ENG 201: Interpreting Texts
Fall 2011
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Professor: Bridget Keegan
NB: The instructor reserves the right to make alterations to the following syllabus as needed. Students will be notified of any changes both via an in-class announcement and via email sent through Blueline. It is important for you to check your Creighton email daily for any messages sent to the class
COURSE DESCRIPTION, ORGANIZATION, AND GOALS
1. Course Description
ENG 201 (Interpreting Texts) is one course in a two-course unit that forms
the foundation of the undergraduate major in English. This course, and its
companion, ENG 202 (Entering a Professional Dialogue), were designed to
introduce students to the wide range of areas that comprise English Studies in
the early 21st century. Vital in what it means to be an English major
is having a shared (if also often-contested) body of knowledge, skills, and
values that are at the core of the diverse areas of more specialized emphasis.
In the main, English 201 stresses the ways in which literary and critical theory
inform the understanding (reading and thinking) and creation (writing and
thinking) of texts. This course will offer an introductory survey of
methods of reading and composing. It aims to demonstrate that all
practices of interpretation, either as reading or writing, are informed by
theory. By developing a fuller knowledge of the theories that have
currently shaped English Studies as an academic discipline, students will
develop a better sense of their own ability to make informed choices in their
acts of interpretation of "texts" (be these traditional literary works, films,
new media, popular culture, etc.) and in their writing, whether it be creative,
critical, or expository. The course will encourage students to be
self-conscious, aware, and, most importantly empowered, in their hermeneutic and
rhetorical actions.
2. Course Organization
The course will proceed in two interrelated modules. In the first module,
using both literary texts and texts of literary and critical theory, we will ask
and explore the basic questions underpinning all critical methodologies: What is
an AUTHOR? What is a READER? What is a TEXT? and What does it mean to read/write
as a___________?
After we have thought about these questions for ourselves, we will then turn to our second module to see what assumptions/answers the main schools of 20th and 21st century literary and critical theory have for these questions. To help focus our survey and analysis, in the second half of the semester, we will focus on a single literary text, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, exploring how different critical methodologies can be applied to the same text and comparing and evaluating the results.
3. Course Goals.
All assignments and activities for the class have been designed to meet one
or more of the following goals:
To understand what is meant by "criticism" and what a "critical perspective" involves.
To become familiar with the main developments in literary and critical theory in the 20th and 21st century and to become confident in reading, understanding, and explaining (orally and in writing) works of literary and critical theory
To understand the questions different theoretical perspectives ask of texts and how different theories can be applied to texts
To articulate (orally and in writing) your own theoretical preferences as a reader and scholar
To write a coherent and well-supported essay that uses literary or critical theory to teach your reader something new about a text
To contribute actively and responsibly to the collective work of the class, making thoughtful comments or raising useful questions in class discussions and supporting each other in understanding course texts and our own development as scholars
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
All books are available at the Creighton University Bookstore. Please use only the editions listed below:
Coleridge, S. T., The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Case Studies in
Contemporary Criticism. Ed Paul H. Fry (Bedford/St. Martins, 1999).
ISBN 0312112238. (Abbreviated on the schedule as AM)
Richter, David H., ed. The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and
Contemporary Trends. 3rd edition (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007).
ISBN 0312415206. (Abbreviated on the schedule as CT)
In addition you should have the following:
- A good
college-level dictionary
- A good writing
handbook (for reference information on grammar and style) such as Andrea
Lunsford’s The Everyday Writer, Andrea Lunsford
- MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition.
- A working and
regularly checked CU email account – I will send emails to the class
using the Blueline/AMI email function. These go to your CU email
and I will expect that you check that email account on a daily basis.
- Access to a computer
with internet capabilities, as we will use Blueline for the course
activities
COURSE POLICIES
1. Course Format
Because this course meets only once a week, during each class period, we
Because of the length of the class, we will have a short 5-minute break about half way through the class period. If you need to leave class at any other point, please do so quietly and return as soon as possible.
2. Course Courtesies
NB: As this is an evening class, and as some may be coming from work or
other obligations please be aware that I have no objection if you need to bring
a meal or snack with you. However, out of courtesy to others in the room, please
be sure whatever you eat or drink does not have a strong odor and is not noisy
to consume so that you cause as little distraction to class work as possible.
Please be sure to have your cell phones turned off. Even the vibrate function on many models can make a disruptive noise (and the temptation to text while the phone is on looms). If you have a particular emergency for which you need to keep your phone on, please inform me at the start of class.
Finally, while technology is an important part of our ability to do our work, and you are welcome to use tablets or laptops in class, please be sure that you are only using the machine for the work of the class. If I notice you are on Facebook or texting during class time or using your computer for any purposes other than class activities, I will ask you to turn off your computer/mobile device for the remainder of class or to put your phone/device in your bag.
3. Communication and Office Hours
A note concerning email: While you can generally assume that we will check our email regularly during business hours (9-5, M-F), and that we will try to answer emails within 24 hours, please remember that it is impossible for us to guarantee that we will be able to get back to you immediately. If you have a question or concern, please get in touch with us as soon as possible – don’t wait until the last minute.
4. Attendance Policy
Class attendance is required, and attendance will be taken daily. In
each class meeting, everything we do is important, so if you miss class, you
will miss material very important to your success. Because this is a once a
week class, missing one class is really missing an entire week of class. Missing
class will certainly have a detrimental effect on your final grade. If you miss
a class meeting, it is your responsibility to get any assignments from one of
your classmates as well as to complete and submit any assignments that were due
that day.
In this class, absences are not "excused." If you miss class, you miss class -- no matter what your reason. All absences "count" and thus will affect your grade. If there is an emergency that forces you to miss class, please contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss your options.
After three absences (or three weeks of the course), you will automatically
fail the course. Also, three late arrivals or early departures from class are
equivalent to one absence.
In the case of a weather emergency, I will notify you via blueline/AMI (your
Creighton email) if class is cancelled. If the University is closed officially,
then you can assume that class is cancelled. Even if class is not cancelled,
and the university remains open, please do not come to class if you feel that
doing so would put you (or others!) in danger. This is the one exception
for the above noted absence policy.
5. Academic Honesty and Integrity
First things first: If you are having problems, or feel that you can’t cope,
see me first and we will figure out a solution -- don't ever think for a second
that plagiarizing or cheating is a good decision.
Second: if you are not sure whether what you are doing is cheating or not, please see me before you act. I would rather clear up a simple misunderstanding than have to pursue an academic dishonesty case.
But to review: It is an infringement of academic integrity to cheat on a test or exam, or to represent as your own papers downloaded off the internet or kept in fraternity or sorority files, or copied from printed books and journals. It is also academic dishonesty to paraphrase these sources without proper bibliographic citation. Plagiarism refers to the use of other people’s ideas (including those of other students and published authors) that are improperly documented, so as to give the reader the impression they are your own. Taking a sentence or paragraph from a work is as bad as copying the entirety of the essay. The new handbook, prepared by the Creighton Student Senate last year, offers a fuller discussion with examples and is worth reading through for further clarification of these crucial issues.
Be forewarned: In this course, there is a zero-tolerance policy for academic
dishonesty. The penalty for plagiarism or any other kind of academic dishonesty,
such as cheating on a quiz, is a failing grade for the course. End of story and
no negotiation. Know also that college policy also requires that all incidents
of plagiarism be reported to the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s office has the right
to impose stronger penalties up to and including expulsion. The Dean’s office
keeps a record of confirmed plagiarism cases, and must respond honestly when a
graduate program or potential employer attempts to verify a student’s record,
thus any record of academic dishonesty stays on your academic record for the
rest of your life. Information on the College's Academic Honesty Policy is
available on the web at http://puffin.creighton.edu/ccas/policies/acadhonesty.html
Again, I can't stress enough: If you are having problems, or feel that you can’t
cope, see me first and we will figure out a solution -- don't ever think for a
second that plagiarizing or cheating is a good decision.
Please note: In this course, "Double submissions" (i.e., the the submission of work written for another course or instructor in high school or college), no matter if revised or altered, will be considered a violation of academic honesty and the penalties the same. Again, If you have any questions about these issues, please do not hesitate to ask me for guidance.
6. Accommodations
Please let me know if you need accommodation of any sort.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
1. Overview of Requirements
All assignments must be completed on time and as directed for you to pass the course. You are not allowed to "skip" any of the assignments. Doing so will result in your failing the course, regardless of your grades for the other assignments. Late submission of any element of the Seminar paper will result in failure of the entire assignment.
Please see the section on Detailed Assignment Descriptions for further information. Additional information will also be provided in advance of the due dates for longer assignments.Weekly summary and discussion question 20%
Midterm Paper 20%
Final Paper
(including proposal, annotated bibliography, first and final drafts) 40%
Participation and Attendance 20%
With all assignments, it is my goal to make my instructions and my evaluation process as transparent as possible for you. If you don’t understand either what you're meant to do, or later, why you received the grade you did, please see me. I am always happy to talk with you about the quality of your work and how you can continue to improve it.
2. Grading Scale
| 90-100% = A | 77-79.99% = C+ | 0-64.99% = F |
| 87-89.99% = B+ | 70-76.99% = C | |
| 80-86.99% = B | 65-69.99% = D |
3. Class Participation Standards and Evaluation of Participation
The quality of the class for everyone is in large part dependent on the
quality of preparation and visible engagement of each individual participant.
Below are concrete descriptions of different levels of participation. Please
realize that although you may have prepared the readings, and may be actively
listening to others, if you do not actively demonstrate your preparation and
ideas in discussion, there is no way to see and hence evaluate the quality of
your preparation and participation. We will perform self-evaluations at
least twice during the semester for you to reflect upon your participation and
receive a non-binding provisional grade from me. This will enable you to
better attain the participation grade you to which you aspire. Below are
guidelines according to which I will evaluate your participation:
A Level: These students are visible and obvious class leaders. Such a student contributes consistently, regularly and enthusiastically to class discussion. But such a student also does not dominate. Talking a lot doesn't guarantee an A. Rather, talking in a way that develops the conversation, builds on the comments of others, and is thoroughly grounded in the text under discussion will lead to an A. A-level participants don't ramble. Perhaps the most noteworthy characteristics of the A participant is that s/he always has very clear evidence from the text (being able to point to relevant passages and concrete details). Moreover, s/he doesn't just talk to the instructor. S/he engages everyone in the class, asks questions or builds on the comments of others, and addresses others' remarks as well as promoting his or her own position. These students are excellent and exceptional in their performance in every class.
B Level: These students contribute regularly to each class meeting. The B-level student has much in common with the A student; what differentiates the two is the degree of consistency of performance. The B student is sometimes a class leader, but not always. The B student is reliable in giving concrete evidence and details, but less specific than the A student. S/he always does good work, usually engages others, but may not do so every class meeting. These students are above average in their contributions in terms of both content and delivery.
C Level: These students give useful and relevant ideas and opinions; however, they may not tie their ideas with evidence from the text or they may not contribute very frequently. The C student only rarely engages others in the class by asking questions or furthering points. These students are very obviously not the class leaders, although they come prepared to all class meetings and are productive members of the class. They are average in their work, doing only what is required but no more.
D Level: These students are physically present and actively listen, but do not contribute with any regularity, or if they do, their contributions are vague and not carefully articulated. Their preparation and participation is never reliable and they do not make an effort to engage with others in the class.
