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English
227: Writing about Literature
winter 2004 Dr. Abby Coykendall acoykenda@emich.edu Office Phone: (734) 487-0147 Office Location: Pray-Harrold Hall 603G ~ or by appointment ~
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English 227: Writing
about Literature
English 227 will not
only provide you with the grounding in literature and literary theory that you
will need to appreciate and comprehend upper-division literature classes, but
it will also furnish you with the writing and communication skills that you
will need to succeed in them. To this
end, we will investigate a wide variety of literature (short fiction, novels,
poetry, and drama) as well as a wide variety critical theories, particularly
those that are most representative of the major movements in literary studies:
marxism, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, semiotics, feminism, queer theory,
cultural studies, and post-colonialism.
The ultimate aim is to offer a forum in which you can develop and refine
your writing and critical thinking skills at an advanced level, especially as they
apply to and assist in the study of literature. By the end of the semester, you will 1) be conversant in the
techniques, thematic concerns, and formal structure of the principal genres of
literature, 2) be acquainted with the history, terminology, and theoretical
positions of contemporary schools of literary criticism, and 3) be capable of
applying this new knowledge in writing, first and foremost by developing clear,
coherent, and persuasive arguments that are receptive to the concerns of
literary studies and reflective of the conventions of literary criticism. In short, we will investigate the multiform
ways of reading and writing — not to mention the multiform ways of reading
about writing and writing about reading — by practicing and perfecting each of
these skills in relation to the other.
Required
Texts
The following books are available at Ned’s bookstore (http://www.nedsbooks.com/emu/;
483-6400; 707 W. Cross St.), although additional copies may be available at
other EMU bookstores:
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v
Short Guide to Writing About Literature, Ed. Sylvan Barnet (Longman 2003; ISBN # 0321104765)
v
William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, The
Elements of Style, 4th Edition (Longman 2000; ISBN # 020530902x)
v
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland (Dover Thrift 1993; ISBN # 0486275434)
v
Roland Barthes, S/Z: An Essay (Noonday
Press 1991; ISBN # 0374521670)
v
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
(Random House 1999; ISBN # 037575377x)
v
William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Ed.
Gerald Graff (Bedford/St. Martin’s 2000; ISBN # 0312197667)
Make sure to get the
same editions pictured and listed above; otherwise, the differing page numbers
will make it difficult, if not impossible, for you to follow along with class
discussions. Most of the required texts
are located in the Halle Library’s Electronic Reserve: http://reserves.emich.edu/. (Contact another student or myself if you
forget the password.) If you experience
difficulty viewing these texts on your computer, see the link “Problems viewing
PDF or other file formats? Read
this!” You may need to download small
versions applications (Adobe, MS Word, etc.) in order to open them. It is best to print out the Electronic
Reserve materials in one sitting every few weeks in advance from the computers
on the first floor of the Halle library, where you will see a station with
multimedia computers all equipped with course reserve software. These computers are much more likely to be
able to open the files (and to open them quickly) than your own computer. Hard copies of the Electronic Reserve texts
will be available on reserve at the Halle circulation desk if you experience
any complications, but you will then have to pay for the photocopying rather
than printing them from the library computers for free.
Nothing is more vital for success in this
class than keeping up with, and actively engaging in, the weekly reading
assignments and class discussions. Make
sure to bring a copy of each text that we will be discussing to class. You will have to have read the assigned
material, and have it on hand, when I call on you in class or when we do group
work, which will be often. There will
also be periodic, unannounced quizzes to ensure that you are keeping up with
the reading.
Assignments
As with any university course, the homework
will take around two hours for every hour of class, and thus you can expect to
spend six hours each week completing the various assignments and readings. There will be a large number of writing
assignments: periodic responses throughout the semester, a polished four-page
essay following each of the three sections of the course, two substantial
revisions of those essays expanded to six pages, as well as a final seven-page
research essay which will stand in lieu of the final exam.
The responses will be posted to the class
listserv (litwrit@list.emich.edu), but they may also
be handwritten if you prefer privacy or have difficulty accessing the
internet. Each response should be at
least 500 words, or roughly two paragraphs and one page, although longer (or
more engaged) responses will not only enhance your grade, but also increase the
ability of other students and myself to offer feedback. In contrast to the responses, the essays
will offer a thorough examination of the readings and have the proper academic
format. The primary difference between
a response and an essay is that with the response, the mechanical elements of
writing do not matter in the least, and the goal is to freely and openly
express ideas; whereas, with the essay, the mechanical elements of writing must
be attended to very thoroughly and the goal is to defend a focused argument
clearly, coherently, and persuasively.
