R. Siemens: English 116 (S0403): Introduction to Literature

English 116 (S0403):
Introduction to Literature

January - April 2004
Meeting:
M W 4:00-5:30, Room 345/106

R.G. Siemens
Office: Bldg. 335, Rm. 120
Office Hours: TBA

Course WWW page:
http://web.mala.bc.ca/siemensr/teaching/Engl116-04.htm

Description

A complement to English 115, this course introduces the study of literature, examining three major genres -- fiction, poetry, and drama -- with practice in the writing of critical essays on literature.

Course Materials

Course Texts:

Lancashire, Ian, et al., eds. Representative Poetry Online. Toronto: U Toronto P, 1994-. On-line, at <http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/intro.html>.
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Text and Criticism. Gerald Weales, ed. New York: Penguin, 1996.
Pynchon, Thomas. The Crying of Lot 49. New York: Harper and Row [Perennial Classics], 1999.
Shakespeare, William. Henry IV, Part 1. Norton Critical Edition. James L. Sanderson, ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1969.
Siemens, R.G. English 116 Selected Readings. (Course package available from the bookstore.)

Suggested:

Dodds, Jack, and Judi Jewinski. The Ready Reference Handbook: Writing, Revising, Editing. 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto: Pearson Education, 2001.

Lunsford, Andrea, Robert Connors, and Judy Segal. The Everyday Writer: A Brief Reference. Canadian ed. New York: St. Martin's P, 1997.

Johnston, Ian C. Essays and Arguments: A Handbook on Writing Argumentative and Interpretative Essays. Nanaimo: Malaspina U-C, 2000. Rptd. online, <http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/arguments/argument1.htm>.

Additional Resources:

Course Discussion Group: TBA

"Participating in Seminars," Ian Johnston.

The Writing Centre at Malaspina U-C.

Malaspina U-C, First Year English Courses, Standards and Expectations, Grading.

Course Requirements

Draft Essay, 10%. An argumentative essay of 750 words, assigned at the second meeting of week 1, and due at the second meeting of week 2. This essay is intended to function as the first exploration of your seminar and essay topic for the term. Students are required to discuss the draft essay with the instructor during office hours within two weeks of submission.
Seminar Presentation, 20%. A well-researched and formal presentation on your topic, plus leading or jointly leading seminar discussion for the week; topics to be assigned at the second meeting of week 1. Due throughout the term.
Research Paper, 20%. A formal research paper on your topic, having its origins in your seminar presentation. 1,500 wds. + annotated bibliography, due the last day of class.
Participation, and seminar involvement, 30%. Evaluation will include your seminar notes (see "Seminar Discussion and Involvement" in Selected Readings), due at the beginning of each seminar meeting.
Final exam, 20%. Date to be announced later in the term.

Syllabus

Assigned readings are to be completed for the beginning of the first class in which they are to be considered.
- Week 1 (Jan. 5-): cummings, "r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r"; Rich, "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers."
- Week 2 (Jan. 12-): Donne, Holy Sonnet 14, "Batter My Heart"; R. Browning, "My Last Duchess." Draft Essays Due.
- Week 3 (Jan. 19-): Lawrence, "The Rocking Horse Winner."
- Week 4 (Jan. 26-): Shakespeare, 1 Henry 4.
- Week 5 (Feb. 2-): Shakespeare, 1 Henry 4.
- Week 6 (Feb. 9-): Plath, "Daddy"; Joyce, "Araby."
- Week 7 (Feb. 16-): Herbert, "Easter Wings"; Conrad, "The Secret Sharer."
- Week 8 (Feb. 23-): Reading Break
- Week 9 (Mar. 1-): Melville, "Bartleby the Scrivener."
- Week 10 (Mar. 8-): Miller, Death of a Salesman.
- Week 11 (Mar. 15-): Miller, Death of a Salesman.
- Week 12 (Mar. 22-): Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49.
- Week 13 (Mar. 29-): Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49. Research Papers Due.

Notes:

All deadlines are firm. Attendance is mandatory, and you must come to class prepared to discuss the works and authors under consideration. All course requirements must be met (and a mark of greater than F received) for a passing grade to be issued in the course.
There may be a number of unscheduled quizzes during the term.
This course assumes ability, gained in English 115, in the use of our library (and ILL facilities), its catalogue, and the various specialized indexes and bibliographies related to literary studies in the areas covered by the course.
All written work will be submitted as per MLA style (parenthetical citation). All students are advised to consult and use The Everyday Writer, The Ready Reference Handbook, or another departmentally-approved writing handbook as part of their course and assignment preparation. All students are advised to be familiar with Malaspina's Student Conduct Policy (available at: http://www.mala.ca/policies/policy.asp?rdPolicyNumber=32.05), which includes a section on plagiarism.
What is an annotated bibliography? For our purposes here, and in short, an annotated bibliography is a list of critical/scholarly works that includes a brief summary of the argument of each work. Works are to be listed as per MLA Style. A sample entry follows:

Frye, Northrop. "The Argument of Comedy." 165-179 in Alvin B. Kernan, ed. Modern Shakespearean Criticism: Essays on Style, Dramaturgy, and the Major Plays. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1970.

Frye discusses ideas on the evolution from Old to New Comedy, and therein touches upon a number of elements of the New Comedy, among them the basic plot and movement towards resolution. Of interest is his relation of the individual and the societal, in the resolution of the comic drama: "The essential comic resolution," Frye states, ". . . is an individual release which is also a social reconciliation" (167). His comments on the structural relation of the comedy and the tragedy are particularly useful: "Comedy," he notes, "grows out of the [tragic] ritual, for in the ritual the tragic story has a comic sequel" (168).