F Level: These students are often absent. If they attend regularly, they are obviously and frequently unprepared and inattentive. An F-level student may also be one who makes insulting and unproductive comments, talks while others have the floor, or engages in other disruptive or disrespectful behavior. Numerous absences or flagrant rudeness should guarantee a failing grade.
3. Standards of Evaluation for All Written Work
Please note also that with both formal essays these descriptions refer to
the evaluation of the end product of a lengthy process--the final revised
version of a paper, not the first or even the second draft. Global and local
revisions are vital components of the writing of any student.
The A Grade : Outstanding or "A" essays feature a well-defined and
manageable thesis, highly specific and relevant evidence, accurate, original,
and insightful analysis. Arguments and evidence are carefully arranged and
organized around central ideas lending support to the main thesis. All points
are clearly and sufficiently motivated, explained, supported, and developed.
The arguments and observations reveal not only close attention to details but
also awareness of and ability to exploit nuances of form and signification.
Whenever necessary, while probing the evidence and assessing the implications of
the analysis, the writer appropriately qualifies the main and subsidiary theses.
The "A" essay is an example of thinking where analysis prevails over mere
paraphrase. This essay is very well written, elegant in style, and free of
spelling, grammatical, and syntactical errors. It has a unique "voice" that
reflects an individual writer behind it, and will speak with authority and
clarity. Its treatment of the topic avoids a feeling of "anonymity." It
addresses the assignment directly without avoiding specific requirements.
The B Grade: The "B" essay shows a very good understanding of the issues
raised and adequately relates them to the textual evidence. The writer makes
effective arguments and marshals appropriate and adequate support in the form of
properly discussed examples and illustrations. The argument is of sufficient
length, has a clear focus, and balances the general with the specific, as well
as analysis with paraphrase. This type of essay shows a very good effort
at organization, is clearly written, and is free of major errors in spelling,
grammar, and syntax. The B essay differs from the A essay in its degree of
originality, specificity, engagement of evidence, quality of reasoning, depth of
vision, and overall balance in the handling of all aspects of the arguments. The
writer of the B essay may show a certain tendency to ride on the strength of a
particular point or observation at the expense of a fuller, richer, and more
in-depth development/support of the ideas under consideration. Its sense of
audience is clear. The B paper addresses the assignment directly and satisfies
almost all of its requirements. The B grade is not given to a paper that is not
clearly and demonstrably above average.
A grade of B+ may be given to a paper whose elements place it in the upper
range of B papers, but which is still not of A quality.
The C Grade: The "C" essay shows an adequate awareness of the nature of
the problem or thesis under consideration. While showing some weakness in
focusing and controlling the argument, it makes no major errors in understanding
the texts involved and reveals a competent ability to relate general issues to
particular examples and illustrations. The writer may overlook important aspects
of the evidence, neglect to use pertinent examples, or not go far enough in
interpreting and analyzing the text(s). The ideas chosen may exhibit a certain
dependence on points raised and developed in class or other outside sources.
Overall, this essay shows a need for development, clarification, and precision
in the handling of textual evidence; its structure and organization may seem
mechanical, loose, and somewhat random. This essay often tends to privilege
paraphrase over analysis and may contain a number of errors in spelling, syntax,
and grammar. It addresses the assignment directly and relatively clearly, but
without significant depth or clarity. The tone and voice of a C paper are fairly
clear but often lack a sense of individuality of author or sense of authority. A
C paper often has an "anonymous" quality to it, restating standard opinion or
assertions without going into significant depth. A C paper is in control of its
subject in a reasonable but not yet comprehensive manner.
It is important to note that a C grade on a paper does not mean that the writing, or the student's performance, is in any way poor or substandard. A C means that the work is basically solid and acceptable.
4. How to Succeed in this Class
Because you’ll be reading some very challenging material, you should
build in time to your schedule to allow for at least two readings of the
assigned essays. Because you are going to be writing a summary of one of
them each week, you’ll need to read actively and take notes as you read.
