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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 200-2"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Literature"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Shannon Russell
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 8:30-9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students in 200-level literature classes are required to produce 4-5,000 words of critical writing.
Presupposing no previous knowledge in particular of literature, the course deals in an intensive manner with a very limited selection of works in the three genres of fiction, drama, and poetry. Students learn the basic literary terms that they need to know to approach literary texts. They are required to do close readings of the assigned texts, use various critical approaches, and write several critical essays on specified readings.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Students will learn the basic literary terms that they need to know to approach a range of literary texts. They are required to do close readings, to use various critical approaches, and to write several critical essays on specified readings. Students will also attend two library training sessions on digital presentation skills, and will be expected to produce a visual presentation on an assigned aspect of one of the literary genres, which they will present to the class for assessment by the professor and their peers.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn the basics of literary analysis and will demonstrate these abilities through written, oral, and visual assignments.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
The Norton Introduction to Literature Portable 11th edition VariousNorton978-0-393-92339-1     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
3 Essays of 5-6 pages each. The first two essays are worth 10% and the final essay 15% of the final grade.Each essay should be 5-6 pages, double-spaced and typed, using MLA citation style and format.35%
In-class poetry, prose, and drama analysisFour take-home writing assignments involving detailed analysis of poetry, prose, and drama. The purpose of these exercises is to reach an understanding of literary terms and tropes, converntions, rhetorical modes, and narraivte, dramatic, and poetic devices. Students will be given a set of questions based on their reading and will be expected to spend no more than 2 hours answering these questions in short answer format20% (5% each)
Participation 10%
Final Exam 20%
Visual and oral presentation 5% on visual presentation, 5% on oral presentation and 5% on peer review of presentations viewedStudents will be instructed in a digital tool through which they will present research and information relevant to their assigned topic. Students will make a 10-15 minute oral presentation of their digital project and will be assessed on both the presentation itself and their oral delivery. They will also submit peer reviews of the presentations that they view.15%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cour
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Presupposing no previous knowledge in particular of literature, the course deals in an intensive manner with a very limited selection of works in the three genres of fiction, drama, and poetry. Students learn the basic literary terms that they need to know to approach literary texts. They are required to do close readings of the assigned texts, use various critical approaches, and write several critical essays on specified readings.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE
Please see the Moodle for a more detailed syllabus including readings, discussion points, assignments, and supplementary material.



Password for access to the Moodle is:  EN200Fall17     (password is case sensitive).



Week 1 WHAT IS LITERATURE?

Tues. Aug. 29

Introduction to the course and its requirements







"The Elephant in the Village of the Blind"



"20/20"







Thurs. Aug. 31  Reading Fiction







Read the Chapter on Fiction.



Read and come prepared to talk about the graphic novel excerpt "The Shabbat" from Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver.

Week 2 SHORT STORY

Tues. Sept. 5 Plot DUE TODAY: Writing and reading assessment assignment







Read the two sample writing responses to Raymond Carver's "Cathedral". Consider those responses and then write your own short response (a few short paragraphs) in which you consider whether or not you think the narrator has changed, and how you know this from the evidence of the text. We won't be discussing this in class, but please hand this assignment in to me at the beginning of class. I will consider this piece as a diagnostic exercise that will allow me to assess your writing and thinking abilities. It will not count as an assignment for your final grade.







Read the section on plot in your anthology and Guy de Maupassant's "The Jewelry". Using the questions in Sample Writing Reading Notes found on pages 47-49 outline your responses to this story, and then answer the questions about plot found on page 66 along with the questions you find at the end of the story.

Thurs. Sept 7 Character

Read the chapter on Character in your anthology and do the exercise on p. 127-28 on direct and indirect characters. Then read “Recitatif” by Tony Morrison and “Good People” by David Foster Wallace. Consider the questions about character you find on p. 130 in relation to both stories. Then choose one of these stories and consider whether the characters tend to be more flat or round, static or dynamic, highly individualized or nearly indistinguishable? Is indirect or direct characterization more important in the story? Why and how is the author’s treatment of character appropriate to the story?







