|
English 300W: Writing about
Literature Fall 2008 Dr. Abby Coykendall acoykenda
at comcast.net Office Phone: 487-0147 Office Location: Pray-Harrold
Hall 603G Office Hours: Monday
2:00-3:30 & 7:40-9:20 PM Wednesday 2:00-3:30 & 9:10-9:30 PM ~ email
for appointments ~
|
English
300W: Writing about Literature
Course Description: ENGL 300W is
a gateway class that provides the foundation in literature and literary theory that
enables you to appreciate, understand, and succeed in upper-division English
classes. Over the course of the
semester, you will survey the most important critical theories that students
have used to interpret literature (such as feminism, marxism, or cultural
studies), focusing on three main literary genres in turn: fiction, poetry, and
drama. In the process, you will hone
your writing and research skills, fine tuning those techniques that most assist
in and apply to the study of literature.
The ultimate aim is to offer a hand’s-on workshop in which to practice
and strengthen your literary skills, from the essential how-to’s of close
reading and textual analysis to the verbal and written communication of the
many discoveries that result in writing.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, you
be better able to
·
Craft unique interpretations of
literary works--and, hopefully, of life itself--by exploring new avenues of
thought in class, asking challenging questions of yourself, your peers, and the
text, and sharing the upshot of these investigations in writing;
·
Use techniques like in-depth
analysis, interactive discussion, and outside research to enhance your
enjoyment and comprehension of literature;
·
Recognize the formal and
thematic concerns of the principal literary genres, as well as the significance
of literary devices found within them (e.g. imagery or symbolism);
·
Understand, and employ
independently on your own, the major concepts and strategies of contemporary
literary theory;
·
Engage with the community of
literary critics and the larger public by making clear, coherent, and
persuasive arguments about literary works in essays reflecting the basic
conventions of criticism.
General Education Rationale: The goals of ENGL 300W meet the outcomes for Writing Intensive
courses in the Literature major and the Language, Literature, and Writing major
very specifically. The primary goals of
the course are threefold: to have
students learn and practice the primary forms of writing employed by professional
scholars of English literature, to teach them methods of literary research, and
to introduce them to the rich diversity of theoretical approaches to literary
criticism early in their studies for the major.
Course Books and Materials
The following books are available at the EMU
Bookstore in the
|
How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory for Literary and
Cultural Studies. Ed. Robert Dale Parker. (
Writing about Literature.
Brief 11th edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts
(Prentice Hall, 2005; 0131540564)
The remaining texts can be found online and then printed in the
campus computer labs for free. See the
Electronic Reserves (ER): http://reserves.emich.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=1369, password 300. **Make sure to bring a copy of each text
that we cover in class, whether found in the ER or in an actual book. You will need everything on hand for groupwork and class discussion.
Course
Itinerary
For the most part, each section is devoted to two literary works,
two types of critical theory, and two writing skills of especial
importance. An essay on one of the
literary works of your choice (and incorporating quotes from two theorists of
your choice) will be due after the first two sections. The third section culminates with the
research essay, an essay that serves in lieu of a final exam and thus
demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the skills covered during the
term.
|
Section One: Psychoanalysis & Feminism (Fiction Case Study) |
Literary Works: Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Birthmark” Angela Carter, “The Bloody Chamber” |
Theorists: Sigmund Freud Adrienne Rich Naomi Wolf & John Berger |
|
Key Skills: Formal Awareness & Analysis, Effective Argument |
||
|
Section Two: Marxism & Deconstruction (Poetry Case Study) |
Literary Works: Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess” Marge Piercy, “Secretary Chant” Langston Hughes, “Mulatto” |
Theorists: Karl Marx Roland Barthes bell hooks |
|
Key Skills: Close |
||
|
Section Three: Postcolonial, Queer, (Drama
Case Study) |
Literary Works: |
Theorists: Edward Said Judith Butler Franz Fanon |
|
Key Skills: Historical Context, Research & Documentation |
Assignments
& Assessment
Nothing is more vital for success in this course than keeping up
with the assignments due each week. Being
prepared to discuss the reading in class, if only in small groups, is
mandatory. If an emergency
prevents you from doing the homework, it is better not to come to class at all
since you will get little from the lecture and discussion and interfere with the
learning of other students. A brief,
straight-forward quiz may be given at the beginning of the period to encourage
you to come on time and come prepared.
The
Essay Requirements handout describes each of the essays in detail (/req.htm), as well as the extra-credit
opportunities available to supplement your learning. (Extra credit is an ideal way to get your grade back on track if you ever fall behind.) The Guidelines on the Research Essay, posted
towards the end of the semester, gives further detail about the final essay (/guide.htm).