These notes will help you with the weekly assignment and with actively
contributing to in-class discussions.
While the class will involve some lectures, it will be primarily discussion based, thus it is essential to come to class prepared and ready to contribute your questions and observations. You’ll also want to take notes in class, to help you with later assignments.
It should go without saying that turning in all written assignments on time and as directed is essential.
Finally, if you are confused about anything, need help with anything, are experiencing a problem with anything, please let me know so that I can help you. The sooner you ask, the sooner I can help. Don’t let a problem snowball. I am here for you and want you to succeed.
DESCRIPTIONS OF ASSIGNMENTS
1. General Information for All Written Work
If you have any questions about any of the assignments, please ask me about them. I want you to succeed in this course, and I want to do everything I can to help you succeed. I am happy to brainstorm ideas and, with "fair warning," go over drafts. If you want me to go over a draft of more than 2 pages, you will need to get it to me in a timely fashion. I cannot look at full drafts 24 or 48 hours before the paper is due (especially with a 12 page paper). If you want my input, plan ahead. Also, if you want me to review a long draft, please get it to me at least 24 hours before we meet.
In order to write a good essay, you will ALWAYS need to write more than one draft. Be sure to revise your essay attentively, taking care to make your argument logical and easy to follow. As you draft and revise, imagine that you are writing to teach your reader something important or interesting about your topic. Ask yourself as you write how your essay will help the reader to understand the topic better. Are you explaining things thoroughly enough? Do you have enough evidence to illustrate your points?
When you are rewriting you will also want to pay particular attention to style and mechanics. PROOFREAD YOUR WORK CAREFULLY. You may wish to have a friend also proofread. Errors of inattention, such as typographical flaws, are easily avoided. Moreover, they can adversely affect your grade if they make their way into your final draft.
You are required to use proper documentation (MLA style) for both in-text citations and your Works Cited page. If you have any questions about MLA style, please ask; otherwise, I will assume you know it, and expect you to use it properly in essays.
All essays should be typed, double-spaced on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Top, bottom and left margins should be 1", with the right margin (unjustified) approximately 1" also. Type size should be standard 10 or 12 point and printed in letter quality. Put your name and course number in the upper right or left corner. Do not number the first page, but put a number in the upper right corner of all following pages. All longer papers should have an appropriate title on the first page. You do not need a binder, folder, or title page. Do not staple your pages; use a paper clip to hold them together.
LATE PAPERS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. If you don't turn your work in when it is due, then you will receive an F. If you run into trouble, please let me know as soon as possible, so we can figure out a way to solve your problem.
Do not wait until the day before the assignment is due. Early communication can help you avoid the problems of late homework and papers. We will work with you to help solve any difficulties.Please also be sure to build in extra time for writing assignments and to back up your work regularly: every five minutes isn't often enough. Be sure you have plenty of extra paper and printer cartridges. Don't just save your essay on the hard drive. Back it up on a CD or flash drive or "the cloud" so that when your computer crashes (which they like doing best during midterms or the week before finals), you can work on your paper at school or elsewhere.
I can’t say it often enough: Don't wait until the last minute to start work on your essay -- if you do, it's more likely that your grade will be jeopardized if a problem occurs. Trust me: your computer will crash at the most inopportune moments. Don't lose your work. We've all had disasters strike and we all know there are very simple ways to prevent them from recurring.
2. Weekly Question and Essay Summary
You will need to come to class each week with the following two pieces of writing prepared. As with all writing for the class, these must be typed, double-spaced, and include your name and the date in the upper right or left hand corner. Please observe MLA citation practices for any quotations from the relevant texts.
a) a significant, thought-provoking question about the texts assigned for that class or the class immediately prior. This must be a more open-ended interpretive question, meant to provoke discussion and debate. You can focus on one particular text or on an issue that related to more than one text. It is not a fact-based or yes/no question, but rather a means to explore areas of the text that you found ambiguous or intriguing. At the same time, the question should be focused enough so that in discussion, it is possible to point to specific passages to respond. Most importantly: It should be a question that you want to discuss with the group.
b) a short (400-500 word) summary of the main points of one of the essays of literary/critical theory assigned for that week. The "introductions" in the textbooks do not count as an essay of literary/critical theory.
