Syllabus: Fall, 2005
A. Required Texts:
(1) The Norton Introduction to Literature, ed. A. Booth et al. Ninth ed. Norton, 2005.
ISBN: 0-393-92614-1
(2) Ann B. Dobie, Theory into Practice: An Introduction to Literary Criticism. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2002. ISBN: 0-15-506858-X.
B. Course Requirements:
(1) one paper [800 words; 1 unit]; topic and deadline to be announced in class;
(2) one presentation (10 minutes; 1 unit);
(3) a journal [3 units] in which students will be asked to write entries on every text that is studied. It must be submitted in the penultimate week of the course. Each entry must be written neatly and dated. The journal will be graded on: (a) thoroughness: each entry must show that you have read the text in question and thought carefully about it; (b) neatness of presentation; (c) promptness: you may be asked to read aloud from your journal in any given class. An incomplete journal will result in failure of the entire course;
(4) a final examination [3 units]: Friday, December 16, 9:00-12:00 a.m.
(5) class participation counts for 2 units. If you do not contribute to class discussion you will have difficulty achieving a grade higher than C. If you disrupt the class by talking or arriving late, you risk failing the entire course;
(6) attendance is compulsory: any unexcused absence will lower the student’s grade by one point, e.g. from D to D-.
(7) adherence to the University regulations concerning plagiarism (the presenting of someone else’s work as your own) which is a serious offence and incurs severe penalties.
C: Course Description:
An introduction to the techniques of literary analysis through critical reading of major works in the genres of poetry, fiction and drama, practice in writing about literary texts, and exposure to various modes of literary criticism and theory.
D: Weekly Class Assignments:
I. READING GENRES: POETRY, FICTION, DRAMA
ANALYSING POETRY
Fri Sept 2: Introduction to course.
Wed Sept 7: Shakespeare, sonnet 116.
Fri Sept 9: Andrew Marvell, “To his Coy Mistress,” p. 896.
Mon Sept 12: Shelley, “Ode to the West Wind,” p. 1014.
Wed Sept 14: Matthew Arnold, “Dover Beach,” p. 893.
Fri Sept 16: Emily Dickinson, p. 922; Wilfred Owen, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” p. 1071.
Mon Sept 19: In-class writing exercise.
Wed Sept 21: Sylvia Plath, “Lady Lazarus,” p. 1261.
Fri Sept 23: Bob Dylan, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” p. 993.
ANALYSING FICTION
Mon Sept 26: Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown,” p. 264.
Wed Sept 28: Hawthorne (Contd).
Fri Sept 30: James Joyce, “Araby,” p. 519.
Mon Oct 3: William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily,” p. 594.
Wed Oct 5: Library Tour: Meet in classroom at 9 a.m. promptly.
Fri Oct 7: Bobbie Ann Mason, “Shiloh,” p. 747.
Mon Oct 10: Toni Morrison, “Recitatif,” p. 202.
Wed Oct 12: In-class writing exercise.
Fri Oct 14: Bharati Mukherjee, “The Management of Grief,” p. 304.
ANALYSING DRAMA
Mon Oct 17: Sophocles, Oedipus the King, p. 1840.
Wed Oct 19: Sophocles (contd.).
Fri Oct 21: Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, p. 1879.
Mon Oct 24: Wilde (contd.).
Wed Oct 26: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, p. 1539.
II. MODES OF LITERARY CRITICISM AND THEORY
FORMALISMS
Fri Oct 28: Read: Dobie, pp.32-43; what was the “New Criticism”? (1 page).
PSYCHOLOGICAL CRITICISM
Mon Oct 31: Read Dobie, pp. 47-55; summarise (1 page).
Wed Nov 2: Write psychological analysis of “Young Goodman Brown,” p. 234 (2 pgs.).
Fri Nov 4: Psychological analysis of text of student’s choice (1 page).
MARXIST CRITICISM
Mon Nov 7: Read Dobie, pp. 79-89; summarise (1 page).
Wed Nov 9: Write Marxist analysis of “The Diamond Necklace,” p. 243 (2 pages).
Fri Nov 11: Marxist analysis of text of student’s choice (1 page).
FEMINISM
Mon Nov 14: Read Dobie, pp. 97-109; summarise (1 page).
Wed Nov 16: Write feminist analysis of two letters of Abigail Adams, p. 249 (2 pages).
Fri Nov 18: Read Dillon and Fetterly on “A Rose for Emily,” Norton, pp.608- 621.
Mon Nov 21: In-class writing exercise.
Thanksgiving Break
READER-RESPONSE THEORY
Mon Nov 28: Read Dobie, pp. 120-129; summarise (1 page).
Wed Nov 30: Reader-response analysis of “The Masque of the Red Death,” p. 252 (2 pgs.).
Fri Dec 2: Reader-response analysis of text of student’s choice (1 page).
DECONSTRUCTION
Mon Dec 5: Read Dobie, pp. 138-152; summarise (1 page).
Wed Dec 7: Analyse student’s deconstructive reading of “Shiloh,” p. 157 (2 pages).
Fri Dec 9: Deconstructive analysis of text of student’s choice (1 page).
Mon Dec 12: Review
Fri Dec 16: Final Examination: 9:00-12:00.