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English 300W: Writing about Literature Winter 2009 Dr. Abby Coykendall acoykenda at emich.edu Office Hours: MW 2:00-4:00 & 9:10-9:40 PM Office Location: Pray-Harrold Hall 603G ~ or email for appointments ~
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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 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 hands-on workshop in which to practice and strengthen your
literary critical skills, from the essential how-to’s of close reading and
textual analysis to the communication of the discoveries that result in both conversation
and writing.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, you will 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, compelling, and persuasive arguments about literary works in essays
reflecting the basic conventions of literary 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 Ned’s
bookstore (483-6400; 707 W. Cross St.).
If you order books online, make sure to get the same editions by double
checking the ISBN number, a fingerprint of sorts for the book:
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Robert Dale Parker, How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory for
Literary and Cultural Studies Tennessee
Williams, Streetcar Named Desire (New Directions, 2004;
ISBN# 0811216020) |
The remaining texts can be accessed online and then printed for free in
any of the campus computer labs. See the
Electronic Reserves (ER): http://reserves.emich.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=1369, password 300. **Make sure to bring a copy of the
texts that we are covering to class, whether found in the ER or in a book. You will need everything on hand for group work and class discussions.
Course Itinerary
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Section
One: Psychoanalysis
& Feminism (Fiction Case Study) |
Literature: Nathaniel
Hawthorne, “The Birthmark” Angela Carter,
“The Bloody Chamber” |
Theorists: Sigmund
Freud Naomi
Wolf John
Berger |
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Key Skills: Formal Awareness
& Analysis, Effective Argument |
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Section
Two: Marxism
& Deconstruction (Poetry Case Study) |
Literature: Select poems by
Baudelaire, e. e. cummings, Dickinson, Hughes, Millay, Piercy, Poe, Roethke, Shakespeare,
& Paul Simon |
Theorists: Karl Marx Jean
Baudrillard Donna
Haraway bell hooks |
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Key Skills: Close Reading,
Supporting Detail & Quotation |
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Section
Three: Postcolonial,
Queer, (Drama
Case Study) |
Literature: Tennessee
Williams, Suddenly Last Summer & Streetcar Named Desire |
Theorists: Edward
Said Judith
Butler Ella Shohat |
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Key Skills: Historical
Context, Research & Documentation |
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 of the theorists
of your choice) will be due after each section, with the third essay, a
research essay, folding in additional sources that you will find on your own.
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 potentially 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 to class on time and prepared.
The grading of the second and third essays will be
increasingly rigorous to account for your growing skills over the span of the
term, though of course never onerously or excessively so. With effort, every student in the class could
receive an A if he or she carefully attends to the comments and feedback given
on earlier essays. The final essay,
which serves in lieu of a final exam, must demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of the skills covered throughout the term.
The Essay Requirements handout describes each of the assignments in
detail (/req.htm), as well as the extra-credit opportunities available for you 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, will give further detail about the final essay
(/guide.htm).
Grading Weights:
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25% |
Participation: Homework, Responses, & Quizzes |
minimum length: |
due dates: |
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20% |
Essay One (Fiction): On either the Carter
or Hawthorne stories |
4 pgs. |
February 27 |
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25% |
Essay Two (Poetry): On any of the Section Two poems |
4 pgs. |
March 31 |
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30% |
Essay Three (Drama): On one of the plays
by Tennessee Williams |
4˝ pgs. |
April 25 |
Grading Scale:
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100-94% |
A |
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89-88% |
B+ |
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83-80% |
B- |
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77-74% |
C |
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69-68% |
D+ |
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93-90% |
A- |
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87-84% |
B |
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79-78% |
C+ |
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73-70% |
C- |
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67-64% |
D |
Campus Resources & Safety
At some point in
the term, you should take advantage of the Academic Projects Center, located in
the Halle Library (Room 104). This
support center, open 11:00-5:00 Monday-Thursday, assists with the research,
writing, and technology skills necessary for success in academic papers and research
projects.
Consider availing
yourself as well of the campus escort service, Student Eyes and Ears for
University Safety, by calling 48-SEEUS (487-3387). If you sign up for the emergency
text-messaging system (www.emich.edu/alerts), DPS can notify us of any calamity afflicting the
class.
Instructor Availability
I will be delighted to discuss any course-related
questions, interests, or concerns during my office hours in person (603G Pray
Harrold) or by phone (487-0147), as well as through email (acoykenda
at emich.edu) at any
time. Email is the most reliable way to
reach me outside of the office since the messaging system for my office 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 issues
usually receive a reply before the next class period. Please limit your emails
to inquiries which I alone can answer so that I can give more pressing
inquiries the attention that they deserve. If, for example, you are unsure about a due
date, consult the syllabus, the handouts (/hand.htm), or the peers in your group (/groups.htm), and then email me if that confusion persists.
The first time that you visit my office hours in person with a
course-related inquiry, such as to get help with the homework, to discuss the
reading that we have lately covered, or to brainstorm essay ideas, I will give
you 10 points extra credit for the visit.
Attendance
Because this class primarily consists of reading
and discussion—rather than facts, figures, or memorization—regular attendance
is crucial. You will 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 2 absences, your
final grade will be reduced by a full mark, and if you have more than 3 absences, you will no
longer be able to pass the class. That
is, the third absence would turn a final grade of A into a B and the fourth would
turn it into an E.
Reserve absences for
illnesses, car accidents, or other emergencies that truly prevent you from
coming, and make sure not to exhaust the allowable absences too early
in the term. When you must be 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 excused automatically,
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, assignment
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 must be late, make sure to mark yourself present on the
attendance sheet. Arriving halfway into
the period or leaving halfway through the period 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, browsing the web, or packing up books before the period is
finished. Instead of disturbing nearby
students with half-whispered inquires, raise your hand and bring these issues
to the attention of class, especially since many of the other 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.
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 academic dishonesty, and
doing all course work on your own, is
therefore imperative. Copying the homework of peers, having parents or roommates do your assignments,
taking credit for essays which you find on the internet, or recycling your own
essays for double credit are all forms of plagiarism, and for very good reason.
Each interferes with the sole purpose, and the
unique privilege, of going to college; namely, the unfettered exercise of an
informed mind.
Plagiarism is, put simply, taking either the ideas or the words of
another person and reusing them as if they are your own. Whether you are drawing on Wikipedia for
mundane (and quite possibly specious) information or channeling the most holy
of holy books for heavenly inspiration, you must acknowledge when you make use of concepts
and/or expressions of other people without any
exception under any
circumstances. When describing the ideas of someone else in
your own words, make sure to specify 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 these 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 of academic dishonesty will
result in outright failure of the course.
There is no excuse for academic dishonesty, nor any exceptions to this
policy.
Course Schedule (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/sched.htm)
Course Syllabus (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/300/w09/)
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)
Checklist for Essay
Three (http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/227/ck.htm)
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary (http://www.m-w.com/)
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 January 5, 2009]