Guidelines on the research essay are available
online — http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/research227.htm — and in the ER.
There will also be informal, in-class presentations of your final
research essays during our last class, the time otherwise scheduled for the
final exam. The essay will be similar
to a final exam in that it must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of
the skills in writing, critical thinking, and literary theory that we have
covered over the course of the semester.
Grading
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20% |
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Responses,
Participation, and Research
Presentations |
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30% |
4 pgs. |
Essay One (Fiction);
Essay Two (Poetry); Essay Three (Fiction or Poetry) |
February 4, 2004March
10, 2004
April 7, 2004 |
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20% |
6 pgs. |
Revisions of Essays
One and Two |
February 18, 2004March 31, 2004 |
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30% |
7 pgs. |
Research Essay (Drama) |
April 26, 2004 |
Essays will be given two grades — one for
theme and one for writing — which will be averaged together evenly. Those students who are less familiar with
the technicalities of writing will thus receive a boost if they put initiative
into conceiving a unique idea, and those students who are less used to thinking
critically will receive a boost by writing clearly and carefully. In order to ensure that you put effort into
enhancing both aspects of your writing, however, revised essays will be worth
as much, if not more, than the first versions and will also be given two
grades: one for the amount of effort put into revision and one for the quality
of the essay as a whole. Any late
essay will drop a third of a grade for each day late; that is, an A
paper will turn into A- if turned in one day late, an A paper will turn into B+
if turned in two days late, and so on. Likewise,
any essay that is shorter than the required length will be marked down in
proportion to the pages missing.
For instance, a three-page essay that is supposed to be four pages can
receive at most a grade of 75%, or C, since it is missing ¼ of the required
length.
The participation grade, largely based on
responses, quizzes, and the research presentation, is a considerable portion of
your final grade — 20% — so keep up with the reading and response assignments
and make your voice heard in class.
Late responses are marked down only minimally but must be turned in
within a week of the initial due date.
The best way to make up a response is by comparing the reading that you
missed to that which the class is currently considering. This will help both you and the other
students make connections and comparisons that span the course as a whole. Your total response points will be averaged,
put on a fair grading curve, and then bumped up or down slightly depending on
how actively you engage in class discussions.
Academic
Dishonesty
Plagiarism is a very serious offense against
the Code of Student Conduct. According
to Funk and Wagnalls’ New Standard Dictionary (1921), plagiarism is the
“act of plagiarizing or appropriating the ideas, writings, or inventions of
another without due acknowledgment; specifically, the stealing of passages
either for word or in substance, from the writings of another and publishing
them as one’s own.” The general rule is
that if you use three or more words of another writer in a row without
enclosing those words in quotation marks and acknowledging your source, you are
guilty of plagiarism. With the
internet, plagiarism is quite easy and tempting to do; however, the internet
also makes plagiarism that much more easy to catch and document, so do not even
think about doing it in this class or elsewhere. Note: Turning in a paper that you wrote for another class as
an essay for this class, i.e. recycling the same words for double credit, also
constitutes academic dishonesty at EMU.
Any academic dishonesty will result in a failing,
zero-percent grade for the assignment.
Thus, if you plagiarize on one of the essays or revisions, you can
expect, at most, to receive an A- (or 90%) for your final grade, supposing that
you did everything else in the class perfectly, and if you cheat on the final
research essay, you can expect, at most, to receive a C- (or 70%) for your
final grade, again supposing that you did everything else perfectly. With the internet, plagiarism is quite easy
and tempting to do; however, the internet also makes plagiarism that much more
easy to catch and document, so do not even think about doing it in this class
or elsewhere.
Attendance
Because this class primarily consists of
reading and discussion — rather than facts, figures, or memorization —
attendance is crucial. You may be
absent two times without
penalty. Each absence after that will
result in a reduction of your final grade by one-third the letter grade:
that is, the fifth class missed will turn a final grade of an A into an A-; the
sixth, into a B+; and so on. The two
absences are for emergencies, so if you ditch the class two times, do not
expect a reprieve from the rule if you become ill or have other extenuating
circumstances towards the end of the semester.
If there is a documented emergency (a death in the family, lost limb,
prison term, &c.) at the end of the semester, I will go out of my way to
help in any way I can, including giving an incomplete, supposing that you have
otherwise kept up with the assignments, attended class regularly, and finished
a majority of the course. Aside from
the grade reduction, missing classes will hinder your ability to do the
assignments properly and promptly.
