Students

ENGL2020 – Revolution, Evolution, Humanity: Literature and Change in the Long Nineteenth Century

2024 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer, Tutor
Geoffrey Payne
geoffrey.payne@mq.edu.au
Contact via via email
25WWB 543B
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces students to a selection of texts produced during the “long” nineteenth century in Britain, covering a period from the French Revolution of 1789 to the first decade of the twentieth century. The novels and poems you will study helped to create new visions of the human, creating and responding to changing worldviews about many facets of social life: political, scientific and artistic. Major figures such as Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, Emily Bronte, Christina Rossetti and George Eliot will be studied alongside lesser-known innovators such as Charlotte Smith, John Clare and Augusta Webster. The unit will explore how these writers used literature to respond to the most challenging and divisive issues of their time in a way that still speaks to modern readers and created the foundation of the world we live in today.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specific texts and literary movements of the long nineteenth century in Britain.
  • ULO2: Articulate links between literary texts and the cultural contexts that surround their production.
  • ULO3: Exhibit skills in close textual analysis
  • ULO4: Communicate arguments about literature, culture and aesthetic ideas in oral and written forms whilst engaging with other points of view.
  • ULO5: Deploy research skills in order to support arguments about literary texts.

General Assessment Information

Submission Methods

Discussion activities will be graded by performance in in-class tutorial and/or online contirbutions via forum discussions and quizzes. Textual Analysis Task and Research Essay must be submitted via Turnitin.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-time-sensitived assessment (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings, etc.). Late submission of time-sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs, etc.) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration’.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Discussion Activities 20% No Ongoing, weeks 2-12
Textual Analysis Task 30% No 23.55 on 1/9/24
Research Essay 50% No 23.55 on 3/11/24

Discussion Activities

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 31 hours
Due: Ongoing, weeks 2-12
Weighting: 20%

 

Preparation of notes relating to set topics and any additional research. Answering questions online.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specific texts and literary movements of the long nineteenth century in Britain.
  • Articulate links between literary texts and the cultural contexts that surround their production.
  • Communicate arguments about literature, culture and aesthetic ideas in oral and written forms whilst engaging with other points of view.
  • Deploy research skills in order to support arguments about literary texts.

Textual Analysis Task

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 23.55 on 1/9/24
Weighting: 30%

 

Textual analysis of short passage drawn from a set text.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate links between literary texts and the cultural contexts that surround their production.
  • Exhibit skills in close textual analysis
  • Communicate arguments about literature, culture and aesthetic ideas in oral and written forms whilst engaging with other points of view.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 23.55 on 3/11/24
Weighting: 50%

 

Research essay related to a set topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specific texts and literary movements of the long nineteenth century in Britain.
  • Articulate links between literary texts and the cultural contexts that surround their production.
  • Exhibit skills in close textual analysis
  • Communicate arguments about literature, culture and aesthetic ideas in oral and written forms whilst engaging with other points of view.
  • Deploy research skills in order to support arguments about literary texts.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Delivery

Lectures: 1 hour per week (1-12).

In-person, face-to-face enrolment: Tutorials: 1 hour per week (weeks 2-12)

Online flexible mode enrolment: Online asynchronous forum discussions (weeks 2-12)

Tutorials and forum discussions start in week 2.

Texts

Required to Buy

  1. Jane Austen, Persuasion (Oxford World Classics)
  2. William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (Penguin Classics)
  3. Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre (Norton Critical Edition)
  4. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (Penguin Classics)
  5. George Eliot, Middlemarch (Oxford World Classics Classics)
  6. Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native (Oxford World Classics)

Note that the editions specified above are recommended only. You may use alternative editions of these texts if you prefer.

All other primary and secondary readings will be provided in digital format via Leganto in iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook