|
Course Description ENGL 303 Critical Approaches to Literature (3) (Fulfills the general education
requirement in intensive upper-level writing. Designed as a foundation
for other upper-level literature courses.) Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A
study of the techniques of literary analysis, emphasizing close reading
of texts. The goal is to better understand and appreciate literature
and to be able to formulate concepts and express them in well-written,
coherent prose. Assignments include composing a total of 6,000 words
(approximately 25 pages). |
|
Course Introduction The catalog description for English 303 reveals the dual nature of this course. On the one hand, it is an intensive upper level writing course; on the other, it is a foundation course in literary theory. Our course plan will support these goals by introducing you to a broad spectrum of theoretical structures, while simultaneously focusing on the practical application of theory to express thoughts about literature. In studying theoretical structures, we will pay particular attention to the relationship between culture and critical theory, thus revealing literature and literary critics in a living context. In the first phase of class, we will move through a number of weekly conferences, each of which will introduce you to the fundamentals of a specific critical approach and then require you to apply selected critical concepts to a short story or poem. Although these class activities will demand active and consistent participation, they will explicitly serve to help you achieve mastery of the analytical concepts and method required on exams and papers. You will receive feedback and support all along the way! In the second phase of class, we will move deeper into the discovery of analytical method by applying the approaches surveyed in the first phase to two medium-length texts--a play and a short novel. Finally, English 303 also focuses on working responsibly with the sources used in writing papers: locating and evaluating responsible sources, using sources to support a claim, working with quotations, creating works-cited lists using MLA (Modern Language Association) format, and avoiding plagiarism. Also included in this class are specific materials and assignments that meet the cross-curricular requirements in Technology Fluency and Information Literacy. In my experience, the discussions in this class are exceptionally lively and interesting. Because it attracts students from all disciplines, we usually have a broad range of knowledge and interests among the participants--a spectrum which matches this course's focus on multiple approaches and perspectives. Like most upper level writing courses, however, it is a demanding course, combining a substantial writing requirement with a broad survey of theoretical content. For this reason, in order to get the most out of this course and achieve the best results possible, it's important that you take it when you have the time to devote to its required activities. If you do, I'm confident that you will find it interesting, rewarding and significantly useful to your upper level writing.
|
|
Course
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
|
|
Course Materials The following is a description of the books generally available for this course. Please see the section of this syllabus entitled Other Information for a list of the books selected by your instructor. General Information for English 303 textbooks: Required Text
Additional readings In our section of this course, we will be using the following additional readings:
|
|
Grading Students will be graded on their writing projects and selected class activities:
The final grade will be based on the following scale. A = 90 - 100% |
|
Other information For purposes of clarity and coherence, I would like to annotate this list by adding a few personal notes about each book. Theory into Practice is a completely readable text that offers concise introductions to a broad spectrum of critical approaches, provides practical information on writing critical essays, and presents student models for all approaches introduced in the text. Much of the course will be spent working directly with the text, exploring critical approaches and applying them to poems and short fiction. Some of these short works are in the textbook. Others will be available on the web. Toward the end of the course, we will focus on applying the approaches studied in the first phase to two additional works, Twelfth Night and Things Fall Apart. I have chosen the Shakespeare not
only because it is a classic work of drama, but also because it offers a
wealth of critical possibilities in terms of Marxist, feminist,
psychological and, of course, formal criticism. I have found that the
comic element keeps discussions lively and helps students find themes
relating to their everyday lives or experience. Things Fall Apart
is a wonderful classic of World Literature that has proved extremely
accessible to students in past classes. This short novel provides a
substance particularly adapted to post Colonial and cultural approaches,
as well as to historical, psychological, formal or sociological
interpretation. |
|
Project Descriptions Phase 1 of our class will focus on the discussion and application of the critical approaches presented in our textbook. Paper 1 will require the composition of a short essay (800 words) on an assigned topic relating to a selected work. This paper will be assigned and graded early on to provide everyone with concrete experience in the practical application of critical concepts, the formal critical essay, and the grading criteria and expectations for this course, prior to the more heavily weighted assignments and exams. Paper 2 will require students to write a somewhat longer critical essay (1200 words) on a short story using a selected critical approach. The proctored midterm exam will ask students to discuss specific aspects of selected approaches and/or apply critical concepts and terms to selected passages, presented within the exam. There will be a short answer section and an essay section on the exam, which will be closed book. Phase 2 of our class will systematically integrate the diverse focal points of this course (critical approaches, research, writing, and information and technology literacy) by following a clearly defined, but flexible plan of process-based instruction. The plan will include the following basic activities:
The final
online exam (1000 words)
will provide students with a choice of questions on critical
aspects of the works read during the course and/or discussing their
experiences with critical approaches. The Class activities will
include the following responsibilities: completion of all conference activities;
presentation
of work, where this is applicable, and responsiveness and leadership in
peer discussion. |
|
Course Schedule
Salutations
Conference 1 Criticism in Context: Literature, Culture, and Readers
Conference 2 Reading the text: Finding form
Conference 3 Reading the characters: Freudian and Jungian criticism
Conference 4 Social and political reframing: Marxist & Feminist criticism
Conference 5 ) Literature in context: Deconstruction and Cultural perspectives
Break Proctored Midterm Exam Conference 6 Identifying and
presenting research resources for Twelfth Night. Conference 7 Identifying and
presenting research resources for Things Fall Apart. Conference 8
Online Final Exam Last day of Class:
|
|
Instructor You can find out something about me on my faculty web page. |