ENL 6256 THEORIZING DECADENCE: IMAGES OF LATE-VICTORIAN MYTHOLOGIES

This course will try specifically to organize your efforts around developing tangible professional skills, particularly the production of a publishable professional article.

To facilitate these ends, within the first two or three weeks of the course each of you (with assistance from me, if you’d like) will choose a clearly defined and manageable project with the specific idea of turning the results into a submittable journal article on a particular work or aspect of a figure’s work.

During the term you will be responsible for, and my evaluation of your performance will be based on, the following specific work:

     (1)  assembling and working through an appropriate bibliography relevant to your chosen project;

     (2)  submitting and discussing with me a skeletal rough draft of the resulting term paper;

     (3)  producing the final 10- to 20-page term paper;

     (4)  submitting each week, separate from the term project, three “hypotheses” or summarizing insights, regarding all or part of the week’s assigned reading.  Each written hypothesis should be no more than one-half page in length (single-spaced).  Alternatively, you can submit “unorganized” intermittent reader-response notes to the readings (no more than five single-spaced pages in length).

     (5)  preparing for and participating in discussions of the scheduled course material.

Categories 1–3 above will together count toward approximately 50% of your grade (with the final term paper comprising by far the most important element).  Categories 4–5 will together count toward the remaining approximately 50% of your grade.

SEEK HELP AND ADVICE

I am not referring in this heading to the widespread belief that graduate school invariably drives students into psychotherapy.  I have, however, often observed an unspoken assumption that anyone who has made it into a nationally-ranked graduate program should be wise enough to already know “the ropes,” and if he/she doesn’t, then calling attention to one’s naïveté only alerts the faculty to the fact that they have made a grave error in admitting you.  Of such self-deception much paranoia springs.  Don’t fall prey to it.  If you are confused or uncertain about virtually anything to do with either this course or your graduate studies in general, I HOPE YOU WILL FEEL FREE TO SPEAK WITH ME AT ANY TIME— PARTICULARLY (AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE) IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY PROBLEM.  Part of my job is to not only teach you something about the Victorian period specifically, but also try to help you survive the process generally.

My office is in 4336 Turlington Hall.  My scheduled office hours this term (except when the inevitable unexpected diversions intervene) will be during 8th period (3:00–3:50 PM) on Tuesdays and 9th & 10th periods (4:00–5:45 PM) on most Thursdays.   If you cannot see me during my office hours, please telephone or e-mail me for an appointment at another time.