CL203 Western Masterworks 01:195:203:01 Spring 2013

CL203 Western Masterworks 01:195:203:01 Spring 2013

Steven Gonzagowski, Instructor

Hardenbergh Hall 101 M TH 11:30pm-12:50pm

Office Hours: 195 College Ave (By Appointment)

(732) 932-7606

Synopsis: In this course, students will consider representative literary works of the Western tradition, with an emphasis on works from Western Europe and the Americas. The works included cover a wide variety of genres, including drama, poetry, the novel, the short story and even popular genres such as the television sitcom. The course focuses thematically on the portrayal of family relationships portrayed in these works, which will be analyzed through various theoretical lenses including psychoanalysis, anthropology, sociology, and gender theory.

Learning Objectives:

A)  To analyze and interpret literary works by applying close reading techniques.

B)  To develop the ability to critically think, discuss, and write about a literary text.

C)  To read and critique theoretical articles and apply theoretical knowledge to works of fiction.

D)  To acquire awareness of the socio-historical and cultural basis of the family in the Western tradition and to relate this awareness to your own personal experiences as members of a family.

Required Texts: Available at Rutgers University Bookstore, Ferren Mall, Penn Plaza, New Brunswick.

Camilo, Jose Cela. The Family of Pascual Duarte. Dalkey Archive Publishers ISBN: 1564783596

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Penguin USA edition ISBN: 9780451525222

Kincaid, Jamaica. Autobiography of My Mother. Penguin USA edition ISBN: 9780452274662

Lispector, Clarice. Family Ties. University of Texas Press ISBN: 9780292724488

Moliere. Tartuffe. Harvest Book Editions. ISBN: 9780156881807

Saramago, Jose. The Cave. Harvest Book Edition 9780156028790

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Penguin USA edition ISBN: 9780140707342

Note that in addition to the above works, I have also placed various required readings on Electronic Reserve accessible through the course Sakai website .These readings are indicated by an asterix (*) in the schedule below.

Course Rules and Requirements

Attendance. Attendance will be taken at each class meeting.

Excused absences. Religiously observant students should indicate their need to be excused on religious holidays; such absences will be considered excused absences in accordance with university regulations. Athletes needing to attend practice at certain times should officially inform me of their situation beforehand; absences to attend practice will be considered excused absences. Students needing to be excused for a long period for medical or other reasons must contact their college dean and have that dean notify all of their professors about the need for a prolonged absence from class. Students missing an occasional class for unverifiable illness or personal circumstances do not require written documentation or verification from the dean. In these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the student to submit the absence at the following website: https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/.

Unexcused absences. Each student is allowed three unexcused absences for the semester. Exceeding three unexcused absences will result in a lowering of the final grade by 1 point (out of a possible 100) for each unexcused absence.

Three instances of tardiness (arrival in class more than 15 minutes late) = 1 unexcused absence.

1.  Participation. Students are expected to have read the assigned text(s) for the class which they are to be discussed listed below. Your active participation is required in order to demonstrate your ability to critically discuss the assigned works and will count for 20% of your final grade.

2.  Quizzes: These brief quizzes will be unannounced and administered at the beginning of class. There will be approximately five quizzes during the semester; however, if I sense that the reading is not being completed in a thorough manner, there will most likely be more than six. Note that my quizzes consist not of multiple choice, but questions which require you to answer by writing a thoughtful essay response on the spot. You will be allowed to refer to the text (=open book). A period of 20 minutes will be allotted for each quiz. If you arrive late, you will not be granted extra time to complete the quiz. The quizzes cannot be made up.

4. Papers:

A. Completion of three short response papers (2-3 pages each) that consider the assumptions that a particular work (and/or author) makes about the configuration of the family. You may write on any three of the works considered over the course of the semester, but need to complete three short response papers before we begin reading Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Jose Saramgo’s novel The Cave. Topics will be suggested by the instructor after each reading is completed.

