University of Alberta - Department of English and Film Studies English 121 - A17 - Literature in Historical Perspective Time: MWF, 1:00 to 1:50 pm, September to December 2014 Place: BUS 1-6 Instructor: Dr. S. Sucur Office: HC 3-30 Office hours: by appointment E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.ualberta.ca/~ssucur Objectives This course will allow students the opportunity to read a variety of literary texts representative of different genres and eras, and to improve critical thinking and develop further their writing and analytical skills. Texts examined span the period from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. They have been organized by historical period rather than by genre, to account for their complexity and interrelatedness, to emphasize the important role movements in thought (Humanism, Romanticism, etc.) have had in shaping literature of the near modern and modern eras, and to illustrate changing historical preferences with regard to genre. The course will also include a brief overview of grammar/syntax; it will emphasize the development (and improvement) of writing skills throughout the semester; and some of the content delivery may be online in nature. The first two weeks of class alone will focus on syntax and the essay-writing process, prior to tackling the primary texts; a few exercises in grammar will be done by the class, as a whole, and reference to such introductory information will be made from time-to-time as the course progresses, and depending on the strengths/weaknesses demonstrated in student papers. This writing-instruction component will constitute approximately 30% of the class content. Student writing in the course, including essays and exams, will total 3000 words. Required Texts Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. “They Say / I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. (3rd Edition) New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2014. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Grade Distribution Course work 100% x 0.7 Essay Research essay Class participation 35% 55% 10% Final exam, 2 hrs. 100% x 0.3 Exams The final exam is designed to test what you have learned in class and read, and there will be no surprise questions on it. The final exam will include questions covering the entire semester’s work, and two questions will have to be answered. It is a closed-book exam and the responses should be in loose essay format. A sample final exam can be found in the “materials: supplementary” directory on my website. 1 Essays Both essays should be double-spaced and typed. The first essay should be about 1000 words in length, and use of secondary sources is not recommended since it is an essay allowing you further to develop your opinions on the fiction being discussed in class. The research paper should be about 1400 words in length, and use of secondary sources is required (a minimum of three sources other than the required texts for the course). Bibliographies and references, when used, should be in the Modern Language Association (MLA) format. Essay questions and research topics will be posted as specified in the course schedule, and you will have about one month to write the papers. (Please make sure that papers are within +/- 200 words of the suggested essay lengths.) A sample research essay can be found in the “materials: supplementary” directory on my website. Participation Literature is best appreciated in a dynamic environment, and so, class participation is actively encouraged (and thus constitutes a percentage of the course mark). Participation, among other things, indicates that students are reading the required material and are trying to engage that material, by asking questions, providing comments, etc. Class participation is valuable in two ways: it enriches one’s experience in the classroom, offering more ways to access and understand the fiction being read, and also, it provides one with a framework for dialogue with that fiction, which should help in avoiding “writer’s block” when it comes time to write the essays. Marking All assignments are marked for quality of expression and depth of analysis. Such things as awkward expression, poor grammar, etc., impact negatively on the former. Such things as repetition, generality, and so on, indicate weakness and limitation in analysis. Think of your assignments as opportunities for dialogue - not as contests to prove or disprove ideas and issues. Grading Scale Descriptor Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Minimal Pass Failure Letter Grade A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D F Grade Point Value 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3 1.0 0.0 Other Information “Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003) “The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from 2 the University.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003) Students should consult the “Regulations Pertaining to First-year Courses” file available on my website for further information about appeals, reassessments, plagiarism, and external help with assignments. Course Schedule Introduction to English 121 Sept. 3 to 5 Basic Fields of Literary Analysis/Grammar/Style & Syntax Essay Writing Instruction Sept. 8 to 12 Content Analysis Essays/Textual Analysis Essays/Comparison Essays/ Persuasive Essays/Research Papers (recommended chapters in “They Say / I Say” are Ch. 1 [Starting with What Others Are Saying], Ch. 3 [The Art of Quoting], Ch. 5 [Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say], Ch. 6 [Planting a Naysayer in Your Text] and Ch. 10 [The Art of Metacommentary]) Renaissance Man Sept. 15 to 29 Drama: William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (iBooks) Important date: essay questions posted Fri., Sept. 26 Salon Culture of the 17th & 18th Centuries Oct. 1 to 15, no class Oct. 13 Poems: John Donne’s “The Flea” and Andrew Marvell’s “The Garden” (online) Mock-epic: Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock (online; iBooks) Romanticism & the Gothic Subgenre Oct. 17 to Nov. 14, no class Nov. 10 Movies: Roger Corman’s The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) and Mario Caiano’s Lovers from Beyond the Tomb (1965) Short story: Edgar Allan Poe’s “Ligeia” (online) Novel: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (edition without explanatory notes located at Poe Society of Baltimore website; iBooks) Important dates: essays due Fri., Oct. 24; research topics posted Fri., Oct. 31 Fin de siècle & Early Modernism Nov. 17 to Dec. 1 Drama: Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (online; iBooks) Poems: T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (online) and Robert Frost’s “After Apple Picking” (online) Important date: research papers due Mon., Dec. 1 Dec. 3 Final Comments Dec. 15, Mon. 2:00 pm Final exam (2 hrs.) 3