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Literature 101: Introduction
to Fiction fall 2002 Dr.
Abby Coykendall acoykenda@emich.edu Office
Location: Pray-Harrold Hall 603G ~
or by appointment ~
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Literature 101 “Introduction to
Fiction” is a class in which we will explore a variety of prose fiction, particularly
novels and short stories, ranging in period from the eighteenth-century to
the present. We will begin with Isak
Dinesen’s “The Cardinal’s First Tale,” which is not only a wonderful short
story in and of itself, but also an investigation into the genre of fiction
as a whole. Dinesen will set the
terms for what we will investigate throughout: the ways in which personal
identity can be considered a mode of storytelling, the ways in which personal
identity might work in relation to, and even in opposition to, the stories
that our cultures (or our parents) tell of themselves, and the ways in which
fictional narratives can impact the real, everyday world of lived
experience. We will see how fantastic
tales of heroic adventure can become thinly disguised horror tales once taken
in their historical context; however, we will also see how these narratives
can offer a means to (re)envision and hopefully to (re)create the material
world in which we all live. Ultimately,
whether discussing literature or world events, we will attempt to expand
rather than confine our engagement with the material. |
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The Following Books
are Available at the EMU Bookstore (McKenny Union, 487-1000): Daniel Defoe, Robinson
Crusoe (Oxford UP) Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (Bedford/St.
Martin's) Octavia Butler, Kindred (Beacon Press) Raymond Chandler, The Big
Sleep (Vintage/Random House) Additional Materials: Isak Dinesen, “The Cardinal’s
First Tale” Virginia Woolf,
“Shakespeare’s Sister,” from A Room of One’s Own Jamaica Kincaid, A Small
Place (selection) Italo Calvino, If on a
Winter’s Night a Traveler (selection) M. H. Abrams, “A Glossary of
Literary Terms” (selection) Guidelines on Essay
Formatting & Organization http://people.emich.edu/acoykenda/essay.pdf
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Attendance Because this class consists primarily
of reading and discussion — rather than facts, figures, and memorization —
attendance is crucial. You may
be absent four 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. Aside from the grade reduction, missing
classes will hinder your ability to do the assignments properly and
promptly. Although there will be no
penalty for lateness, it can have several undesirable consequences: you may
miss critical 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 while entering the room.
If you are absent from class, contact another student who can fill you
in on missed work. Above all, make
sure to withdraw from the course if you find that you cannot attend class
regularly. |
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Assignments
There will be a large number of
writing assignments: informal responses, more formal essays, and essay
exams. The responses will be on
subjects of your own choice, but must relate to the readings assigned for
that day. 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 responses, the mechanical
elements of writing do not matter in the least, and the goal is to freely and
openly express ideas; whereas, with the essays, the mechanical elements of
writing must be attended to very thoroughly and the goal is to defend a
focused argument clearly, coherently, and persuasively. The final exam will have three sections —
identification, short responses, and essay questions — and will comprehend
both the fictional and critical materials that we have discussed in
class. You will be able refer to an
outline during the final exam for the essay questions, but not to the books
themselves. The responses will be posted to the
class listserv after each major reading assignment, or they may be
handwritten if you have any difficulty accessing the internet. Your responses should be at least one
paragraph in length, 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. Make
sure to bring a copy of the novel or short story that we are discussing to
class. Also, make sure to keep up
with the readings in order to have plenty of preparation for the essays and
exams. As with any university course,
homework will take around two hours for every hour of class, and thus you can
expect each week to spend six hours outside of class completing the various
assignments and readings. We will
review one writing handout — “Guidelines on Essay
Formatting and Organization” — before you turn in your essays and prepare
for the exams. |
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Grading
The
essays will be given two grades: one for the quality of the theme and one for
the quality of the writing. 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. Responses are worth up to 15
points; late responses are marked down just one grade, no matter how late, so
as to encourage you to make up the readings and thereby prepare for the
exams. 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. The
participation grade is a significant portion of your final grade — 20% — so
keep up with the reading assignments and make your voice heard in class. Your total response points will be
averaged, put on a fair grading curve, and then bumped up or down
considerably depending on how actively you engage in class discussions. |
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Academic Dishonesty Any plagiarized writing or cheating on
the exams will automatically result in a failing, zero-percent grade for the
assignment. Thus, if you plagiarize
on the essay, you can expect, at most, to receive a B- (or 80%) for your
final grade, supposing that you did everything else perfectly. If you cheat or plagiarize on the final
exam, you can expect, at most, to receive a D (or 65%) 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 for professors to catch and document, so do not even think
about doing it in this class or elsewhere.
Plagiarism is a very serious offense against the Code of Student
Conduct. 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 citing your source, you are guilty of
plagiarism. 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.” In short, plagiarism is
theft. |
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