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ENG 215 – LITERARY ANALYSIS
SPRING `10
Instructor: Brinda Charry Office hours: M: 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Office : Parker 203 W: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 8-2727
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is considered the “threshold” course for the English major and minor. It prepares
you to do the work of literary analysis by introducing you to the vocabulary, strategies, goals
and pleasure of critical inquiry. The work of this course focuses on learning and applying those
tools to the literary genres of fiction, poetry, drama and other kinds of creative prose; on
practicing the skills of citation, documentation, research; on expanding your critical
understanding of the variety of literary forms used by writers; on deepening your appreciation
of how language can connect, alienate, move mediate and shape our human identities.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
As we proceed through the semester, you are expected to demonstrate that you can:
1. Comprehend the elements of a text’s construction.
2. Use the language of literary analysis to talk and write about a text.
3. Ask questions that cover a range of critical approaches
4. Identify, discuss, and integrate questions and other textual evidence
5. Understand how you do research on literary texts
6. Use MLA style of citation and documentation correctly.
READINGS
Most of our readings are from “The Compact Bedford introduction to Literature” (8th edition) by Michael Meyer. The book is available in the college Bookstore. Please purchase it right away.
Some readings for the course will be posted on Blackboard (under Course Documents) or distributed as class handouts.
CREDITING THE WORK OF OTHERS
In the course of writing your papers you might need to go to other people’s work either to
support or illustrate your claims, to provide background information or to develop someone
else’s argument. Using sources can be useful and sometimes even necessary, but it is essential
that you credit the work others have done whenever you use a source. Check out the
guidelines for academic honesty on the website
http://www.keene.edu/policy/academichonesty.cfm. Don’t hesitate to talk to me if you have
any questions about this.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you need to adapt this course to your needs because of a disability or some other situation,
please discuss this with me as soon as possible.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH ME
You can always drop in during my office hours or make an appointment with me to discuss
drafts of your papers or problems or questions you might have pertaining to the course. You
can also reach me by e-mail.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Reading assignments, attendance and participation
If you are to get the most out of this course it is essential that you complete reading
assignments and come to class prepared to discuss them. Because your participation in class is
an integral part of this course you need to attend regularly. Any student who misses in excess
of two weeks of class will be considered to have failed the course. Attendance and
Participation : 15%
2. Quizzes, In- Class and Informal writing, Response Papers
Quizzes and in-class writing: I will give unannounced quizzes and in-class writing assignments to
make sure you have done the reading. 10% of final grade.
3.Short papers
Two 5-6 page essays. The first of these will count for 10% of the grade and the second for 15%
. I will give you more information on these papers and their due dates on the first day of class.
4.Mid-term Exam
One take home exam that will count for 10% of the grade. Again, you will get
more information on this on the first day of class.
5.Final exam
In-class examination details of which will be given later in the semester – 20 % of the final
grade
6. Final essay
One 8-10 page final essay details of which will be given later in the semester. The final essay
will count for 20% of the final grade.
COURSE SCHEDULE
(This schedule is subject to change)
WEEK 1
Wed, 1/20
-Topic: Reading Imaginative Literature, Texts as Representation
WEEK 2
Mon, 1/25
Topic: Reading Fiction Responsively
Readings:
Kate Chopin, “The Story of An Hour,”( p.15)
Topic : Explorations and Formulas
Readings:
Karen Van Der Zee, From A Secret Sorrow, (p 31) and Gail Goodwin, “ A Sorrowful Woman ” (p.
39)
Wed, 1/27
Topic: Plot
Readings:
1. Edgar Rice Burroughs, From Tarzan of the Apes (p. 72)
2. Ha Jin, “Love in the Air.” (p. 79)
3. William Faulkner, “ A Rose for Emily” (p. 90)
WEEK 3
Mon, 2/1
Topic – Character
Reading:
1. Herman Melville, “Bartleby the Scrivener” (p.124)
Topic - Setting
Reading:
2. Fay Weldon, “Ind Aff” (p 172)
Wed, 2/3
Topic – Point of View
Readings:
1. Achy Obejas, “We Came All this Way from Cuba So You Could dress Like This?” (p. 194) 2. Anton Chekov, “The Lady With the Pet Dog” (p. 205)
WEEK 4
Mon, 2/8
Topic – Symbolism
Reading - Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal.” (p. 255)
Topic – Theme
Readings -
Dogobert Gilb , “Love in LA” (p.279)
Katherine Mansfield – “Miss Brill” ( p. 275)
Wed, 2/10
Topic - Writing About Fiction
Reading :
1.David Updike, “Summer” (p. 304)
2. Karen Van Der Zee , From A Secret Sorrow (p. 31)
3. Gail Godwin, “A Sorrowful Woman” (p. 39) (we have read #s 2 and 3 before, please re-
read them for this class)
WEEK 5
Mon,2/15
Topic: Approaches to Fiction – A Critical Case Study of William Fauklner’s “Barn
Burning”
Readings:
1. William Faulkner, “Barn Burning” (p. 418)
2. Perspectives on Faulkner (divided) ( p. 431- 437)
Wed, 2/17
Topic : Finding Sources
Topic : Documenting Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
WEEK 6
Mon, 2/22
Topic : Approaches to Fiction – A Study of Flannery O ‘Connor
Readings:
1.A Brief Biography and Introduction (p. 362)
2.“A Good Man is hard to Find” 9p. 367)
3. “Good Country People” (p. 378)
4.”Revelation” (p. 392)
5. Perspectives on O’Connor – (Divided) (p. 407- 412)
Wed, 2/24
Topic - Reading Poetry
Readings: “The Secretary Chant” ( p. 570), “Those Winter Sundays (p. 571), “Dog’s death, “ (p.
