words or ideas without acknowledging their source and having someone write your work. If you feel that you need help with your writing outside class,

Transcription

1 English 1127 Course Outline Fall 2011 Budra For questions regarding transfer and articulation, please go to the BC- TRANSFERGUIDE, Office: A201b Phone: (604) TEXTS Introduction to Literature (courseware) Budra, Karen The Bare Essentials, Form B, Norton, Sarah and Brian Green Canadian Content, Norton, Sarah and Nell Waldman AND A dictionary of modern English, preferably Oxford Concise ATTENDANCE This course is cumulative; thus, regular attendance is necessary. Three consecutiv absences without official documentation may result in my asking you to withdraw. addition to being physically present, you must also be intellectually present. Merel sitting in your chair will not help you to become a better writer or literary critic; yo must complete readings before class and be prepared to engage in class discussion DEADLINES Most of the work in this course will be completed during class, with the exception of the literary analysis essay and final exam. Barring natural disasters & health problems, no extensions will be granted. Late work will lose 5% for each overdue day and will be returned, at my convenience, without commentary beyond a letter grade. Work is due in class, not under my office door, over the internet, or in my mailbox. ASSIGNMENTS Participation 15% Diagnostic 1 5% Essay 2 5%% Group summary 10% Process essay 15% Literary analysis essay 20% (5% outline; 15% essay) Final exam (comp/contr essay) 30% *Bonus: complete all r-rs on time & 2% added to final mark PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the undocumented use of another person s words or ideas and is a serious academic crime. This use includes both borrowing someone else s

2 words or ideas without acknowledging their source and having someone write your work. If you feel that you need help with your writing outside class, see me, a tutor in the Writing Center, or a tutor recognised by the English Department (I have a list.) Plagiarized work will receive an F & be reported to the Dean of Students, who will note it on your permanent record. More than one instance of plagiarism will result in your being asked to withdraw from the course and possibly the College. You may not rewrite plagiarised assignments. Pay particular attention to information about note taking, summarizing and MLA citation protocol in order to avoid inadvertent plagiarism. TUTORIALS We will meet 4 hours a week until week 3, when I will spend hour 4 giving 2 20-minute private tutorials in my office, A201b. I will circulate sign-up sheets in week 2. Bring everything you ve written in the course to the tutorial for review. You may, of course, also consult me during regularly scheduled office hours, but your tutorial is reserved especially for you. Please let me know in advance if you can t make your scheduled time so I can give it to another student. GROUP SUMMARIES You will join a group of 3, who will summarize one fo the following essays found in your texts. These summaries will be accompanied by a poster illustrating important points. You will present both the summary & the poster in front of the class after having provided me with a copy of your summary. ESSAYS TO BE SUMMARISED Bare Essentials Caution Signs on the Electric Highway, White Canadian Content Don t Call me that Word, Hill Lost in Translation, Hoffman Other Meanings, Below the Surface Level Remember That? Anybody?, Brown The Way we Live Now, Wente Good Seeing, Wilson The Trouble with Readers or Why Good Writing Makes you Sexy

3 LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY Length: 1,500 words Due: Outline Oct. 20; Essay Nov 17 Format: MLA Citations: 10% And no, Wikipedia and Sparknotes may not be quoted Choose one of the following topics: (A) (B) Understanding the cultural context in which a story is placed can often help a reader understand the themes an author wants to convey. To that end, you will use the collection of resources found under your course name & number in the Library to explain the theme of one of the following stories from our anthology: 1. The Prophecy, Appachana 2. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Alexie 3. Las Vegas Charley, Yamamoto Discussing theme requires you to prove that you understand why the author wrote this particular story; what did s/he want you to understand after having read it? You must consult all the available resources in the Library package & use at least 3 of them, in conjunction with 3 you find on your own, as support for your argument. Both paraphrases and direct citations are required, but they shouldn t exceed 10% of your work. This is your essay, based on your interpretation of a story you have chosen, substantiated by your choice of relevant secondary material OR.. Making specific reference to both Angela Carter s short story, The Company of Wolves, (handout), Neil Jordan s film of the same name and one Hollywood werewolf film, come up with an argument about why Carter chose to appropriate the werewolf myth, and why Hollywood followed suit. Support your argument with secondary sources as well, only 1 of which can be non-academic. READER RESPONSES (to be completed for all stories covered in class) Close reading requires conscious effort; a first reading often yields only an incomplete, impressionistic interpretation of a narrative.

4 Step One: Re-read the story; while you re-read, pause periodically to make note of some of the following: -details of plot/character that are emphasized -foreshadowing & building of theme -images that stick in your memory -sequences that stick in your memory -associations, connections, memories triggered by the story s situations -unresolved questions in the story s plot/characterization -what seems to carry forward or obstruct the flow of reading -narrative voice: is it trustworthy? -expectations upon reading this story & how these are fulfilled/thwarted -your overall reactions to the story: aspects you found challenging/hard to accept; aspects you enjoyed Response notes can take various forms, from point form annotations & questions to more elaborate comments on specific issues in the text. Make these notes while you re-read, without editing/reformulating too much. Step Two: Consider the following questions -how did the story chage after your second reading? -what mysteries or gasps in the narrative have you tried to settle & how successfully? -what aspects of the story are still unresolved; which questions unanswered? -have your expectations about the story changed? -is the story more/less satisfying after second reading? Why? Step Three: Finally, drawiang on your notes & responses to steps one and two of this exercise, formulate a 1-paragraph response to the story & your reading/re-reading of it Step Four: Hand in your response before the story is due to be discussed in class NB: completing this & subsequent reader response exercises will add 2% to your overall mark in this course; they won t be graded, but will be used as a springboard for class discussion. No late responses accepted. TENTATIVE OUTLINE (we will add material as need arises) Week 1 Student Info Diagnostic Brief History of English Language BE, Chapter 1; 1.7,.8,.9,.10,.11 &.13 Bring your best slang/emoticons

5 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 CC: How to Read with Understanding & How to Write to be Understood Six Stages of Writing: Think/Spill/Cull/Organise/Draft/Revise/Edit BE: Chapter 25 & 25.1 &.2 Chapter 26 & 26.1,.2,.3,.4,.6,.8 &.9 Using other s ideas: summaries & paraphrases *Begin group summary* Group summaries: workshops & presentations Components of the essay BE: Chapter 10, 10.1,.2,.5,.6 &.7 Chapter 24 & 24.1,.2,.3,.4,.5 &.7 Process analysis: Overview CC: How to Perform a Tracheotomy *Process essays in class* Achieving flow BE: Chapter 12, 12.3m.4m.5m.6 &.7 Chapter 18 & 18.1,.2,.3,.4,.5 &.7 Handout: Transitional Devices Understanding Narrative Handout: Days of the Bagnold Summer (graphic fiction) Youtube video analysis Using others words: Documentation CC: How to write a Documented Essay and cf website BE Chapter 2 & 2.1,.2,.3 *Wikipedia exercise* Process (& emoticon!) as Literary Devices IL: A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease People Reading: Character IL: Gryphon Forensic Reading: Style & POV IL: Hills like White Elephants The Tell Tale Heart Handout: Herman Wouk is Still Alive Week 9 Contextual Reading: Setting & Genre IL: Greasy Lake A Rose for Emily

6 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Comparison/Contrast CC: He Said, She Said *group work: c/c outlines for two stories covered in class Quantitative Reading: Symbol IL: The Chrysanthemums Integrative Reading: Theme IL: Cathedral Course wrap up & Exam Prep