Dr. George H. Williams

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Assistant Professor of English

Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition

University of South Carolina Upstate

Click here for my advice to students majoring in English

Courses I teach regularly

English 101: Composition I

Catalog course description: English 101 provides closely supervised instruction and practice in critical reading and writing. Attention is given to planning, drafting, revising, and editing a variety of texts including essays and research papers.

English 102: Composition II

Catalog course description: Continued instruction in composition, building on skills introduced in English 101. Attention is given to writing for specific audiences, reading and analyzing challenging texts, conducting critical research activities, and synthesizing academic sources in writing.

English 289: Survey of British Literature 1

Catalog course description: Poetry, prose, and drama from the Old English Period to 1797.

My course description: British Literature is filled with larger-than-life figures who travel to distant lands, seek fame and fortune, fall in and out of passionate love, betray others and find themselves betrayed, and attempt to define who they are by what they are able to accomplish. In this course, we will read some of the most powerful and popular texts from the history of English literature with particular attention given not only to the above themes, but also to the distinctive literary qualities of these influential works. Where appropriate, film adaptations will be discussed to help us understand how contemporary readers have attempted to make use of these classic works.

English 300: Introduction to the Study of Literature

Catalog course description: Terminology and methods for the study of literature and criticism, involving the scrutiny of primary and secondary text as well as independent research. Required for English majors. Students who wish to major in English should complete this course before enrolling in English courses above 301.

English 411: British Literature, 1660-1740

Catalog course description: Poetry, prose, and drama of major Restoration and early 18th century writers.

My course description: Between the years 1660-1740 British literary culture changed in many significant ways. An unprecedented increase in the production or printed material led to new classes of readers, writers, and literary genres. Audiences in the first forty years of the period had the privilege of watching some of the best plays ever written in English, especially comedy. A new form of fiction emerged for the first time and became extremely popular: the novel. Periodicals—first newspapers and then magazines—began to be produced, providing a lively venue for debates about matters of public interest. And caustic political and social satire became amusing hobbies that also sought to effect real change. These and other developments will be our concerns as we read a broad selection of material this semester. Students are expected to think for themselves, to form strong opinions, to disagree, to argue persuasively and eloquently when they speak and when they write.

English 412: British Literature, 1740-1789

Catalog course description: Poetry, prose, and drama of major writers.

My course description: The second half of the eighteenth century in Britain is characterized by the continuing escalation of commercial print production, the emergence of the professional author, and the establishment of “literature” and literary criticism in their modern senses. Debates over colonization, Christian evangelicalism, the slave trade, the rights of women, and the French Revolution ran hot during these decades. These and other developments will be our concerns as we read selections from poetry, fiction, autobiography, drama, essays, journalism, sermons, and philosophical treatises. Students are expected to think for themselves, to form strong opinions, to disagree, to argue persuasively and eloquently when they speak and when they write.

English 490: Senior Seminar

Catalog course description: The integration of knowledge; the exploration of ethical issues; and the application of the skills of research, analysis, and writing about literature at an advanced level. Completion of an academic portfolio, self-directed research and writing, and formal oral presentations are required. The specific focus of the course is designed by faculty and may vary depending on the instructor's area of interest and the students' areas of concentration.

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