Issues of Gender in the Eighteenth-Century: A Syllabi Exchange
The Aphra Behn Society at ASECS, 1998

English 121. The Age of Johnson

Dr. George Justice
Marquette University
Spring 1997
Spring 98

Course Policies:

  1. As per University regulations, class attendance is mandatory. After six absences from class, your final grade will be lowered one-half of a letter grade for each absence. I will follow the university's "triple absence day" policies.
  2. All readings must be completed on time.
  3. All written assignments must be handed in by the beginning of the class period at which they are due. Late work will not be accepted.
  4. Course requirements include one short essay of three to five pages (20% of final grade) term paper of ten pages (5 0% of final grade) and midterm and final examinations (IO% and 20% of final grade each). Constructive class participation can raise your grade, but lack of participation will not harm it. Quizzes may be given at any time and can cumulatively affect your final grade by a half-grade up or down. All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Texts for Course:

Schedule of Assignments:

Jan 13 Introduction (Boswell, 106-7)
Jan 15 Johnson, London
Jan 17 Lonsdale, nos. 126 (Dyer), 136 (Thomson), 231 (Young), 274 (Whitehead)
Jan 20 No Class
Jan 22 Johnson, Life of Savage
Jan 24 Life of Savage and Lonsdale, no. 150 (Savage)
Jan 27 Boswell, 271-387
Jan 29 Johnson, Rambler No. 60
Jan 31 Sterne, Tristram Shandy, Volumes I and 11
Feb 3 Johnson, Rambler No. 4, Idler No. 84
Feb 5 Lonsdale, Nos. 257, 258, 260, 276 (Warton, Akenside, Warton)
Feb 7 Tristram Shandy, Vols. III and IV
Feb 10 Lonsdale, No. 233 (Gray)
Feb 12 Lonsdale, No. 237 (Gray)
Feb 14 Tristram Shandy, Vols. V and VI
Feb 17 Lonsdale, Nos. 251, 254 (Collins)
Feb 19 Johnson, Life of Gray, Life of Collins
Feb 21 Tristram Shandy, Vols. VII, VIII and IX
Feb 24 Johnson, "A Dictionary of the English Language," 307-34
Feb 26 Johnson, "The Plays of William Shakespeare," 419-61
Feb 28 Sterne, Tristram Shandy
Mar 10 Johnson, "The Vanity of Human Wishes."
Mar 12 Smollett, Humphry Clinker, 1-81
Mar 14 No Class
Mar 17 Boswell, 507-661
Mar 19 Lonsdale, No. 344 (Goldsmith)
Mar 21 Humphry Clinker, 8I-188
Mar 24 Johnson, "A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland"
Mar 26 Humphry Clinker, 188-268
Mar 28 No Class
Mar 31 No Class
Apr 2 Lonsdale, No. 319 (Macpherson)
Apr 4 Humphry Clinker, 268-361
Apr 7 Johnson, Rambler Nos. 18, 39, 113, 167, 170, 171, 191
Apr 9 Lonsdale Nos. 269, 270, 271 (Mary Leapor)
Apr 11 Burney, Evelina, Vol. I
Apr 14 Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer
Apr 16 She Stoops to Conquer
Apr 18 Evelina, Vol. II
Apr 21 Gibbon, Decline and Fall, Vol. 1, chapter 15
Apr 23 Lonsdale, Nos. 286, 287, 291, 292, 293, 378, 379, 450, 459 (Smart, Cowper, Blake)
Apr 25 Evelina, Vol. III
Apr 28 Johnson, "Review of Soame Jenyns."
Apr 30 Boswell, 424-430. 1275-1402
May 2 Evelina and Conclusion

Final Examination: Tuesday, May 6, 8:00-10:00 am.


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Last modified March 1998.