English R1B

Reading and Composition: The Marriage Plot and Its Afterlife

Description

The marriage plot novel is seen as a thing of the past, but its influence very much lives on today in our movies, our music, and our notions of romance. This course will examine a series of genre-defining marriage plot novels from the 19th century, as well as contemporary films and other media, with an eye to identifying the conventions and the emotional logic which govern them, and learning to assess these narratives critically going forward.

Students will also learn to write persuasive reserch papers and craft original arguments.

Texts:  Austen, Jane: Emma; Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice; Gissing, George: The Odd Women; and Sayers, Dorothy: Gaudy Night

Films:  Clueless; Bridget Jones' Diary; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; and The Thin Man