E 349S (Honors) / LAH 350: Tolkien & Morris (writing flag) The University of Texas at Austin -- Spring 2017
Course meets: MWF 11-12, Parlin 310 Professor: Daniel Birkholz Unique #: 35430 / 30000 Writing Center: 211 Flawn; 471-6222
Course Description: An in-depth study of two key figures in the early history of English medieval-fantasy writing, with opportunities for individualized, cross-disciplinary research. Tolkien is widely regarded as the single most influential writer in this genre, full stop; and he himself acknowledged his debts to his Victorian “Arts & Crafts” precursor Morris, a gifted polymath and major figure in a variety of cultural forms (from poetry, fiction, translation, and medievalist scholarship, to architecture, furniture design, printing, handicrafts, and politics). We’ll read multiple works by both writers and do our best to understand them in the context of their own times as well as from the perspective of various critical approaches arising since. Expect lots of reading; engaged discussion; and unusual, interdisciplinary research. No prior experience with these authors/texts or with “medievalist” literary study is expected, but student engagement and enthusiasm are highly desirable.
Expect considerable, even intense attention to the writing process in all its steps. There will be research, but of the kind one is excited to do.
Required Texts: Supplemental Packet [P] (download from Canvas & print/bind) J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (Houghton Mifflin) J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (Houghton Mifflin) J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers (Houghton Mifflin) J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King (Houghton Mifflin) *J.R.R. Tolkien, The Monsters & the Critics and Other Essays (Harper Collins) [*OPTIONAL] William Morris, The Wood Beyond the World (Inkling Books) William Morris, The Earthly Paradise (access on-line) William Morris, News from Nowhere & Other Writings (Penguin Classics) William Morris, The House of the Wulfings (Inkling Books) *John Ruskin, The Nature of Gothic” (Euston Grove Press) [*OPTIONAL]
Evaluation: (assignment specifics discussed in class; percentages approximate & subject to change)
Morris Essay (5-7+ pp.; choice of text; engagement with criticism; some research) 20% Morris Research Presentation (handouts/visual aids; synopsis; bibliography) 20% Tolkien Research Project (8-10+ pp.; prospectus; research; draft; revision; presentation) 40% In-Class Performance (writing, discussion, engagement, preparation, process work) 20% On-time Attendance (note: every absence beginning with #4 will reduce grade) Required On-time Completion of Reading, Writing, Research, & Feedback Assignments Required
All assignments must be completed satisfactorily to receive any passing grade for the course.
Course Policies:
Late work will be disastrous to performance in this course. Usually late papers would just be downgraded one half-level (A- to B+; B+ to B) for each day late, and returned at my convenience, but in the workshop setting of E349S, non-completion of drafts, research tasks or final copies will seriously detract from our in-class seminar activity. On-time arrival (with hard-copies as per syllabus) article summaries, paper drafts, research presentation materials--and most of all the final Research Project (because grades are due just afterward)--is required and non- negotiable. Also required (impossible to reschedule) are our various Essay Construction Workshop meetings, the timely production and reading of materials for which is crucial. If you anticipate difficulty in fulfilling these or other course requirements, due to unavoidable conflicts or (as the term unfolds) the onset of documented illness or family/personal crisis, contact instructor immediately. Alternate arrangements may in certain cases be possible, but arrangements must be made in-person and in advance, not after the fact (and not via email/ voicemail). Make-up for certain missed periods (e.g., workshop meetings) or for repeated absence may be impossible; once incurring repeated absences or missed deadlines, you should make plans to drop the course officially. All Papers (except prospectuses) must be double-spaced and grammatically clean, and adhere to MLA style guidelines; proofreading is essential. Include a title page and bibliography; provide your name, my name, date, course title & unique number; number all pages after the first; and print on one side only. Failure to prepare work properly may result in the withholding of credit, or reduction of grade. Except where indicated, papers may not be submitted via email; hard copy only! However, please submit your final Research Project both electronically and in hard-copy format, as an end-of-term backup. Keep a copy of all work and back up your computer files appropriately, both during and after writing. In-class work (quizzes, writing) cannot be made-up for full-credit. All assignments (including prospectus/draft/feedback activity) must be completed satisfactorily (& in a timely fashion) in order for you to receive any passing grade for the course. Regular attendance and class participation are also required to pass the course; all absences (with the exception of holy day observance) will affect your ‘In-Class Performance’ grade negatively, but if you must miss class, alert me in advance. In the event that you amass nine absences (for whatever reason, except holy days), you should make official plans to drop the course. If you have questions/concerns of any kind, do not hesitate to bring them up. Please note: the best way to contact me is to attend office hours. Email is fine for brief questions but not substantive ones.