B. Completion of a five page final paper based on a close reading of Saramago’s The Cave. Instructor will provide guidance and various handouts on the art of close reading and the completion of a close reading paper throughout the semester.

1.)  All written work done outside of class must be typed double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent font, with margins of 1 inch on all sides. When writing more than one page, include page numbers and staple the pages together. Proofread all papers to catch grammatical errors, spelling errors, and typos. Papers should follow MLA format, a summary of which you will find at: www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities/manuscript.html

2.)  Briefly, an A-range paper explains and interprets the material in an original manner. A B-range paper explains and interprets the material adequately, but not exceptionally. A C-range paper clearly presents and summarizes ideas in the text(s). A D-range paper presents an unclear argument and does not summarize ideas in the text(s). An F-range paper has no argument and/or does not refer to the text(s) or to the assignment question.

Plagiarism/Academic Integrity Policy:

Plagiarism is the use of other people’s words or ideas without proper acknowledgment;. When referring to other people’s ideas or using other people’s words include a footnote, or a page number of the work in question in parentheses at the end of the sentence in which you refer to that person’s ideas or words, following MLA format. Include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. Violations of the Rutgers University Academic Integrity policy include: cheating, fabrication, denying others access to information or material, and facilitating violations of academic integrity. You should familiarize yourself with the policy in its entirety at the following link: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/files/documents/AI_Policy_9_01_2011.pdf

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Grading:

Participation 30%

Quizzes: 15%

Response Papers 30%

Final Close Reading Paper 25%

Grade Points: A (92-100), B+ (87-91), B (80-86), C+ (77-80),C (70-76), D(60-70), F (59 and below)

Tentative Schedule: (subject to change according to the needs of the class)

1/24: Introduction to Course

1/28: Representations of the post WW II American family: Father Knows Best versus Family Guy

1/31: Sophocles (Ancient Greece) Oedipus Rex*

2/4: Freud (Austro-Hungarian Empire) “Family Romances”*

Raymond Williams (Wales) “Family” definition from Keywords*

2/7: Shakespeare (Elizabethan England) Hamlet. Acts I- III

2/11: Hamlet Acts IV & V

2/14: Moliere (France) Tartuffe.

2/18: Hawthorne, Nathaniel (USA). “Young Goodman Brown” *

2/21: The Scarlet Letter: “The Custom House” (If using a different edition, be sure it includes Hawthorne’s preface to the novel!)

2/25: The Scarlet Letter Chapters 1 - 14

2/28: The Scarlet Letter Chapters 15 – Conclusion

3/4: The Scarlet Letter on film (1934 silent version, 1979, PBS televised version , 1995 Hollywood version)

3/7: Poe (USA) “The Black Cat” *

“The Tell-Tale Heart”*

“The Fall of the House of Usher”*

3/11: Chekhov, Anton. The Cherry Orchard Acts I, II (www. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/7986)

3/14: The Cherry Orchard. Acts III-IV

*******SPRING BREAK******

3/25: Cela, Jose (Spain) The Family of Pascual Duarte. (first half)

3/28: The Family of Pascual Duarte (second half)

4/1: Clarice Lispector (Brazil) Family Ties (first half)

4/4: Family Ties (second half)

4/8: Kincaid, Jamaica (Antigua) Autobiography of My Mother (first half)

4/11: Autobiography of My Mother (second half)

4/15: Alice Walker (USA) “Everyday Use” *

William Faulkner (USA) “Barn Burning” *

4/18: Arlene Stein (Rutgers U.) “Make Room For Daddy”*

David Leavitt (USA) “Territory” * and “Danny in Transit”*

4/22 Plato (Ancient Greece) The Allegory of the Cave *

Saramago The Cave Chapters 1-4

4/25 Saramago The Cave (continued)

4/29 Saramago The Cave (continued)

5/2: Review of Final Close Reading Assignment

5/6: Conclusions Final Close Reading Assigment Due!