Assessment Weights:
|
25% |
Participation:
Homework, Responses, & Quizzes |
minimum length: |
due dates: |
|
20% |
Essay One
(Fiction): On the Carter or Hawthorne story |
4
pgs. |
October 17
|
|
25% |
Essay Two (Poetry): On the Browning, Piercy, or Hughes poem |
4
pgs. |
November 14
|
|
30% |
Essay Three
(Drama): On
the Tennessee Williams play |
4½
pgs. |
December 18
|
Instructor Availability
I will be delighted to discuss any course-related questions,
interests, or concerns in person or by phone during my office hours, as well as
through email. Email is the most
reliable way to reach me outside of the office since the messaging system for
my phone is dysfunctional at best.
Emails with straight-forward questions usually receive a reply within a
few hours to a day; those with more complicated questions usually receive a
reply before the next class period. Please
limit your email inquiries to those which I alone can answer so that I can give more pressing
inquiries the attention which they deserve. For example, if you are
unsure about a due date, consult the syllabus, the handouts, or the peers in
your group (/groups.htm), and then
consult me only if that confusion persists.
The first time that you visit my office hours in person with a course-related
inquiry (e.g. to get help with the homework, to discuss the reading that we
have lately covered, or to brainstorm essay ideas), I will give you extra
credit for the visit.
Campus Safety
Please sign up for the emergency
text-messaging system (www.emich.edu/alerts) so that DPS
can notify us of any calamity afflicting the class. Also consider availing yourself of the campus
escort service, Student Eyes and Ears for University Safety, by calling 48-SEEUS
(487-3387).
Attendance
Because this class primarily consists of reading and
discussion—rather than facts, figures, or memorization—regular attendance is
crucial. You never need to explain your absences, as I always assume that you
have an excellent reason to miss class.
However, if you have more than 3
absences, you no longer will be able to pass the class, and if you have
more than 2 absences, your final grade will
start being reduced by a full mark. That
is, the 3rd absence turns a final grade of A into a B, and the 4th
turns it into an E.
Reserve the allowable absences for
illnesses, car accidents, or other emergencies that prevent you from coming to
campus and make sure not to exhaust these absences too early in the term. When
you are absent, contact the students in your group (/groups.htm) to share notes or determine what you missed. Do not contact me to get your absence
excused. All absences up to the
third are automatically excused, and the missed homework is simply due on your
return. Any changes to the schedule will
be sent to the class as a whole by email.
Lateness
The most essential information—due dates, attendance, instructions,
clarifications of outstanding issues—is given at the beginning of class, so it
is important to come on time. Try to
arrive early just in case you encounter any problems along the way (traffic
jams, late busses, no parking). When you
are late, make sure to mark yourself present on the attendance sheet. Arriving halfway into the period or leaving
halfway through one each count as half an absence. Extreme or habitual lateness can result in
absences as well.
Classroom
Etiquette
It is important to be mindful of your peers in class, listening to
them with the same respect and attention that you hope to receive
yourself. Once class begins, do
not distract your peers by text messaging, playing computer games, or packing
up books before the period is finished.
Instead of disturbing nearby students with half-whispered inquires,
raise your hand and bring them to the attention of class, especially since many
students will have the same questions anyway.
Most importantly, do not walk in or out of the room unless there
is a genuine emergency. If you have a medical condition requiring you
to exit from time to time, bring a formal doctor’s note affirming as such;
otherwise, stay in the room for the duration of the period and reserve personal
business for the break midway through the class. If you must leave prematurely, do not
interrupt class yet again by coming back.
These disruptive exits can be both mental and physical; for example,
students discovered using laptops for purposes unrelated to the course will be
asked to leave and marked absent.
Academic
Integrity
Fundamental
to any college course is the free expression of thought, which requires not
only learning the subject at hand, but being able to make independent judgments
about it. Understanding and
avoiding plagiarism, and doing all of the course work on your own, is therefore
imperative. Copying the
assignments of peers, having parents or roommates do your homework, taking
credit for essays which you find on the internet, or recycling your own essays
for double credit are all forms of academic dishonesty, and for very good
reason. Each interferes
with the sole purpose, and the unique benefit, of going to college; namely, the
unfettered exercise of an informed mind.
Plagiarism, put simply, is taking either the ideas or the words of
another person and reusing them as if they are your own. It does not matter whether you are drawing on
Wikipedia for mundane information or channeling the most holy of books for
heavenly inspiration, you must acknowledge when you make use of
the concepts or expressions of other people under any circumstances. When describing the ideas of someone else in
your own words, make sure to state as such (So
and so says X ... ); most importantly, when inserting the words of someone
else into your writing, make sure to credit that person for the passage and
place quotation marks on either side (So
and so says, “X”). Writing that
lacks such acknowledgements will pass as your own by default, and writing that
thus seems to be your own, without actually being your own, will be
plagiarizing the original source.
