Ateneo - UPO

WOMEN AND THE NOVEL: 1660–1800This course examines the rise and development of the English novel during the “long eighteenth century” through the work of women writers such as Aphra Behn, Sarah Fielding, Charlotte Lennox, Ann Radcliffe, Mary Wollstonecraft, Fanny Burney, and Jane Austen. It introduces students to key critical debates about the origins of the novel, the formal traits that came to define the genre, and the central role played by women as authors, readers, characters, and cultural agents. The primary texts — Behn’s Oroonoko, Burney’s Evelina, and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice — will be read alongside the political, economic, social, and gender-related transformations of the period.

Marina MacKay, The Cambridge Introduction to the Novel, Cambridge UP, 2011Dorothy Hale, The Novel: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory, 1900-2000, Blackwell, 2006Nancy Armstrong, Desire and Domestic Fiction, Oxford UP, 1987Catherine Gallagher, Nobody's Story, The Vanishing Acts of Women Writers in the Marketplace, 1670-1920, University of California Press, 1994

The course is aligned with the specific learning objectives of the Master’s Degree Programme in Languages, Cultures and Tourism, which aims to foster advanced linguistic and literary competencies in the languages studied, complemented by in-depth knowledge of artistic, cultural, historical, ethno-anthropological, and geographical fields. More specifically, it addresses the objective of the LM-37 degree class to develop both synchronic and diachronic knowledge of the culture, literature, history, arts, and intellectual traditions of the cultural and geopolitical areas in which the selected languages are spoken, through the application of contemporary critical methodologies.
The core learning objectives of the course are to:understand the main critical theories concerning the rise of the English novel;identify the distinguishing features of the novel as a literary genre;discuss the relationship between the novel and eighteenth-century social, political, economic, and cultural change;analyse the contribution of women writers to the development of prose fiction between 1660 and 1800;situate women’s fiction within debates about marriage, sexuality, race, property, and female education.A more advanced objective is the development of critical arguments through close reading of the texts and engagement with secondary sources.

Knowledge of English at a minimum level of B2 according to the CEFR.

Of the course’s 6 ECTS credits, 30 hours are devoted to in-person taught instruction, organised into teaching units. These hours also include interactive learning activities, such as guided seminar discussions. The remaining workload is devoted to guided independent study through the individual reading and analysis of the texts included in the syllabus.
Each teaching unit comprises:
- a lecture introducing the relevant historical, literary, and cultural contexts;
- the reading of the primary texts;
- seminar activities, including: activities designed to support the reading of the primary texts, available in the “Assignments” section of the course’s DIR page, to be completed individually at home and presented and discussed in class; brief presentations in pairs (maximum 10 minutes per speaker) on a novel not covered in class, selected from a reading list available on DIR.

Lectures, assignments and assessment will be in English. Students unable to attend are asked to refer to the same syllabus as students regularly coming to class. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Assessment consists of an oral examination conducted in English, designed to assess: knowledge of the novel as a literary form, its historical, cultural, social, and theoretical contexts, and the main developments in the related critical debate; knowledge of gender issues in the development of the novel; thorough knowledge of the primary texts; and the ability to analyse a passage from one of the texts included in the syllabus, with particular attention to the relationship between text and context and to its linguistic, rhetorical, and stylistic dimensions.
Grading criteria
28–30: a comprehensive and well-structured understanding of the topics covered; excellent ability to contextualise, synthesise, and analyse texts; excellent command of spoken English. Honours will be awarded for the ability to engage with the topics in a personal and critical manner and to explore specific subjects independently, including beyond the material covered in class and specified in the examination syllabus.
26–27: a substantially accurate presentation, with some imperfections in content and expression.
23–25: a largely mechanical and/or memorised knowledge of the subject; expression is not always appropriate.
18–22: minimal knowledge of the syllabus; inability to move beyond a basic summary of the plots when discussing the texts; limited command of spoken English.
An oral examination will be assessed as insufficient if it demonstrates an inability to navigate the course syllabus, an inability to contextualise the texts, or the use of inappropriate language.
Completion of all the seminar activities by the stated deadlines entitles students to a reduction of the examination syllabus by TWO teaching units, chosen by the student.

Unit 1: Introduction: The Long Eighteenth Century and the Critical Debate about the Rise of the Novel. Readings: Lee Morrissey, "The Restoration and Eighteenth Century, 1660-1780"; Ian Watt, selections from The Rise of the Novel; Michael McKeon, selections from Theory of the NovelUnit 2: Women and the Novel. Readings: Nancy Armstrong, selections from Desire and Domestic Fiction; Margaret Anne Doody, selections from The True Story of the NovelUnit 3: Aphra Behn and Restoration Literary Culture. Readings: Oroonoko; or, The Royal SlaveUnit 4: Fanny Burney and the Novel of Manners. Readings: Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the WorldUnit 5: Jane Austen and the Eighteenth-Century Novel Tradition. Readings: Pride and Prejudice

In order to achieve the knowledge, skills, and abilities corresponding to the foundational level, the student is required to demonstrate:KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: basic knowledge of the eighteenth-century context; knowledge of the critical debate about the rise of the novel; knowledge of the intellectual profile and production of eighteenth-century women novelists.SKILLS: the ability to identify the distinguishing features of the novel as a literary genre; the ability to analyze and discuss specific examples of women's fiction, with particular attention to the relationship between text and context (historical, political, gender-related).TRANSVERSAL SKILLS: the ability to clearly and effectively present knowledge, information, and opinions on the topics covered, using appropriate language and terminology. To achieve an advanced level, the student must demonstrate the ability to: approach the assigned texts with particular attention to their linguistic and rhetoric-stylistic dimension; engage with secondary sources. .