Lit 165: Introduction to Literature

      Spring 2000
      TTh 9:30-10:45, Main Anderson 201
      Instructor: Dr. Robert Fletcher

      Course Description Course Objectives Texts
      Assignments Policies Class Schedule

       

      Course Description

      This course introduces you to the academic study of literature. We will read and discuss examples of short fiction, poetry, drama, and the novel, and, at the same time, we will also be studying the cultural, cognitive, and rhetorical processes that enable people to read and write texts. My hope is that you'll leave this class with better interpretive and analytical skills, greater awareness of the relation between imaginative texts and their cultural contexts, and greater range in your responses to literature.

      Objectives

      The goals of this course are as follows:
      • to reveal the complexity and collaborative basis of the seemingly "natural" process of reading and interpretation
      • to familiarize you with the tools--conventions, concepts, and vocabulary--of literary interpretation
      • to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of complex texts by providing opportunities to share and respond to interpretations.
      • to introduce you to the uses of writing in studying literature and give you the opportunity to practice your writing skills

      Texts

      The following are required and can be purchased at the campus bookstore:
      • Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart
      • Birkerts, Sven, ed. Literature: The Evolving Canon. Be sure to buy the 2nd edition (orange cover)
      • Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate
      • Hwang, David Henry. M. Butterfly
      • There will also be some study materials made available on-line.

      Assignments

      Your performance in the course will be evaluated in two different ways: 
      • 80% Formal writing assignments (see grading standards), including
        • two out-of-class essays: short story and poetry (750-1000 words)
        • two in-class exams: novels and drama (short essays and identifications)
      • 20% Class participation
        • completion of reading assignments on time
        • enthusiastic engagement in class discussions
        • impromptu in-class writing, including the occasional quiz


      Policies

      In accordance with ADA guidelines, I am happy to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Please contact me if you would like such consideration.

      Late Assignments: Papers or other assignments submitted late will have 1/3 of a grade deducted for each day (not class period) that passes after the due date. I will not accept any assignment more than 1 week late.

      Plagiarism: "Plagiarism is using another's words or ideas without appropriate acknowledgement" (MLA Style Manual 4). In formal essays, "acknowledgement" means using conventions of citation such as the quotation marks and parenthetical note in the previous sentence. Even if you paraphrase someone's words, you must provide a note showing your debt.  NOTE: If you plagiarize or use commercial study aids (e.g. Cliff's Notes), in your formal essays, you will receive an irrevocable "F" grade.

      Attendance: A class that studies reader response, as ours will, has to have some healthy discussion of actual responses to readings, and so attendance will be part of your participation grade. You are permitted two absences during the semester, excluding those for major medical problems, which will be handled on an individual basis. If you miss too much of the semester--even with a legitimate medical excuse--I may have to ask you to withdraw. After the two cuts, your final grade in the course will be lowered a third of a grade (e.g. from C to C-) for each cut.

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