Autumn, 1999

Humanities 310

Winston

NORWICH, NORFOLK, AND ENGLISH IDENTITY

Office: EAS 1.41 Office Hours:
Tuesday, 9:30-11:30
Thursday, 12:30-17:00
Friday, 9:30-11:30
Telephone: 2297 (592297 from outside lines) mailto:dickinson.programme@uea.ac.uk

Meeting Time: Tuesday, 18:00-21:00

Now that you know all there is to know about London, we will widen our gaze to include the ancient kingdom of East Anglia: the land of the Angles, hence Angleland, hence England. Where appropriate, we shall move beyond the borders of East Anglia as well. As in Humanities 309, we will continue to examine questions from an interdisciplinary perspective and to emphasize collaborative learning.

The course will pattern itself, as much as practical, on the model of the English University seminar. We will meet at least once each week for three hours, sometimes at the University, sometimes at Dickinson's house at 371 Unthank Rd, sometimes at other places. In addition, we will have a number of (day-long) field trips within East Anglia as well as other excursions.

The following is a working schedule that will change as needs arise:

[Formal classes will begin during the week of Monday, September 27th (Week One);
the first field trip will be on Sunday, 26th September.]

Sunday, September 26th: Excursion to Blickling Hall and the Norfolk Coast
(depart UEA LCR 9:00 a.m.)
Week One: Introduction to 310: British University/American College
Readings: photocopied selections
Week Two: British University, continued
Readings: Lodge, Nice Work
Travel Reports from UEA
Week Three: Norwich texts and history
Reading: Meeres, A History of Norwich; Pocock, Norfolk (recommended); Sager, Pallas Guide to East Anglia (appropriate selections)
Week Four: Norwich Sites: Castle, Cathedral, Market, and Others
Reading: week three readings continued
Saturday, 23 October: Norwich Walking Tour (student led)
Week Five: Suffolk
Reading: Blythe, Akenfield; Sager, Pallas Guide to East Anglia (appropriate selections)
Saturday, 30 October: Excursion to Wicken Fen and Ely (depart UEA LCR at 9:00 a.m.)
Week Six: The Lure of London
Reading: Dickens, Great Expectations
Week Seven: Conferences on final projects; 1-2 pp. prospectus due
Week Eight: Travel Reports from East Anglia
Week Nine: East Anglia and the Great War
Reading: Sayers, The Nine Tailors
Week Ten: The East Anglian Experience
Reading: Sebald, The Rings of Saturn (Guest lecture: Richard Crockatt)
Week Eleven: Norwich and the Arts: The Norwich School of Painting
Saturday, 12 December: Castle Museum/Norwich School of Painting
Week Twelve: Return to the University
Readings: Amis, Lucky Jim; Sharpe, Porterhouse Blue (groups of students will be assigned one of these texts)

Individual presentations to the class, and participation in small explorative groups will be required of all students, as appropriate throughout the term. These and contributions to discussion will comprise approximately 50% of your grade.

The remainder of your grade will be derived from evaluation of a 20-25 page research essay. Recommended topics include: the natural history of the north coast of East Anglia (or the fens); the Norwich School of Painting, medieval art and architecture in Norwich; East Anglia in British history (any period); the contemporary British novel; the history of the University of East Anglia; the history of higher education in Britain, especially in the post-war period. Other topics are possible, of course; all topics must be approved by the instructor. These topics will also help us to organize and structure our readings and discussions for each seminar meeting. You are encouraged to think creatively about your topic and to develop your expertise as deeply as possible as you follow your curiosity and inclinations. You will need to read more widely than our in-class assignments, travel more widely than our shared experiences, and use whatever research and study skills are necessary to produce a memorable essay on your subject. The essay will be due at the beginning of the examination period, Monday, 17 January 2000.

Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
David Lodge, Nice Work
Frank Meere, A History of Norwich
Tom Pocock, Norfolk (recommended)
Peter Sager, Pallas Guide to East Anglia
Dorothy Sayers, The Nine Tailors
W. G. Sebald, The Rings of Saturn
Tom Sharpe, Porterhouse Blue

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