English 3308.001: Spring 2012
Writing Textual Analysis
Dr. Ann Beebe Office Hours:
BUS 250 MWF 8:00-9:00am
Office: 903-565-5827 and by Appointment
Email:
I will give you my home & cell numbers on the first day of class.
Welcome to English 3308, Writing Literary Analysis and Interpretation. This course replaces the former 3390, Advanced Composition, for English majors and future teachers of English. In many ways 3308 is “boot camp” for literary scholars. Most English departments across the nation have a similar requirement for all serious students of literature. Many of you practice these habits of critical reading intuitively; this course will give you the tools to make this critical reading systematic and rigorous.
The “student learning outcomes” of this class are:
§ Learn the terms of literary analysis
§ Appreciate and use literary theories in discussion and essays
§ Recognize the distinctions between various genres
§ Train active critical reading skills of literary texts
§ Brainstorm individual interpretations of texts in multiple drafts
§ Develop interpretations into logical and well-supported critical essays
To achieve these goals, all students should become comfortable with marking up a text. Many literary scholars have 2 copies of many books, a working copy and a reading copy. If you cannot bring yourself to write in a book, photocopy the story or poem and make your notes on the copy or use oversized post-it notes.
I am very excited about this class and our syllabus. This section of 3308 inspired the new Patriot Podcast site (http://ccs.uttyler.edu/podcast/). These audiofiles should help you study for term quizzes, understand literary theory, and improve your writing. I have put a great deal of work into the planning, and I do expect a great deal from you. I expect you to be in class every day and on time. I expect all reading to be completed by the assigned date. I expect your reading to be active. Mark up your books and take notes as you read. I expect everyone to participate substantially in class and Blackboard discussion and listen respectfully to classmates. And lastly, if you have any questions about class policies, assignments, or readings, I expect you to ask them. You may always ask questions in class, call or email me, or drop by my office.
In return there are certain things you can expect from me. I will attend class and be on time. I will keep my office hours and make appointments with students who cannot meet during my hours. I will complete all the readings and plan lessons by the assigned date. I will give all assignments in writing and sufficiently in advance. I will grade and return all assignments in a timely manner. I will allow you to look at your portion of the gradebook during office hours. I will answer questions about assignments in class or in my office. If I cannot answer a question when you ask it, I will have the answer by the next class period.
Required Texts:
1) Literature: Reading, Reacting, and Writing (Kirszner & Mandell, 8th full ed., not
compact edition –ISBN-13:978-1-111-34480-1)
2) A Handbook to Literature (Harmon & Holman, 12th ed. – ISBN-13: 9780205024018) – NEW
edition
3) Texts & Contexts (Lynn, 6th ed. – ISBN: 97802057166746)
I encourage you to keep these texts throughout your academic and professional careers.
Recommended Tools for Students of Literature:
§ A solid academic dictionary (and a willingness to consult the complete Oxford English Dictionary (OED) when needed)
§ A dictionary of literary symbols (e.g. The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols)
§ Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable OR The Reader’s Encyclopedia (Benet)
§ A book on Greek and Roman mythology
§ A standard Shakespeare text
§ A standard Bible
§ A standard book of world folktales and fairytales
§ MLA Handbook – 2009 edition
§ A standard academic grammar handbook
§ A strong work ethic
§ A sense of humor
Daily Schedule
[This schedule includes all major readings and assignments. Small additions or changes
may be made. I will make any such changes in writing.]
January 13 – F
Introduction to course, syllabus, expectations, Blackboard
Term Quizzes HO
January 16 – M
No class
January 18 – W
Readings: Literature, Chapters 1 & 2 (2-38) – review as necessary
Literature, “Hangzhou 1925” (288-294)
Due: Student Information Sheet
January 20 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 3 (60-67) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 4 (77-83) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 14 (255-258) – review as necessary
Due: 1st Posting to BB by this date
Quiz from Set 1
January 23 – M
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 5 (84-99) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 12 (199-217) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 2
Working Thesis for Overhead
January 25 – W
Due: Typed draft of character paper (1 ½ - 2 pages) for required
peer review [1 letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
January 27 – F
Readings: Literature, Chapter 9 (138-149) – review as necessary
Literature, Chapter 7 (114-129) – review as necessary – SEE 2009 MLA
Handbook for current citation formant
Due: Quiz from Set 3
January 30 – M
Due: Character paper due
Thesis Workshop (bring your Literature books to class)
February 1 – W
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 15 (295-299) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 16 (340-349) – review as necessary
Literature, “The Things They Carried” (430-443)
Due: Quiz from Set 4
February 3 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 17 (386-392) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 18 (444-450) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 19 (497-501) – review as necessary
Due: Literary Theory Podcast Recording Explanation
Recommended: Post your working thesis statements to Blackboard. Peer review the thesis
statements of your classmates.
February 6 – M
Due: Typed draft of symbol paper (1 ½ - 2 pages) for required peer review [1 letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
Due: Quiz from Set 5
February 8 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapters 1 & 2 (3-35), Appendix 2 (256-259)
Due: Quiz from Set 6
February 10 – F
Due: Symbol paper due
Preview of Library research
February 13 – M
Meet in Circulation Area of UTT Library
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 6 (100-113) – review as necessary
February 15 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapters 3 & 4 (37-101)
See Literature (1973-1998)
Due: Library Exercise due
Selection of short story paper for longer paper with research
Quiz from Set 7
February 17 – F
Due: Quiz from Set 8
Working Thesis for Overhead
February 20 – M
Due: Typed draft of long short story paper (4 – 5 pages) for required peer review. [1
letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
Quiz from Set 9
February 22 – W
Due: Long short story paper due
Sign-up – Theory & Recording Date – Podcast Recording
February 24 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 22 (704-715) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 24 (728-741) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 3 (52-59) – review as necessary
3 Shakespeare sonnets (handout)
Due: Quiz from Set 10
February 27 – M
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 27 (811-833) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 11
February 29 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapter 5 (103-137)
Due: Selection of poem for Explication #1 [Select one of the sonnets from the handout.]
