British Literature
Course Syllabus: 2021-2022
Instructor: Mr. Fielding
kfielding@skagwayschool.org
British Literature
Course Description
Emphasis: British Literature, in-depth analysis of literature by ideas, themes and literary
devices.
Align to the Common Core, British Literature, a writing and reading intensive course, integrates a
variety of literary genres and informational reading with various writing
techniques, speaking and writing projects, and the development of vocabulary
and grammar skills appropriate to success in college. It is designed to strengthen students’
comprehension of a wide range of reading materials found in high school and the
world beyond, and to give students the opportunity to develop as a writer by
introducing and incorporating many different writing strategies into the
student’s own work. The literary genres
covered will include short stories,
plays, poetry, and novels. In non-fiction we will look at the
structures of the personal essay, memoir, the analytical essay, and the
persuasive essay. The course will cover
materials, in historical sequence, from the Anglo-Saxon period to contemporary
works. Students will contrast the literary forms, stylistic techniques, and
characteristics of the major literary periods. They not only analyze such
devices as figurative language, imagery, speaker, and tone, they also relate
the literature to the geographical, philosophical, political, religious,
cultural, and social influences of those periods. A student who successfully
completes British Literature is able to respond to works of great complexity
and depth in an articulate and sophisticated manner.
Textbooks (some of all of the
following): Holt McDougal: British
Literature (anthology), Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Hamlet, selections from Paradise Lost, selections from Gulliver's Travels, Great Expectations, 1984.
JOURNALS/BLOGS
Students will be required to keep a blog throughout the
year. This blog will be your journal
writing for the year. In this
blog/journal will be reading reflections, lists of literary devices found in
stories and novels, creative assignments that correspond with readings,
pre-writing exercises, analytic writing.
NOTE: I read every journal entry and you will lose points for
skipping entries or not following directions.
If you do not understand an assignment please ask.
GRADES:
Tests – 25% of overall grade
Papers—25% of overall grade
Projects—20% of overall grade
Quizzes, class work, homework—20% of overall grade
Journals/Blogs—10% of overall grade
Scale:
100- 93 = A
92.49- 90 = A-
89.49- 87 = B+
86.49-83.00 = B
82.49- 80.00 = B-
79.49-77.00 = C+
76.49- 73 = C
72.49-70.00 = C-
69.49-67.00 = D+
66.49- 63.00 = D
62.49- 60 = D-
Below 60 = F
Late Work: Mark down 10% per day.
You are expected to turn in work on the deadlines due.
Required Materials:
1 Pocket Folders (to keep
handouts, note guides, returned work)
1 Binder with loose paper
Pens/Pencils
Highlighters
General Guidelines:
- Be
prepared when class begins. It is
imperative that all pencils are sharpened and materials are ready when the
bell rings.
- Class
discussions should be conducted in an orderly and respectful fashion.
- Do not
talk when I am talking.
- I
dismiss you, not the bell!
- You
may choose you own seat, but I reserve the right to assign seats or move
you if I see the need.
Respect others and their
property.
This respect extends to
remaining quiet during announcements, directions, lectures, and
presentations.
If you are talking
someone else might not be able to hear.
UNIT I:
MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: HEROES, MONSTERS and POETS
The Medieval
Period marked the transformation from oral to written literature, from
pagan to Christian religion, from myth to recorded history, from
political chaos to social order, from Old Roman power to the rise of
Northern Europe, from Old English (a more Germanic Language) to the
Modern English of Shakespeare. This period, roughly from the fall of
Rome in 476 A.D. to the beginning of the Renaissance (which in England
occurred during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, who took power in 1558
A.D.), sees the formation of new World Order that is the foundation of
Western Culture and the Americas. The literature produced during this
time suggests a pre-historic warrior culture, but with a mix of
Christian philosophy and satire. By studying this period we become more
aware of where Europe came from and aware of how myths change to reflect
the values of a culture. We also see glimpses of old myths that our
society still clings to and holds dear.
This unit will explore
medieval literature that revolves around warriors, heroes, monsters and
the ideas of chivalry. We will look at the warrior culture and the roles
of individuals in these cultures—particularly the roles of the King
(and what makes a good king), the role of the warrior, the roles of
women, and the roles of poets (skalds) or storytellers. We will look at
the different ideas of afterlife, or the idea of Christianity vs.
Paganism, the themes of loyalty, pride, magic and magic’s use in the
world (especially in worlds associated with Christianity and/or
paganism). We will look at the theme of man alone in a hostile world,
why hospitality was important, banishment as a form of punishment and
blood-money as a form of justice, and the concept of fate (as in “It’s a
good day to die” mentality). We will also discuss the oral tradition
and contrast it with the written, and we will view how the English
language came to be what it is—meaning we will look at Old English and
Middle English and Modern English.
We will read the following
texts: “The Death of Concobar” – a story from the Ulster Hero Cycle;
“Branwen” – the 2nd branch of the Mabinogion about the war between Wales
and Ireland because of the mistreatment of a queen and bad hospitality.