Any cheating, plagiarism, or other academic dishonesty will result
in an automatic 0% grade for the assignment; any second instance will result in
an outright failure of the course. There
is no excuse for academic dishonesty, nor any exceptions to this policy.
Schedule
Section I: Psychoanalytic and Feminist Criticism (Fiction Case Study)
September 3: Survey of
Course; Student Introductions; Conjectural Response/Homework: 1] Get books and
review syllabus, noting down any questions you still have; 2] Read How to Interpret [HL], pg. 9-20
and 40-51, and Writing about
Literature [WL], pg. 1-15 (skim 5-12); 3] Print, read, and annotate “The Birthmark” in the Electronic Reserves
[ER], http://reserves.emich.edu/, password 300; 4] Make sure to bring the Hawthorne story and Writing about Literature to class.
September 10: Discuss Hawthorne
& Formalism, Workshop Elements of Fiction/Homework: 1] Finish
“Structuralism” (HL 51-61) ; 2]
Read “Writing Essays” (WL
16-23) and Angela Carter’s
“The Bloody Chamber” (ER
7-41); 3] Write a 2-paragraph response focusing on different aspects of the Carter
story depending on your group number: character (Group 1), plot (Group
2), setting (Group 3), point of view (Group 4), and theme
(Group 5); 4] For pointers, consult the writing book (WL 64+, 93+, 77+, 109+, or 119+); if you cannot remember your group
assignment, see the handout online (/groups.htm).
September 17: Discuss
Carter, Structuralism, and Responses/Homework: 1] Read Sigmund Freud, “Creative Writers” [ER
1-6] and Adrienne Rich, “When We Dead” (ER
1-6);
2] Begin “Psychoanalysis” and “Feminism” (HL 101-16, 136-49); 3] Write down two copies
of a discussion question for your peers to consider in class (see examples in
“The Birthmark”), with that question (or set of questions) focusing on
different topics depending on your group number: psychological aspects of the
Hawthorne story (Group 1); the same aspects in the Carter story (Group
2); gender dynamics in the Hawthorne story (Group 3); the same
dynamics in the Carter story (Group 4), or a combination of
psychological and gender issues in either story (Group 5).
September 24: Discuss Psychoanalysis & Feminism,
Groupwork Questions/Homework: 1] Finish “Psychoanalysis”
and “Feminism” (HL 116-26, 152-61); 2] If you are in Groups
1-3, read Naomi Wolf, “The Beauty Myth” (ER
179-87); if you are in Groups
4-5, read John Berger, “Ways of Seeing” (ER
97-105); 3] All groups read “Assembling Materials” (WL 24-34) and then email an outline
for Essay One by 11PM on 9/29 to acoykenda
at comcast.net, including the title, introduction, thesis statement,
3-4 topic sentences, and a list of supporting details (or quotes) for at least 1 body paragraph (see
guidelines online /req.htm).
October 1: Discuss
Feminism, Psychoanalysis, & Outlines/Homework: 1] Read “Use of References” and “Close
Reading” (WL 34-38,
53-5, 59-1); 2] Open and review
the Sample Essay file (/samp.doc or, if necessary, /samp.rtf), save it under a new name on your own disk, and
then use it to write a draft of Essay One,
deleting the existing words (including the header) and inserting the
information appropriate for your essay;
3] Complete the draft to the point where your have at least 4 complete
paragraphs, including a revised introduction (with a solid thesis) and quotes
(properly formatted) from 2 theorists (Freud, Rich, Berger, or Wolf); 4] Email the draft to acoykenda at
comcast.net by class time and bring TWO copies to class for peer editing (anonymously if you
prefer).
Section II: Marxism
and Deconstruction (Poetry Case Study)
October 8: Capstone of
Section, Peer Editing, Watch Zizek!/Homework: 1] Complete Essay One, 4 pgs., and email it as an attachment by 11 PM Oct. 17 to acoykenda at
comcast.net; 2] Read
about marxism (HL 187-205), as well as imagery, metaphor, and
simile (ER 129-44); 3] Read abridged “Meaning of Human
Requirements” (ER 93-97), paying close attention to images and other poetic figures that Karl
Marx uses.
October 15: Discuss
Marxism, Workshop
Poetry & Poetic Devices/Homework: 1] Read about deconstruction (HL 77-89, 92-100), as well as symbolism and allegory (WL 129-37); 2]
Read Roland Barthes, “Reality Effect” (ER 135-41); 3] Read the Section Two
Poems (ER 1-4) and then write a 2-paragraph response on a poem of your choice, using
a marxist approach if you are in Groups 1-2 and a deconstructive approach if
you are in Groups 3-5.