572), “Oh, Oh” ( (p. 574), “ Catch” (p. 576), “ L (A 585
PAPER ONE DUE
WEEK 7
Mon, 3/1
Topic: Word Choice, Word Order, Tone
Readings: “ The death of the Ball Turret Gunner,” ( p. 625), “She being brand” ( p. 627),
“Common Ground,” ( p. 629), “ Back when All… “( p. 630), “Hazel Tells Laverne,” ( p. 631), “ To
The Virgin’s To Make much of Time,” ( p. 635), “Marvell Noir” ( p. 639) , “Last Night,” ( p.640).
Wed, 3/3
Topic - Images
Readings – “Poem” (p. 660), “Cavalry Crossing a Ford,” ( p. 661), “Windsurfing, “(p. 661), “Root
Cellar,” ( p. 663), “Dover Beach,” ( p. 664), “ Green Chile, “ (p. 665), William Blake, “London” ( p.
669).
WEEK 8
Mon, 3/8
Topic: Figures of Speech
Readings - From Macbeth (p. 682), “You Fit into me,” ( p. 683), “Presentiment” ( p. 684), “The
author to her book,” ( p. 685), “Pragmatist,” (p. 686), “The hand that signed the paper,” ( p.
687), “To a wasp,” ( p. 688), “The Unkindest Cut,” ( p. 690).
Wed, 3/10
MID-TERM EXAM
WEEK 9
Mon, 3/15 and Wed 3/17 -NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
THE SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINING WEEKS OF THE SEMESTER WILL BE DISTRIBUTED JUST
BEFORE SPRING BREAK
WEEK 10
Mon, 3/22
Topic: Symbol, Allegory, Irony
Readings: “ Acquainted with the Night,” (p. 703), “The Haunted Place,” (p. 705), “Richard
Cory,” (p. 707), “Ad” (p. 710), “Next to of course God America I,” (p. 711),
“A Man Said to the Universe,” ( p. 724)
Wed, 3/24
Topic - The Sounds of Poetry – Rhyme, Sound and meaning
Readings: In-class – Please bring the textbook to class
WEEK 11
Mon, 3/29
Topic - The Sounds of Poetry (contd) – Rhythm and Meter , Poetic Forms
Readings – In class – please bring textbook to class.
Wed, 3/31
Topic – Combining the Elements of Poetry.
Reading: “Death be not Proud,” ( p. 820)
WEEK 12
Mon, 4/5
Topic -Approaches to Poetry – A Study of Langston Hughes
Readings: p. 915 – 931; Perspectives on Langston Hughes (p. 932- 935 - divided)
PAPER 2 DUE
Wed, 4/7
Topic – Approaches to Poetry – a Thematic Case study – Love and Longing
Readings – p. 966- 971
WEEK 13
Mon, 4/12
Topic – Reading Drama responsively
Readings – Susan Glaspell, “Trifles” (p. 1048)
Michael Hollinger,” Naked Lunch,” ( p. 1064)
Wed, 4/14
Topic - Writing about Drama
Reading – In -class (please bring textbook to class)
WEEK 14
Mon, 4/19
Topic: Approaches to Drama – A Critical Case Study of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House (1257)
Wed, 4/21
Topic – Critical Strategies for Reading
Reading – pg. 1536- 1554 (divided)
WEEK 15
Mon, 4/26
Topic - The Literary Research Paper
Wed, 4/28
Topic - The Literary Research Paper
Final Comments
FINAL EXAM AND FINAL PAPER - DUE DATE TBA