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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "EN 215"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theories"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring Semester 2012
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Grego Alessandra
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 13:00-14:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Designed as a first introduction to the theoretical approaches to literature, the course will stimulate students to think and write critically through the study of the principal topics of literary theory. The course will adopt both a historical approach, covering each theory in the chronological order of its appearance on the scene, and a critical approach – putting the theories to the test by applying them to a literary text. The course will also help students to move on to an advanced study of literature introducing them to the research methods and tools for the retrieval of documentation and to the process of sifting information and using it in research papers.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Using Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” as a case study, students will put the theories discussed in class to work on the novel, observing the different readings that emerge from the various critical approaches. At the same time they will be learning how to write a research paper that fulfils the academic requirements not only in terms of logical argumentation of a thesis, documentation and citation of sources, but also employing the research methods and materials necessary for advanced literary study, understanding how to acquire and sift critical documentation and to use current theories of literature to construe their own thesis.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn to identify and employ the principal theories of literature and develop their own critical skills, thinking and writing about literature in an informed way through the use of research methods and processes of acquisition of documentation. Students will also learn to evaluate the interactions among literature, history, politics, culture and theory.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Beginning Theory | Peter Barry | Manchester U.P., 2002 | 978-0719062681 | | | | | |
| MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition | MLA | MLA, 2009 | 978-1603290241 | | | | | |
| Heart of Darkness, A Norton Critical Edition, 4th edition | Joseph Conrad | W.W.Norton & Co, 2005 | 978-0393926361 | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| | Class participation: 15%
Mid-term 15%
Final 20%
Research Paper 20%
Exercises and quiz tests: 30%
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-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 course.
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:
Students are required to attend all scheduled class meetings and to participate in all classroom activities. In addition to this weighting of attendance, students are allowed only two absences (no questions asked, no excuse needed). However, each additional absence beyond the two allowed will result in the significant reduction in the final grade for the course. Students with more than five absences will fail the course. Please refer to the JCU catalog for the attendance and absence policies.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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SCHEDULE
Legenda: BT : Peter Barry, “Beginning Theory”
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week 1: Preliminary questions: why do we read and how do we read? what is theory and what can you do with it? How to use your textbooks.
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week 2: Plato, Aristotle and others on poets and the function of literature. - Read BT: chap.1. By this point you must have finished reading “Heart of Darkness”. Out of class exercise due: search the Frohring Library at JCU for critical texts on “Heart of Darkness”.
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week 3: Formalism and New Criticism: You are already formalist critics. In class exercise: Formalist reading of “Heart of Darkness”. Out of class exercise due: search the JCU database for recent articles on “Heart of Darkness”.
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week 4: Structuralism and the arbitrary sign: Saussure, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and the rules of discourse. – Read BT: chap. 2. In class exercise: A Structuralist Reading of “Heart of Darkness”: identifying the implied order – patterns, “Russian doll” narrative structure, mythical subtext.
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week 5: Narratology: Mimesis and Diegesis. Propp, Genette, Greimas - Read BT: chap. 12. Exercise: A narratological reading of “Heart of Darkness”. In class exercise: summing up structuralism and narratology – key terms and concepts.
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week 6: Psychoanalytic criticism. Freud and his legacy: “The Pleasure principle”. – Read BT: chap. 5. In class exercise: A Freudian reading of “Heart of Darkness”: the search for meaning. Handout: Peter Brooks “An Unreadable Report: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness”.
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week 7: Political Criticism: Marxism and Cultural Materialism. Read BT: “Marxist Criticism”. Out of class exercise due: bibliography of Marxist readings of Heart of Darkness. In class exercise: A Marxist reading of “Heart of Darkness”: Critique of Imperialism.
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week 8: pause for thought: what have we learnt so far. Out of class exercise due: select topic for research paper. In class exercise: How to prepare to write a research paper: identify appropriate critical texts to support your thesis, organize the structure of the paper, compile a bibliography.
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week 9: Post-structuralism, Deconstruction and Post-modernism: Nietzsche, Derrida, Lyotard. Read BT chaps. 3 and 4. – Handout: J.Hillis Miller, “Heart of Darkness Revisited” In class exercise: How to quote accurately avoiding plagiarism.
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week 10: Feminist criticism and Lesbian/Gay Criticism. Read BT: chaps 6 and 7. In class exercise: A Feminist reading of “Heart of Darkness”: the silent nameless woman.
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week 11: Post colonial criticism. Said, Bhabha, Achebe: rethinking literature. Read BT: chap 10. Handout: Chinua Achebe, “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’”, Massachussetts Review, 18 (1977). Out of class exercise due: find critical responses to the issues raised by Achebe’s article.
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week 12: Taking a theoretical stance: how to avoid critical confusion when writing a Research paper – consistency, clarity and appropriate citation.
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week 13: Is theory dead? is there any room for new theories? Ecocriticism. – Read BT: chap. 13. Handout: Serpil Oppermann, “Theorizing Ecocriticism: Toward a Postmodern Ecocritical Practice”, ISLE, 12 (2006), pp. 103-128.
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week 14: Conclusions. Research Paper due.
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