October 22: Discuss
Responses, Deconstruction, & the film Derrida /Homework: 1] Read bell
hooks, “Postmodern Blackness” (ER 2478-84); 2] Read about prosody, though
without getting mired in detail (ER
182-200); 3] Re-Read Section Two
Poems (ER 1-4); 4] Email an outline for Essay Two by 11PM Sunday to acoykenda
at comcast.net, including a title, introduction, thesis statement,
3-4 topic sentences, and a list of supporting details or quotes for at least one body paragraph (see /req.htm for essay guidelines).
October 29: Discuss hooks, Essays, & Poetry/Homework: 1] Begin Tennessee Williams, Suddenly, Last Summer (9-30),
as well as “Historicism and Cultural Studies” (HL 218-26); 2] Adapting the Sample Essay file from
before (/samp.doc), complete a draft of Essay Two to the point where your have at least 4 complete paragraphs (including
a revised introduction with a solid thesis), as well as quotes (properly
formatted) from 2 theorists (Marx, Barthes, or hooks); 3] Email the draft to acoykenda
at comcast.net by class time, bringing TWO additional copies to class for peer editing (anonymously
if you prefer).
Section III:
Post-Colonial, Queer, and Cultural Studies (Drama Case Study)
November 5: Section
Capstone, Peer Editing, Discuss Suddenly, Last Summer/Homework: 1] Complete Essay Two, 4 pgs., and email it as a properly formatted attachment to acoykenda at
comcast.net by 11 PM on Nov. 14;
2] Read abridged version of Edward Said, “Imagined Geography” (ER 1-4); 3] Continue Suddenly,
Last Summer (31-52).
November 12: Discuss Williams &
Said/Homework: 1] Read “Postcolonial and Race Studies” (HL 240-62); 2] Read abridged version of Franz
Fanon, “Fact of Blackness” (ER 323-6); 3] Review the handouts on
the Research Essay (/guide.htm) and Researching
Literature (/demo.htm); 4] Continue Suddenly, Last Summer (53-74); 5] Optional: Read “Writing
about Film” (ER 243-53).
November 19: Meet in the Library for the Research Demo/Homework: 1] Read “Postcolonial and Race Studies” (HL 240-62); 2] Read abridged version of Franz Fanon, “Fact of Blackness” (ER 323-6); 3] Read “Queer Studies” (HL 162-9, 71-83); 4] Read abridged version of Judith Butler, “Gender Trouble” (ER 2488-501); 5] Write down two copies of a discussion question for your peers to consider in class with the question (or set of questions) focusing on different aspects of the Williams play depending on your group number: historical (Group 1), cultural (Group 2), sexual (Group 3), racial (Group 4), and colonial (Group 5); 6] Optional: Read “Writing about Film”(ER 243-53).
November 26: Fall Brea k
December 3: Discuss
Williams, Research, & Discussion Questions/Homework: 1] Finish
“Historicism and Cultural Studies” (HL 226-39); 2] Read about
historical approaches to literature (WL 144-50), research
essays (ER 258-72), and
documentation (WL 272-8); 3] Finish all outstanding homework or extra credit responses by
the next class; 4] Send the following
in an email attachment to acoykenda at comcast.net by 11PM on Sat. 12/6:
a. The topic or topics that you are considering
writing about for Essay Three;
b. The main question(s) that you want your
research (and resulting essay) to answer;
c. One specific concept from at least one
theorist that you plan to use as a source (Said, Butler, or Fanon);
d. One piece of relevant information and a
supporting quote from a book on reserve at the library about Williams (listed
under “Coykendall”);
e. One relevant argument and a supporting quote
from an article or book chapter of literary criticism on the play;
f. The main historical and/or cultural
information that you plan to investigate further to guide your research and
make your argument convincing;
g. A separate Works Cited
page (push the Enter and Control buttons simultaneously) that includes
bibliographic information about the sources from items c-e above, as well as
the play, formatted according to MLA conventions.
December 10: Discuss Williams, Research Essays, and
MLA Documentation/Homework: 1] Complete Essay Three, 4½ pgs., and
email it as a properly formatted attachment to acoykenda at comcast.net by 12 PM Dec.
18; 2] Prepare for a
brief, 5-min. presentation about your topic, thesis, research, and critical
approach for the final class (see the Guidelines on the essay).
December 17: Research Presentations
Online Handouts and Links
Course Syllabus (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/f08/)
Course Schedule [Section I, II, III] (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/f08/#schedule)
Electronic Reserves (http://reserves.emich.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=1369)
Group Assignments (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/groups.htm)
Extra-Credit Opportunities (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/req.htm#extra)
Essay Requirements (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/req.htm)
Sample Essay File (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/samp.doc)
Peer Workshop Handout (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/peer.htm)
Grading Symbols (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/symbols.html)
Guidelines on the Research Essay (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/guide.htm)
Researching Literature (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/demo.htm)
[Syllabus last modified XXX 0,
0000]