Quiz from Set 12
March 2 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 29 (870-892) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 13
Working Thesis for Overhead
March 5 – M
Due: Typed draft (1 ½ - 2 pages) of Explication #1 for required peer review. [1
letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
Quiz from Set 14
March 7 – W
Due: Poetry Explication #1 due
Literary Theory Podcast Recording
March 9 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 25 (742-779) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 26 (780-810) – review as necessary
Due: Selection of poem for Explication #2 [entire poem must appear in our
anthology]
Quiz from Set 15
March 12-16
SPRING BREAK
March 19 – M
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 28 (834-869) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 16
Working Thesis for Overhead
March 21 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapter 6 (139-189)
Due: Quiz from Set 17
Recommended: Arrange a peer review with a classmate over the weekend – this peer
review is NOT required.
March 23 – F
Due: Poetry Explication #2 due
Literary Theory Podcast Recording
March 26 – M
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 30 (893-933) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 31 (934-961) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 18
March 28 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapter 7 (191-217)
Due: Selection of topic for poetry paper with research
Quiz from Set 19
March 30 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 32 (962-993) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 20
Working Thesis for Overhead
April 2 – M
Due: Typed draft (4- 5 pages) of long Poetry paper for required peer
review. [1 letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
Quiz from Set 21
April 4 – W
Due: Long Poetry Paper due
Literary Theory Podcast Recording
April 6 – F
No class
April 9 – M
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 35 (1160-1176) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 37 (1216-1230) – review as necessary
Literature, “Words, Words, Words” (1632-1639)
Due: Quiz from Set 22
April 11 – W
Readings: Texts & Contexts, Chapter 8 (219-253)
Due: Quiz from Set 23
April 13 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 38 (1231-1236) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 39 (1377-1388) – review as necessary
Literature, from Chapter 40 (1621-1626) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 24
Working Thesis for Overhead
April 16 – M
Due: Typed draft (1 ½ - 2 pages) of short drama paper for required peer
review. [1 letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
Quiz from Set 25
April 18 – W
Due: Short Drama Paper due
Literary Theory Podcast Recording
April 20 – F
Readings: Literature, from Chapter 41 (1757-1762) – review as necessary
Due: Quiz from Set 26
April 23 – M
Due: Topic & Play for Drama paper with research [play must appear in our
anthology]
Quiz from Set 27
April 25 – W
Due: Quiz from Set 28
Working Thesis for Overhead
April 27 – F
Due: Literary Theory Podcast Recording
April 30 – M
Due: Typed draft (4-5 pages) of long drama paper for required peer
review. [1 letter grade deduction for missed peer review. 1 letter grade deduction for insufficient comments during peer review.]
May 2 – W
Due: Long Drama Paper due
NOTE: There will be no Final Exam in this section of 3308.
Grading:
Quizzes (Terms) 10%
Literary Theory Podcast 5%
Short Story Character paper – (1 ½ -2 pages) 5%
Short Story Symbol paper – (1 ½ - 2 pages) 10%
Short Story paper with research (4-5 pages) 15%
Poetry Explication #1 – Sonnet (1 ½ - 2 pages) 5%
Poetry Explication #2 (1 ½ - 2 pages) 5%
Poetry paper with research (4 -5 pages) 15%
Short Drama Paper – (1 ½ - 2 pages) 10%
Drama paper with research (4-5 pages) 10%
Daily Work (Class & Blackboard Participation, Peer Reviews,
Freewrites, Library Exercise) 10%
You should expect to spend 2 hours outside class for every 1 hour in class. Translation: You should study 6 hours a week (minimum) outside of class for each 3-credit course.
[12 credit hours + 24 hours outside of class = 36 hours per week for a full time student.]
NOTE: The withdrawal date for all Spring 2012 classes is March 26th.
Quizzes:
You will have a series of 28 one-word quizzes. These quizzes are scheduled on your syllabus; you will be given a list of the 28 term sets on the first day of class. Your first resource for these quizzes should be the Handbook. You should also consult the podcasts on your Blackboard as well as your other two texts to supplement your understanding of these terms. Many of these terms are defined on the web as well. You should aim to incorporate these terms of literary study into your daily discussion of literature and your scholarly essays.
Literary Theory Podcast Recording:
You will each sign up in February to record an explanation of one literary theory on. The recordings for each criticism will be broken into four parts; each part should take 7-10 minutes. Each session will run one hour (prep work & recording).
Part 1 – Explanation, Dates, Key Names of Critics, Texts
Part 2 – Definitions of Key Terms Related to the Criticism
Part 3 – Model Analysis of a well known poem, short story, or novel using the criticism (Thesis,
Reasoning, Support)
Part 4 – Brainstorm thesis statements for short papers about 3-4 relatively well-known works
approached from this literary theory
Patriot Podcast Information:
· Spring 2006 – Dean Donna Dickerson asked for faculty volunteers to incorporate podcasts into classes
· I volunteered – suggested my advanced comp class – ENGL 3308: Writing Literary Analysis & Interpretation
· Did NOT want to use technology to record lectures – too much lecturing in colleges as it is
· Came up with a series of possible uses for podcasts – always to supplement classroom instruction [see list below]
· Podcasts posted on my course’s Blackboard from Fall 2007 to Spring 2008
· Good response from students – so I wanted to take experiment to the next level
· Asked Dean Alisa White for permission Spring 2008 to record literary terms individually and then post via link on UTT website