3. Midterm Paper
You will be asked to choose one of the following poems (full texts are available on blueline) and write a 5-7 page essay that explores how the poem engages the guiding questions we have explored in the first module (What is an Author? What is a Reader? What is a Text? What does it mean to write/read as a _________?").
Shelley, "Ozymandias"
Keats, "This Living Hand"
Baudelaire, "Windows"
Thom Gunn, "Readings in French"
Mary Oliver, "Shelley"
Toi Derricotte, "For Black Women Who Are Afraid"
In your essay you are required use detailed and specific examples from at least two of the theoretical essays we have read to elucidate your points about the poem. You should apply and cite two theorists and establish a clear theoretical framework for your discussion of the text at hand. You are welcome to build upon summaries or questions that you completed for the weekly assignments.
PLEASE NOTE: We will be spending some class time devoted to workshopping this essay. Thus, you will need to include the preparatory drafts of your midterm essay with the final draft. Be sure, then, to hold on to all your notes and earlier drafts as well as peer comments so as to turn them in with the final copy. Good writing is process as much as product, and it is important to represent your process when you represent yourself as a writer in class.
4. Seminar Paper
As the major assignment for this course, you will compose a scholarly essay that
integrates both close reading (analysis or explication), documentation of
secondary scholarship on your topic, and an awareness of literary theoretical
approaches as they may be relevant to your analysis.
Before midterm, each student will be assigned to a research and writing workshop group of approximately 5-6 people.
Also prior to midterm, the group will begin to decide for itself upon three possible texts that the group would like to research and write about for the major paper. Each group will provide for me their list of three top choices with a short rationale for each choice. I will then approve one. Please remember in making your choices that “trendy” contemporary works are much less likely to have any serious scholarship available and thus will present a strong challenge to you in the research component you need to fulfill. You will have a much easier time researching a work such as Pride and Prejudice than you would if you elected to write about the latest Stephanie Meyer novel. I’ve had students who tried to do their research paper on the latest best-seller and because it was so new, they struggled to fulfill the basic requirements of the research aspect of this paper. That said, more canonical works such as Pride and Prejudice may have too much scholarship available, thus making it hard for you to feel like you are making an original contribution to knowledge about the text. To avoid this problem, you are also strongly advised to avoid the common run of high-school level texts, such as Of Mice and Men, for instance. While this is certainly an important and fine work, our goal is to challenge ourselves to do new and original research and not recycle the ideas we had in high school. We’re happy to talk with you individually or as groups about good texts to choose.Each of you will be writing your own analysis of your group
’s shared text; although you have a common text, you are each conducting your own research and writing your own separate paper. Once your group has chosen its text, and after a period of initial research and brainstorming you will first submit to me a short statement of where you propose to direct your thinking and writing about the text.From this shorter (2-3 sentence) proposal, you will go on to develop a more detailed research proposal. This second, fuller proposal will describe your topic and tentative approach to the material, and should be about 500 words. In your second, full proposal, be sure you directly address how your main idea will help your reader to better understand the text you are analyzing and how your theoretical agenda will help you achieve that goal.
You
’ll also prepare an annotated bibliography of at least eight (8) external secondary sources specifically about your text or theoretical essays related to the critical method of analysis you are considering integrating in your essay. This bibliography must be typed, in proper MLA format and include 2-3 sentences summarizing the main points of relevance of each of the outside sources. The only web-related resources you are permitted to use as scholarship are those that come from refereed web-based journals. We will discuss this in greater length as we review the research process in class. You will also include a photocopy of the first page of each resource. We’ll be both workshopping and presenting the extended paper proposals, as well as discussing research and bibliographic methods in depth in class.Please note that although we are going to be learning about several different methods of textual analysis, you should not feel obliged to apply one approach strictly.
