English 125A

The English Novel (Defoe through Austen)

Other Readings and Media

Behn, A.: Oronooko; Defoe, D.: Moll Flanders; Richardson, S.: Pamela; Smollett, T.: Humphry Clinker; Burney, F.: Evelina; Beckford, W.: Vathek; Godwin, W.: Caleb Williams; Austen, J.: Persuasion

Description

A survey of early fiction, much of which pretended to be anything but. Most of it, published anonymously, purported to be a true "History," "Expedition," or the like, about "Things as They Are." We will consider at the outset why these works so strenuously disavowed their status as romances or novels, and why for purposes of disguise they chose the genres they did.

This course satisfies the pre-1800 requirement for the English major.

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