Likewise, even though there will be no penalty for lateness, it can have
several undesirable consequences: you may miss crucial information (such as the
extension of a deadline) often covered in the first ten minutes of class and,
of course, you will likely distract other students and myself while entering
the room. If you are late, it is
your responsibility to ensure that you have not been marked absent. If you are absent from class, contact another
student who can fill you in on missed work before contacting me. Above all, make sure to withdraw from the
course if you find that you cannot attend class regularly or fall too far
behind in the reading.
Schedule
Wednesday, January 7: Introduction to course / Homework: Get Books; Review the syllabus and write down any
questions that you have; Email acoykenda@emich.edu to be added onto the class listerv; Read “The Writer as Reader” (Short Guide 3-9); Matthew
Arnold, “The Study of Poetry” (ER 624-28); Isak Dinesen, “The Dreamers” (ER 271-355) / WRiting Assignment: Write a Response (Due 4 PM, January 14)
on Dinesen incorporating Arnold, sending it in plain text to the listserv email address
at litwrit@list.emich.edu; For confirmation or to see responses, visit
the listerv archives at http://list.emich.edu/pipermail/litwrit; If you have any
difficulty, either email your response to me or turn in a hard copy during
class. [95 pgs.]
Wednesday,
January 14: Discuss
Ethics, Aesthetics, and Approaches to Literature / Homework: Read “The
Reader as Writer” (Short Guide 12-31,
33-36); Karl Marx, “Consciousness
Derived from Material Conditions” (ER 385-91); Charles
Dickens, Hard Times Book I,
Chapter I - Book II, Chapter I (ER,
63 pgs.) / WRiting Assignment: Write down one quotation from Marx and
one related quotation from Dickens for class discussion [86 pgs.]
Wednesday,
January 21: Discuss
Marxism / Homework: Read “Two
Forms of Criticism: Explication and Analysis” (Short Guide 37-59); “Writing About Fiction” (Short Guide 125-37, 142-46, 151-52); The
Elements of Style, Part I (1-14); Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, “The Culture Industry” (ER 120-54); Kurt Vonnegut,
“Harrison Bergeron” (ER 537-45); e.
e. cummings, “next to of course god america I” (ER, 1 pg.) / WRiting Assignment: Write an introductory paragraph,
thesis, and three topic sentences for Essay One (Fiction, 4 pages) on Dickens,
Marx, and Horkheimer/Adorno and email them to acoykenda@emich.edu by 4 PM January 28 [94 pgs.]
Wednesday,
January 28: Discuss
Materialist Approaches to Literature / Homework: Read “Writing
About Fiction” (Short Guide 160-63,
164-70); The Elements of Style, Part II (15-33); Sigmund Freud, Selections from The Interpretation of Dreams (ER 919-26); E. T. A. Hoffmann, “The Sandman” (ER
85-118); Selections from
Freud, “The ‘Uncanny’” (ER 929-52) / WRiting Assignment: Finish Essay One (4 pages), Due February 4 [89 pgs.]
Wednesday,
February 4: Discuss
Psychoanalysis / Homework: Read “Other Kinds of Writing about Literature” and “Style and Format” (Short Guide 60-63, 257-77); The
Elements of Style (34-48);
Edgar Allen Poe, “The Purloined
Letter” (ER 921-34); Jacques Lacan, “Seminar on the ‘Purloined Letter’” (ER 28-54); Robert
Browning, “My Last
Duchess,” commentary helpful but optional (ER, 3 pgs.); Sylvia Plath, “Daddy” (ER, 1 pg.) / WRiting Assignment: Write a Response (Due 4 PM,
February 11) on either Browning or Plath applying the psychoanalytic theories
of Freud or Lacan (or both) to the poem, sending it in plain text to the listserv
email address at litwrit@list.emich.edu [85
pgs.]
Wednesday,
February 11: Discuss
Psychoanalytic Approaches to Literature / Homework: Read “Writing About Poetry” (Short Guide 200-204, 207-16, 218-22,
225-35, 241-3); “Deconstruction and Post-Structural Analysis” (ER 161-69);
Jacques Derrida, “The Purveyor of Truth” (ER
173-212); Bob Pearlman, Selected Poems (ER 497-504); Pearlman, “Virtual Reality” (ER, 6 pgs.); Charles Bernstein, “The Klupzy Girl” (ER 566-69) / WRiting Assignment: Revise Essay One (Fiction, 6 pages),
Due February 18 [92
pgs.]
