 (1b)/2011 pre-1900 (1c or 1d), Other Literature (1c), Genre Study (Fiction) and TE 3c, multinational (4a)/2011 International Issues (3a), Gender Studies (4d)/2011 Women and Gender Studies (3c)

Requirements: Click here to get an explanation of my shorthand on Style issues, and my criteria for grading: http://msuweb.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/correction.html

#1: The Spirit of a Democratic Classroom: Respect, Collegiality, and Integrity

#2: Participation (10%): Incl. regular attendance, contribution to class discussion, discussion questions, peer review, in-class and online writing assignments that occur in a timely manner.

#3: Comparative Paper (Topic/description TBA) on 2 texts from Unit I--30%

#4: Portfolio of Close Analyses (CA): (critical intro., 3-4 originals + at least 1 revision that highlights your editing skills, and all original analyses with my comments on them)--30%: Please access the assignment on this page--http://msuweb.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/336-ca.html

#5: Take-home Final Exam or Creative Project (TBA)--30%

Policies: Tentative schedule subject to change; see http://chss.montclair.edu/~nielsenw/336s13.html for updates
Date
Class Activities Homework Due
T 1/22
Course + student intro.; Timeline; What is Romanticism? Romantic Art; Close Reading Ex.: Blake Acquire your books, please! Thursday's reading assignment is in the cell below
Unit I: Children of Nature and Sentiment
R 1/24
 Review; French Revolution;  Women & Revolution; Keyword Analysis: Romantic
Read T. Jefferson, Declaration of Independence (1776); Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789); Gouges, Rights of Woman and Citizen (1791; online); videos: Coppola's Marie Antoinette, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Marie Antoinette: the Last Queen of France (optional); Time Line of the French Revolution by Marxists.org
T 1/29
Rousseau's Discourse; Your Ques.; Close Analysis
Read Rousseau, Discourse, 1-44 (Pt. I); DQ #1 (Discourse): Post 1 or more discussion questions (DQ) about Rousseau on Blackboard > Discussion Forum > Rousseau, Discourse (click Add Thread). These questions might include ones you would pose as an instructor of the class, things you are confused about in the reading, or a mix between the two. The purpose of discussion questions is to open a dialogue between you and me; to make this a student-centered classroom; and to help students become better writers by becoming critical thinkers, or people who question what they read. Discussion questions are not evaluated,  are not mandatory, but are taken into consideration for your Participation Grade.  Please feel free to respond to other students' queries if you feel inspired to answer; I will take such responses as extra credit for your Participation Grade (and enjoy reading them, of course).
R 1/31
Review; Ques.? The Causes of Suffering in Rousseau's Discourse Read Rousseau, Discourse, 45-end (Pt. II, perusing ftn. recommended)
T 2/5
Review;  Romantic Art; Goethe, Werther Close Analysis Examples Read Goethe pages 1-61; DQ #2 (Werther): Post 1 or more discussion questions about the reading on Blackboard
R 2/7
Free Write; Werther; Irony Read Goethe 61-96 + pick a suppl. reading from back; Close Analysis (CA) #1: Write a Close Analysis about a passage in Werther and bring a hard copy to class, and copy and paste to Blackboard
T 2/12
Romantic Irony and Nature in Chénier, Lamartine, Droste-Hülshoff, and Goethe Read Chénier, "When the somber slaughterhouse . . ," and Lamartine "The Village Bell" (70-81 in French Poetry); from German Poems: Droste-Hülshoff: "In the Moss" (131-33) + alt. trans. of "Im Moose"; Goethe: "Little Rose on the Heath" (4) + alt. trans. of "Heidenröslein;  
R 2/14
Irony; Fr. Rom.; Myth, Nature, and Religion in Goethe, Hölderlin, Novalis, and Nerval; Close Analysis; Citing Intro.s; Comparative Paper
