Courses:

In this class you will read, think about, and (I hope) enjoy important examples of what has become one of the most popular literary genres today (if not the most popular): the novel. Some of the questions we will consider are: Why did so many novels appear in the eighteenth century? Why were they–and are they–called novels? Who wrote them? Who read them? Who narrates them? What are they likely to be about? Do they have distinctive characteristics? What is their relationship to the time and place in which they appeared? And, most of all, why do we like to read them so much?

This should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: you must read the novels from beginning to end. By definition, novels are "extended fictional prose narratives" (emphasis added). If you sign up for a class on novels, know what you're getting into. Novels are long. Reading them takes time. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Attendance is required at all classes. No more than three unexcused absences are allowed. More than that, your grade suffers. Latenesses are a problem; sleeping in class is a major problem. Come to class awake, alert, with book in hand (obviously having read it) and question in your mind. Be ready to talk, to listen to other students, and to respond to them.

If at any time during the semester, I feel conversation is lagging because you have not been keeping up with reading, I will give impromptu quizzes on the novels. I don't want to grade them anymore than you want to take them, but how else am I to insure that you keep up with the reading–especially on novels that you're not writing on?

There will be two 7-10 page essays on suggested topics. I will distribute topics, but you should feel absolutely free to write on what you want to. Be sure, though, to check out your topics with me ahead of time–in person or via email.

You do not have to refer to secondary sources; if you do, however, you must cite them appropriately. Failure to do so–whether intentional or not–constitutes plagiarism. MIT now requires me to include the following statement; read it and take it to heart.

Plagiarism–use of another's intellectual work without acknowledgement–is a serious offense. It is the policy of the Literature Faculty that students who plagiarize will receive an F in the subject, and that the instructor will forward the case to the Committee on Discipline. Full acknowledgement for all information obtained from sources outside the classroom must be clearly stated in all written work submitted. All ideas, arguments, and direct phrasings taken from someone else's work must be identified and properly footnoted. Quotations from other sources must be clearly marked as distinct from the student's own work. For further guidance on the proper forms of attribution consult the style guides available at the MIT Online Writing and Communication Center and MIT Academic Integrity.

For any use or distribution of these materials, please cite as follows:

Ina Lipkowitz, course materials for 21L.471 Major English Novels, Spring 2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu/), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [DD Month YYYY].