The old Anglo-Saxon poems: “The Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The
Wanderer”, “A Wife’s Lament”. “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight”, “The Death of King Arthur”, sections from the Canterbury Tales,
possibly the Saga of King Hrolf Kraki and his Champions, J.R. Tolkien’s
“Monsters and the Critics” and his sequel to “The Battle of Maldon” and
others.
For this unit you will have a final project, a final
test, an essay assignment, at least one creative writing assignment, and
various quizzes on various books. We will view a bit of history and
look into the humor and cruelty of an ancient world.
STUDY GUIDE and OBJECTIVES: Things you should know by end of Unit.
Note: Most importantly you should look back through your notes and returned quizzes, tests and assignments and read over them.
TEXTS
that you will need to know (and I mean know beyond comprehension), be
able to relate to themes, to other texts with similar themes (compare
and contrast), be able to explain symbols, make arguments about actions
of characters, etc.
“The Death of Conchobhar”
“Branwen, Daughter of Llyr”
“The Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”, “The Wife’s Lament”
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Canterbury Tales
THEMES:
The Corruption of Power, Christianity vs. Paganism, Man Alone in a
Hostile World, The Roles of Woman, The Role of Christianity, The Roles
of Kings and Warriors, Loyalty, Pride, The Role of Magic, Fate, Faith,
Bloody-Money as a form of Punishment, Banishment, Good vs. Evil,
Hospitality, The Transitory Nature of Life, and any others we have
talked about.
Some Definitions you’ll need to remember: Wergild,
wyrd, kenning, alliteration, epic hero, epic poem, epic boast, romantic
literature, chivalry
List of Characters that you will need to
know: Conchobhar, Cet, Meis-Geghra, Finghin, Brandigiefran, Branwen,
Maholwch, Manawydan, Efnisien, Nisien, Beowulf, Grendal, Hygelac,
Hrothgar, Shield Sheafson, Wulfgar, Wiglaf, Unferth, Finn, Siegmund,
Weltheow, Morgan Le Fay, Sir Gawain, King Arthur, The Green Knight, The
Mistress, all the characters from “The Canterbury Tales”
For
major characters (or protagonists) make sure you can discuss character
flaws and what those flaws are meant to do – or how they inform us of
someone larger idea.
Motifs: ambush, birds and horses, the
mutilation of horses, betrayal while the king is away, divine
protection, the troublemaker, beheading, kin killing, important of
ancestors, reputation, the arming of the warrior, the fairy world, green
Symbols:
the brain-ball, the cauldron of resurrection, Heorot, Grendal, the
Dragon, the fiery lake (and Grendal’s mothers’ liar), hrunting, the
giant’s sword, Gawain’s shield, the girdle (remember characters
themselves can also be symbols)
Allusions: for each story or book be able to pick out some allusions and link them to a theme
Irony: For each story or book be able to pick out some ironies
Make
sure you keep a list of events from any book or story that backs up a
theme. You will need to use examples. Specific examples.
You will
need to be able to compare and contrast the four poems – Battle of
Muldon, The Seafarer, The Wanderer, The Wife’s Lament—with each other
and/or be able to connect to a theme and used to back up a larger book
(such as Beowulf).
Be able to generalize the differences between
the following: Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Welsh literature, between Old
English and Middle English, between the ideas of Sir Gawain and The
Canterbury Tales.
Objectives: By the end of this unit some of the things students should be able to do include
1) Define wergild and give examples from various stories on how it works and why it was important as a form of justice
2)
Define wyrd and give examples of heroes that followed this idea or code
of life. Explain with examples why it was important to warrior society.
3) Define kenning and give examples
4) Define alliteration and give examples from alliterative poems
5) Define Epic Hero and Epic Poem
6)
Keep a list of characters and be able to describe them and compare them
to characters from other stories in relation to themes
7) Define chivalry and describe how certain characters followed the chivalric code.
8) Keep a list of symbols and relate these to major themes
9) Keep a list of motifs involving “types of stories” or events that reoccur in oral tradition
10) Be able to describe the rules and structure of warrior society
11) Define scop and discuss the important of poets in some of these stories
12) Discuss flaws of characters and how these flaws cause characters downfall
13) Compare the Seafarer, Wanderer, Wife’s Lament by relating them to warrior society
14) Discuss irony (and type) in each of these works
15) Define “Frame Story”
16) Define and give elements of a “saga”
17)
Keep a list of events and descriptions that help you explore the
following themes: Man Alone in A Hostile World, Paganism vs.
Christianity, The Role of Kings, The Role of Warriors, The Role of
Women, The Idea of Honor, Good vs. Evil, Loyalty, Pride, Hospitality,
The transitory nature of life.
18) Define and give examples of allegory, allusion, personification, caesura, litotes, and aphorism
Vocabulary #1
Obsolete
Reprisal
Philistine
Meticulous
Officious
Peruse
Mitigate
Perfidy
Morose
HW: Look up vocabulary words.