Read Nerval, "Delfica" (95-7 in Applebaum, French Poetry); from Applebaum, German Poetry: Goethe: "Elf King" (17-9) + alt. trans. of "Erlkönig"; Hölderlin: "Hyperion's Song of Destiny," "When I was a boy," "Halfway through Life" (55-9) + alt. trans. of Hölderlin; Novalis: "Must the morning . . . " (61-3), "I am journeying over" (63); DQ #3 (Poetry): Post 1 or more discussion questions about today's reading on Discussion Forum
T 2/19
Trivia; Dead/Deadly Women in Hugo, Musset, Heine, and Goethe Read Hugo 89-93 and Musset, "On a Dead Woman" (99-103 in Applebaum, French Poetry); from German Poems: Goethe, "The Fisherman" (12-5); Heine: "I don't know . . . " (141-43), "Morphine" (146); alt. trans. H. Heine, "Ich weiß nicht . . . " (141-43) and "Morphine;" Close Analysis (CA) #2: Write a Close Analysis about a passage in any one of the poems have read, and bring a hard copy to class, and copy and paste to Blackboard
R 2/21  Longing & Literary Elements in Poems about Hermits & Wanderers
Schiller: "The Girl from a Strange Land" (39) & "Longing" (43-5); J. v. Eichendorff, "The Happy Wanderer" (109), "Longing" (111), & "The Hermit" (113); A. v. Droste-Hülshoff, "The Boy on the Moor" (127-29)
T 2/26
Party Game for "The Chilean Earthquake"; How to Cite Poetry; Essay Criteria
Read Kleist (scroll down to pg. 18 in pdf, 312 in text for short story); Paper Proposal: Post 5-25 sent. drafting your essay topic on Assignments/Bb
R 2/28 Peer Review in UN 1142
Post your draft (at least 2 pages) to Blackboard & put 4wd in subj. line if you want instructor's feedback.
T 3/5
Comparative Essay due
Final Papers due in hard copy format (stapled, pg. #s, no cover pages or folders please) and on Safe Assign
Unit II: Students of Science and Magic
R 3/7 Faust I Read Goethe 9-49 (245/"Prologue in Heaven" through 1850/Study, up to where M. speaks w/the Student)
Spring Break
T 3/19
Faust I Read Goethe 49-101 (1850/Study - 3585/thr. "At the Well")
R 3/21
Review; Faust I
Read Goethe 102-19 & 126-35 (3590-4220 & Dreary Day - 4610/end Pt. I but skip Walp. Night Dream)
T 3/26 Gretchen; Student Ques.; Faust II, Act I; Performance 135 (4615/first few lines of Faust II, "Charming Landscape"), 142-46 (4895-5000/Imp. Res.), 170-79 (5970/end of Spac. Hall + Pleasance - 6305/Dark Gallery), and 182-86 (6380-6565/Hall); DQ #4 (Faust): Post 1 or more discussion questions about the reading on Blackboard
R 3/28 Final Exam; Review; Faust II, some of Act II Read Goethe 194-213 + 219-227 (6570-7490 + 7695-8030/Upper Peneios)
T 4/2 Striving to Know Universes; Faust II, Act II, sc. 1 of Act III;  Read Goethe 228-258 (8035/Rocky - 9125/Palace); Hamlin, "Faust in Performance" (Bb) (bring a copy to class if possible)
R 4/4 Faust II, Act III; Faust Game Read Goethe 259-71 (9130/Courtyard - 9575) + 275-85 (9695-10035/end of Act III)
T 4/9
Faust II, Act V Read Goethe 313-344 (11045-12110/all of Act V); CA #3: Write a Close Analysis about a passage in Faust and bring a hard copy to class, and copy and paste to Blackboard
R 4/11
Romantic? Frankenstein Read Shelley, 1-60/vol. I
T 4/16 
Faustian? Student Ques.; Frankenstein: the Sublime, De Laceys, Werther
Read Shelley, 61-105/vol. II;  and P. B. Shelley, "Mont Blanc" (295-99); DQ #5 (Frankenstein): Post 1 or more discussion questions about the reading on Blackboard
R 4/18 Questions; Frankenstein Read Shelley, 107-61/vol. III; CA #4: Write a Close Analysis about a passage in Frankenstein and bring a hard copy to class, and copy and paste to Blackboard
T 4/23 
Humanity? Hoffmann
Read E.T.A. Hoffmann, The Sandman (Bb)
R 4/25
Hoffmann & Freud
Read S. Freud, "The Uncanny" (Bb), but maintain access to Hoffmann
T 4/30 Disc. of Portfolio work; Disc. of Final Exam or Project Portfolio of Close Analyses due
R 5/2
Conf. about Final Exam/Proj.
Post your plans for the Final Exam or Project on Blackboard
T 5/14
1-3pm
Discussion of exams and projects 2-3pm; Portfolios returned Post your exam or creative project on Blackboard by 1pm, and come to class discussion by 2pm