Additional University Policies: Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Academic Integrity: Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. For additional information on Academic Integrity, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php Documented Disability Statement: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify instructor of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
Prerequisites: Rhetoric and Composition 306 and English 316K or their equivalents (e.g. T C 603A and B), and three additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in either English or rhetoric and composition. No exceptions. English Major Area: Single or Dual Author / Area F Plus-Minus Grading: yes Schedule of Readings and Assignments: (subject to change)
Wednesday, January 18: Course Overview: Medieval Worlds, Fantasy Fictions Browsing Exercise: Coffee-Table Books Morris, “Haystacks” / Tolkien & Jackson, The Hobbit Film Clip QPB Companion to the LOTR: Selections [C]
Section One: William Morris (1834-1896)
Friday, January 20: Morris, The Wood Beyond the World, Ch. I-XXXVI (pp. 3-72) Course Policies Quiz
Monday, January 23: Morris, The Wood Beyond the World cont’d Morris Research Project Introduced Morris, Selected “Other Writings” in News from Nowhere Introduction (ix-xxxv); Chronology; Bibliographic Note; choice of Lecture (1 of 5); Preface to Ruskin; How I Became a Socialist; Founding of Kelmscott Press; Anti-Scrape; St Marks.
Wednesday, January 25: Ruskin, “The Nature of Gothic” [C] OR Tolkien, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” [C]
Friday, January 27: Library Day I: starring Shiela Winchester Meet in PCL Basement, Room 1.124 Morris Research topics confirmed
** please also read: Boos, “General Introduction” to The Earthly Paradise http://morrisedition.lib.uiowa.edu/Poetry/EarthlyParadise/epintro.html
Monday, January 30: Morris, The Earthly Paradise, part I [Apology/Prologue + March-August] http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/morris/ep1/
Wednesday, February 1: Morris, The Earthly Paradise, part II [September-November] http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/morris/ep2/index.htm
Friday, February 3: Morris, The Earthly Paradise, part III [December-February] http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/morris/ep3/index.htm
Monday, February 6: Morris Research Presentations 1-5
Wednesday, February 8: Morris Research Presentations 6-10
Friday, February 10: Morris Research Presentations 11-15
Monday, February 13: Morris, News from Nowhere, Ch. I-XVIII (pp. 43-160)
Wednesday, February 15: Morris, News from Nowhere, Ch. XIX-XXXII (pp. 161-228)
Friday, February 17: Studies in Medievalism article summary due (1½ p, 2 copies + article printout) Primary Text Track-Jumping exercise
Monday, February 20: Morris, House of the Wulfings
Wednesday, February 22: Morris, House of the Wulfings
Friday, February 24: Morris & the Critics Find five-plus articles/essays/book-chapters on WM; browse three, read two, summarize one (1 paragraph), + bring citations to share
Monday, February 27: Prospectus for Morris Essay due [1 p. single spaced, 5 copies] Essay Construction Workshop
Section Two: JRR Tolkien (1892-1973)
Wednesday, March 1: The Hobbit, Ch. I-VI (pp. 1-111)
Friday, March 3: The Hobbit, Ch. VII-XIII (pp. 112-246)
Monday, March 6: Draft for Morris Essay due in class, 2 copies (4-5 pp) Structured Critique
Wednesday, March 8: The Hobbit, Ch. XIII-XIX (pp. 247-end)
Friday, March 10: The Hobbit, cont’d
Friday, March 10, 5 pm: Morris Essay final draft due, e-copy + hard copy [my office]
Monday, March 13: NO CLASS Wednesday, March 15: NO CLASS Friday, March 17: NO CLASS
Monday, March 20: The Fellowship of the Ring, Prologue (1-15) + Book I (21-209)
Wednesday, March 22: Fellowship, Book I cont’d
Friday, March 24: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II (pp. 213-398)
Monday, March 27: Fellowship, Book II cont’d
Wednesday, March 29: The Two Towers, Book III (pp. 403-586)
Friday, March 31: Towers, Book III cont’d
Monday, April 3: The Two Towers, Book IV (pp. 589-725)
Wednesday, April 5: Towers, Book IV cont’d
Friday, April 7: The Return of the King, Book V (pp. 731-874)
Monday, April 10: Return, Book V cont’d
Wednesday, April 12: The Return of the King, Book VI (pp. 877-1008)
Friday, April 14: Return, Book VI cont’d
Monday, April 17: Research Essay Workshop: Topic Brainstorming & Analysis Exercises
Wednesday, April 19: Scholarship Day I: Genre Contexts & Critical Approaches Article Summaries due:
Friday, April 21: Scholarship Day II: Tolkien & the Critics Article Summaries due:
Monday, April 24: Textual Analysis Sub-Essay due (3-4 pp., 5 copies)
Wednesday, April 26: Library Day II: check in at PCL lobby [Prufrock’s]
Friday, April 28: Critical Context Sub-Essay due (3-4 pp., 5 copies)
Monday, May 1: Social/Cultural Context Sub-Essay due (3-4 pp., 5 copies)
Wednesday, May 3: RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS [2 min; 1 page handout]
Friday, May 5: Research Project Abstract & Bibliography due Wrap-up & Fantasy-Medieval Mandates
Final Exam Timeslot: * Research Essay Final Draft Due [Hard Copy & E-Copy]