NOTE: THE FOLLOWING SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
Rental texts:
The Norton Introduction to the Short Novel, ed. Beaty,
3rd ed. (Cited as SN in course schedule).
The Story and Its Writer, ed. Charters, 6th ed. (Cited
as SW in course schedule).
Purchased Texts: To be announced in class.
PURPOSE OF COURSE: The purpose of English
204 is to acquaint you with works of short fiction (and some longer
selections) written by various authors and to look at and discuss these
works in a thorough manner in order to gain a deeper understanding of these
works. You will learn analytical terminology particular to fiction.
I will expect you to read the assigned texts diligently and discuss them
in class enthusiastically; and I expect you to always have your books.
Depending on you, the class can be an exciting learning experience or an
exercise in taking lecture notes. The more you talk, the less I talk.
WARNING: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF READING IN THIS CLASS, INCLUDING ONE FULL
NOVEL AND 2 NOVELLAS. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE FICTION AND CAN’T LEARN TO
LIKE IT, THIS CLASS WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance is mandatory.
This class meets one day a week, and if you miss two classes (including
the very first class) you cannot pass the class.
PLAGIARISM: If you present another’s idea
or writing as your own, I will give you a failing grade in the course
along with further action by the Dean of Students.
REQUIREMENTS: While this is a course
with which you can fulfill an advanced humanities requirement, it is
not a course that will be a “blow-off” course. You can most certainly
fail this course, but with some work, can easily get a good grade in
this course. My point is that you must show up and present me with
work that is analyzed, well written, and professionally presented. The
course will require a lot of participation and a lot of work. I will
grade your quizzes, mid-terms, finals, and papers with the assumption
that you have had 101 and can provide me with grammatically correct
answers and essays.
Quizzes (100 points). The quizzes will
be given as I see fit. In other words, they could be at any time and
for any story (no make-up quizzes allowed).
Summary/analysis (one each
class for a total of 100 points). Beginning with week 1, you will
be given a sheet that contains an explanation and example of the summary/analysis
you will be required to do over ONE (1) piece of reading each class.
You can choose which story you wish to answer, but for each class,
you will provide a summary/analysis. This must be typed (in order that you
can’t scribble down answers on the day we cover the story). The purpose
of this is two-fold: first, it is a tool so that you have something in
front of you, some analysis, from which you can draw for class discussion;
second, it is a method that assures me that you have analyzed at least
one of the stories on a deeper level (though you should look at them all
this way as the quizzes will cover all stories).
Midterm Exam (300 points): You will be responsible
for the material we have read up to the exam. This includes all terminology.
Final Exam (250 points): The final
will have some questions that are comprehensive (terms, etc.).
However, we will focus on stories that we have read in the second half
of the course.
One 5 page analytical paper (150 points):
this will be a paper that will discuss an aspect of fiction or a story
and must be written to meet 101 and 102 standards. In other words,
I will most certainly grade grammar, order, development, language, and
purpose, just as in 101 and 102. You will get a separate handout
that explains this assignment in more detail.
Oral Presentation of genre (100 points):
Towards the end of the semester, you will pick a genre
(a category, a type--I will explain this later) of writing and
offer a report on this—i.e., Science fiction, Victorian, classic horror,
etc. This will require a bit of research. If you have
any handouts you want to give the entire class, then give them to me beforehand
and I will make copies for you. You will get a separate handout for
this assignment that will explain the details more thoroughly.
GRADING SCALE: You have ONE THOUSAND (1000)
points that you can earn in this class. Grades will be determined
on the following scale: 900-1000=A; 800-899=B; 700-799=C; 600-699=D;
Below 600=failure of the course.
COURSE SCHEDULE
*Note: You are to have read the stories listed on a particular
date for that date.
WEEK 1 (1/16)
Introduction to course and lecture on terminology.
Reading and responding
to the short story.
What to look for in a short story—beneath the surface.
SW: selected short stories from text and one handout—will
be read during this class.
Give out handout for next class (Kundera).
WEEK 2 (1/23)
SW: Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”; Cheever, “The
Swimmer.”
HANDOUT: Kundera, “The Hitchhiking Game."
SW: O’Connor, “Good Country People.
Give out handout for next class (“Neighbor Rosicky”).
Discussion of terminology.
ANNOUNCE PURCHASED TEXT.
WEEK 3 (1/30)
SW: O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find."
SW: Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
SW: Cather, “Paul’s Case.”
Handout: “Neighbour Rosicky” by Willa Cather.
Give out handouts for next class.
WEEK 4 (2/6)
SW: Jackson, “The Lottery”, Le Guin, “The Ones Who
Walk Away from Omelas” and “The Scapegoat in Omelas” in the “Commentary”
section of SW.
Discussion of history of scapegoat and sacrifice.
SW: Tolstoy, “The Death of Ivan Ilych.”
WEEK 5 (2/13)
Handout on reading metaphorical literature--taking
something from the "absurd."
SW: Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” and “Kafka’s View of
the Metamorphosis.”
Discussion in preparation for Heart of Darkness.
NOTE: BEGIN READING HEART OF DARKNESS. WE
WILL BEGIN DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK.
WEEK 6 (2/20)
Begin discussion of Heart of Darkness.
Assign Paper
WEEK 7 (2/27)
Discuss Heart of Darkness and the nature of
good and evil (does war change everything?).
Video version of Heart of Darkness.
SW: “Writing About Short Stories” (in the “Appendices”
section).
Brief review for Mid-term.
WEEK 8 (3/5)
MIDTERM EXAMINATION.
Give students handouts for next class (Realism, Romanticism,
etc.)
Begin reading purchased text.
Handouts given in preparation for discussion of the "The Beat Generation
and Literature."
WEEK 9 (3/12)
SPRING BREAK: NO CLASSES.
WEEK 10 (3/19)
Opening discussion about "The Beats": what it means,
what it entails, the literature, etc.
Begin discussion of purchased text .
PAPERS DUE
ORAL PRESENTATION ASSIGNED (HANDOUT).
WEEK 11 (3/26)
Handouts given for next class
(types of criticism)
Continue discussion of purchased text.
Short story handed out for next week ("The Blue Hotel"
by Stephen Crane).
Discuss genres.
WEEK 12 (4/2)
End discussion of purchased text.
Naturalism in text.
SW: London, “To Build a Fire."
SW: Crane, "The Open Boat."
SW: Lessing, " A Sunrise on the Veld."
Discuss short story handed out in week 12 ("The Blue Hotel").