Week 3 SHORT STORY



Tues. Sept. 12 Setting First take-home assignment on elements of the short story due today (5%)







Read the chapter on Setting in your anthology, including the stories "The Lady with the Dog" by Anton Chekhov, Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets," and Judith Ortiz Cofer's "Volar." Consider how setting works in each of these stories. In what story is setting most effective for placing the characters and why? Could the same story be told as effectively using a different setting or is setting integral to its meaning? Give evidence from the text to support your answers.

Thurs. Sept. 14 Symbol and Figurative Language







Read the chapter on Symbol and Figurative Language in your anthology.







Read Nathanial Hawthorne's "The Birth-Mark" and Edwidge Danticat's "A Wall of Fire Rising"







Week 4 SHORT STORY 

Tues. Sept. 19 Theme



Read the chapter on Theme in your anthology.



Read Aesop's "The Two Crabs," Yasunari Kawabata's "The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket," and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat."







Thurs. Sept. 21  Training day on visual presentation skills with librarian.

Week 5 NOVELLA

Tues. Sept. 26 FIRST ESSAY DUE (10%)



Franz Kafka's "The Hunger Artist" and Gabriel Garcia Marquez "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"

Thurs. Sept. 28 Introduction to the novel







Henry James A Turn of the Screw



Available On-line. See Moodle for link.

Week 6 NOVELLA

Tues. Oct. 3 Henry James A Turn of the Screw

Thurs. Oct. 5 Henry James A Turn of the Screw Second take-home assignment due today (5%)

Week 7 DRAMA

Tues. Oct. 10 



Read the chapter on Drama in your anthology and Susan Glaspell's Trifles. Formulate answers to the questions that follow the play.

Thurs. Oct. 12



Read Ibsen's A Doll House







Week 8 DRAMA

Tues. Oct. 17



Ibsen's A Doll House

Thurs. Oct. 19 Third take-home assignment on drama due today (5%)

Shakespeare Hamlet

Week 9 DRAMA Make-up day on Friday of this week

Tues. Oct. 24 SECOND ESSAY DUE TODAY (10%)







Shakespeare Hamlet

Thurs. Oct. 26 Acting and interpretation of texts (presentation of a speech or scene in class)







Shakespeare Hamlet







Friday Oct. 27 (Make-up day for Nov. 24th)







Second training day with librarian -- projects should be in process and should be brought to this session to be worked on in class.







Week 10 POETRY







Tues. Oct. 31 

Read chapter on Poetry: Reading, Responding, Writing as well as the chapter on Speaker, Situation and Setting, including all poems.

Thurs. Nov. 2  Theme and Tone Fourth take-home assignment on poetry due today (5%)







Read the chapter on Theme and Tone and all poems in that section. 







Week 11 POETRY

Tues. Nov. 7 Language: Word choice and order 







Read the chapter on Language in your anthology and all poems in that section.







Thurs. Nov. 9 Visual Imagery and Figures of Speech THIRD ESSAY DUE TODAY (15%)

Read the chapter on Visual Imagery and Figures of Speech in your anthology and all poems in that section.

Week 12 POETRY

Tues. Nov. 14  Symbol







Read the chapter on Symbol in your anthology and all poems in that section.







Thurs. Nov. 16 Poetry continued. 







Week 13 POETRY

Tues. Nov. 21 Powerpoint presentations begin with responses due in by audience the following class (15%)







Thursday Nov. 24 No class - Thanksgiving holiday







Week 14 Powerpoint presentations this week



Tues. Nov. 28  Powerpoint presentations due today with responses due in by audience the following class



Thurs. Nov. 30 







Presentations continued (with audience responses due in on Friday) and final exam review

FINAL EXAM December 4-7 (15%)