Wednesday,
February 18: Discuss
Deconstruction and Postmodernism; In-class video on Derrida / Homework: Read Honoré de Balzac,
“Sarrasine,” (Appendix in Barthes, 221-54); Roland Barthes, S/Z (3-4,
15-217) / WRiting
Assignment: Write an
introductory paragraph, thesis, and three topic sentences for Essay Two
(Poetry, 4 pages) on one of the poets (Browning, Plath, Pearlman, or Bernstein) incorporating Freud, Lacan, or
Derrida (or some combination of the three) and email them to acoykenda@emich.edu by 4 PM March 3 [237 pgs.]
Wednesday, February 25 — Winter Recess
Wednesday,
March 3: Discuss
Semiotics / Homework: Read Nancy Armstrong,
“The Occidental Alice” (ER 536-60); Read Lewis Carroll, Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland / WRiting Assignment: Finish Essay Two (Poetry, 4 pages), Due March 10 [120 pgs.]
Wednesday,
March 10: Discuss Feminism and New Historicism / Homework: Read The
Elements of Style (49-65); Michel Foucault, “We ‘Other’
Victorians” (ER 3-13); Judith Butler, Selections from Gender Trouble (ER 2488-2501); Eve Kosofsky
Sedgwick, Selections from Epistemology of the Closet (ER 744-50); Poems from William
Shakespeare, John Donne, David Bergman, Elizabeth Bishop, Aphra Behn, Walt
Whitman, Mina Loy, Robert Duncan, Richard Harris, and Gregory Corso (ER “Queer
Poetics” 1133-55) /
WRiting Assignment: Write a Response (Due 4 PM, March 17) incorporating
one of the queer theorists and one of the poets, sending it in plain text to the
listserv email address at litwrit@list.emich.edu [63 pgs.]
Wednesday,
March 17: Discuss
Queer Theory; In-class video 60 Minutes, “Sexuality 101” / Homework: Read “Writing About Drama” (Short Guide 178-196); The
Elements of Style, Part V (66-85); “Writing a
Research Paper” (Short Guide 278-300, 309-10); Franz Fanon, “The Fact of Blackness” (ER
323-26); bell hooks, “Postmodern Blackness” (ER
2478-84); Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal” (ER 314-27); Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (ER 243-61); Begin reading Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (v-vii, xi-xviii, 3-15) / WRiting Assignment: Revise Essay Two (Poetry, 6 pages),
Due March 31; Write introductory paragraph, thesis, and three topic sentences
for Essay Three (Fiction or Poetry, 4 pages)
on one of the literary works covered since the Winter Recess (“Sarrasine,” Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland, or the poetry), one of the gender
critics (Foucault, Butler, or Sedgwick), and one of the cultural theorists
(Armstrong, Fanon, or hooks), and email them to acoykenda@emich.edu by 4 PM March 31 [100 pgs.]
Wednesday,
March 24 — Class Cancelled for Conference
Wednesday,
March 31: Discuss Race and Cultural Studies / Homework: Read Edward Said, “Imaginative
Geography” (ER, 4 pgs. [http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/said.html]); Continue reading Conrad, Heart of Darkness (15-96, xxxiv-xxxvii, xlv-lii) / WRiting Assignment: Finish Essay Three (4 pages), Due April 7 [91 pgs.]
Wednesday,
April 7: Discuss Post Colonialism; In-class
video Edward Said on Orientalism / Homework: Read William Shakespeare, The Tempest, historical and critical background of the play (3-87, 109-115,
229-43, 324-335) / WRiting Assignment: Write your research proposal for Essay
Four (Drama, 7 pages); See “Guidelines for the Research Essay” [http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/research227.htm] and “List of Recommended Databases
for Literature” [http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/demo.htm]; Email it to acoykenda@emich.edu by 4 PM April 14 [118 pgs.]
Wednesday,
April 14: Application of critical methodologies to William
Shakespeare, The Tempest / WRiting
Assignment: Prepare an
annotated bibliography for your research presentation; Finish Essay Four
(Drama, 7 pages), Due April 26
Wednesday,
April 21: Presentations
of Final Research Essays on The Tempest
Monday, April
26, 12 PM: Final Research Essay Due.
Drop it in my mailbox in the English Dept., 612 Pray Harrold or slide it
under my office door, 603G Pray Harrold.
Anything handed in after 12 PM sharp will not be given any credit. Also leave a self-addressed, stamped manila
envelope if you want commentary on your essay.