If you are interested in both feminism and ecocriticism, for instance, you can read your chosen text with the concerns of both methodologies in mind. Most writers don’t ascribe exclusively to one “school.” Your interpretive strategies, both in terms of writing and reading, can be varied. The important thing is to be self-conscious, aware and empowered in how you bring theory to bear on your engagement with any text.You will be asked to turn in and workshop a full draft of the essay with the group. The draft substantially develops the ideas proposed in your extended paper proposal and integrates the resources listed in your bibliography. Furthermore, the draft must represent substantial work toward the final paper (i.e. it
must be typed, relatively free of technical error, and approaching the required length of the assignment). These drafts will be submitted to your workshop group for comment, and we will devote the last week of the class to workshopping each student’s essay. On the day your essay is being workshopped, you should come to class prepared with questions to ask your peer-reviewers.All peer-reviewers will prepare a 2-3 paragraph written response commenting on your work. Keep these peer reviews as they will need to be included in the portfolio of materials you submit with the final draft. It is your responsibility to produce written response to all other student
’s work as well. Commenting on your classmates’ essays forms a part of YOUR grade for this assignment. Failure to actively engage in peer-reviewing or to produce comments for revision for your classmates will result in the lowering of the grade for YOUR essay. Ideally, you should make more than one major revision in this process; but you will be required to do a minimum of one for the purposes of the class workshop.The final draft will be submitted on the day of the final exam. When you turn in your final draft you must include the materials from all the stages of your writing process (proposal/annotated bibliography/rough draft with the comments you received/final draft and any other intervening stages). If you do not turn ALL of these stages you will receive a failing grade for the essay. Please note further that failure to complete any of the above-mentioned required stages on-time and as directed will also result in your failing the assignment.
With this final portfolio, please write a 300-500 word cover memo to us presenting your final draft, discussing your writing process over the previous weeks, and alerting us in advance to what you are most proud of as well as most concerned about.
To sum up, your final essay portfolio should include at a minimum these
following items:
a) initial topic proposal
b) detailed proposal
c) annotated bibliography
d) first draft (and any subsequent major drafts)
e) peer comments
f) final version
g) cover memo
You should consider your work on this project as an original contribution to literary scholarship. Approach the assignment as if you are planning to produce a paper for publication.
COURSE SCHEDULE
This schedule is meant to provide you with a basic sense of what we
August 30 – Introduction to the Course
What does it mean to "theorize" about literature?
Please note that while the last day to drop a course online is August 30, you
can drop the course until Friday, September 2 by visiting the college dean’s
office.
September 6 – What is an Author?
James, "The Figure in the Carpet" (on Blueline)
"Introduction" (CT, 1-22)
Plato, "Ion" (CT, 38-46)
Johnson, "Preface to Shakespeare" (CT, 216-30)
Williams, "The Romantic Artist" (CT, 364-8)
Wimsatt and Beardsley, "The Intentional Fallacy" (CT, 810-18)
Foucault, "What is an Author?" (CT, 904-14)
Question/Summary 1 due
September 13 – What is a Reader?
James, "The Figure in the Carpet" (on Blueline)
Jauss, "Thee Three Horizons of Reading" (CT, 981-8)
Iser, "The Reading Process" (CT, 1001-14)
Holland, "The Question: Who Reads What How?" (CT, 1014-22)
Fish, "How to Recognize A Poem When You See One" (CT, 1022-30)
Question/Summary 2 due
September 20 – What is a Text?
Kafka, "The Cares of A Family Man" (on Blueline)
De Saussure, "Nature of the Linguistic Sign" (CT, 841-51)
Barthes, "From Work to Text" (CT, 878-82)
Certeau, "Walking in the City" (CT, 1342-56)
Guillory, From Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation (CT,
1472-84)
Question/Summary 3 due
September 27 – What does it mean to Read/Write as a _________?
Margaret Atwood, "Spelling" (on Blueline)
Hughes, "Theme for English B" (on Blueline)
Woolf, Shakespeare’s Sister and The Androgynous Vision (CT, 596-601, 607-10)
W.E.B. Du Bois, On Double Consciousness and Criteria of Negro Art (CT, 565-74)
Gilbert and Gubar, "Infecion in the Sentence" (CT, 1531-44)
Achebe, "An Image of Africa" (CT, 1783-90)
Cixous, "The Laugh of the Medusa" (CT, 1643-55)
Gates, "Writing, ‘Race,’ and the Difference it Makes" (CT. 1890-1902)
Question/Summary 4 due
Group Meeting to decide on text for final project
October 4 – Reader Response Criticism
Rime of the Ancient Mariner (AM, 3-96)
Reader Response Criticism and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (AM, 97-130)
Reader Response Theory (CT, 962-81)
See also "40 Questions to Ask About the Ancient Mariner" (URL)
Question/Summary 5 due
Group Text Choices to Keegan
October 11 – Marxist Criticism
Marxist Criticism and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (AM, 131-67)
Marxist Criticism (CT, 1198-1217)
Williams, From Marxism and Literature (CT, 1272-90)
Eagleton, "Categories for Materialist Criticism" (CT, 1307-19)
Midterm Essay workshop
Turn in Midterm Essay by OCTOBER 14 at noon CST.
No Question Summary Due
October 18 – Fall Break
October 25 – Psychoanalytic Criticism
"Psychoanalytic Criticism and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (AM 220-60)
Psychoanalytic Theory and Criticism (CT, 1106-22)
Freud (CT, 497-514)
Jung (CT, 542-64)
Lacan (CT, 1122-8)
Question/Summary 6 due
Short (2-3 sentence) Research Topic to Keegan
NB: October 31 is the last day to Withdraw from Class
November 1 – Deconstructive Criticism
Deconstruction and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (CT 261-314)
Formalisms (CT, 749-63)
Structuralism and Deconstruction (CT, 819-41)
Barthes, "Death of the Author" (CT, 874-7)
Derrida, "The Father of Logos" (CT, 926-32)
Question/Summary 7 due
November 8 – New Historicist Criticism/Cultural Studies
The New Historicism and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (CT, 168-219)
New Historicism and Cultural Studies (CT, 1320-42)
Foucault, "Las Meninas" (CT, 1357-66)
Greenblatt (CT, 1442-7)
Question/Summary 8 due
Longer Research proposal due
November 15 – Feminist Criticism and Gender Studies
Combining Perspectives on the "Rime" (AM, 315-42)
Feminist Literary Criticism (CT, 1502-19)
Gender Studies and Queer Theory (1611-27)
Sedgwick, From Between Men and from Epistemology of the Closet (1683-91)
Question/Summary 9 due
November 22 – Post-Colonialist Criticism and Ecocriticism
Buell, "The Ecocritical Insurgency" (1432-42)
Postcolonialism and Ethnic Studies (CT, 1753-76)
Christian, "The Race for Theory" (1858-65)
Bhahba, "Signs Taken for Wonders" (1875-90)
Question/Summary 10 due
Annotated Bibliography due
November 29 – Digital Humanities and "distant reading"
Readings TBA
First Draft of Paper Due by Sunday, December 4 at 10pm CST
December 6 – Last Day of Class
Paper Workshop
December 13 – Final Paper Portfolio Due
Your final paper portfolio (all earlier materials, drafts, final version and cover memo) are due to me by no later than 6pm on Tuesday December 13th (the final exam time for the class).