EVANGEL UNIVERSITY
Humanities
Department
Vekasy
ENGLISH 123 Introduction to Literature 3 credit hours Spring 2010
Meeting time: (Sec. 4
11:00-12:15 Tu/Th Trask 302)
Instructor: SC
Vekasy Voice Mail: x 8647 E-mail: vekasys@evangel.edu
Office Hours: Posted at Trask 312A or under Course Syllabi
at www.wordtinker.com
DESCRIPTION:
An introduction to understanding and interpreting poetry, fiction, and drama
COURSE
PURPOSE:
To help students understand and enjoy literature on an introductory level while
acquainting them with basic literary concepts and
terminology
TEXTBOOK:
Arp, Thomas R. and Greg Johnson. Perrine’s
Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.
9th Ed.
Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.
Register
at TurnItIn.com: Course ID: 3034522
Password: oranges
COURSE
OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, the student should
1. possess analytical
and interpretive skills for reading effectively across genres, ages, and cultures
2. be familiar with a body of literature and
representative authors, including female and minority writers
3.
have
discovered universal and particular themes of which an educated person should
be aware
4.
appreciate
and better understand the physical, cultural, religious, intellectual, social,
and economic diversity in the
world as represented in literature
5.
appreciate
and better understand dialects and levels of language usage presented in
literature
6.
possess
sufficient literary terminology and interpretive skills to feel comfortable in
articulating
perceptions, both in conversation and in writing
7.
positively
respond to the beauty of literature and appreciate the truths about life it communicates
8.
have
refined his/her own world view by repeatedly focusing it against the backdrop
of world literature
9.
be
able to discriminate between trade or "popular" pieces and literature
that has depth
10.
be
able to intelligently discuss literature
11.
understand
the reasons for reading quality literature and how to approach new works
12.
enjoy
hearing the ideas of others, while being able to weigh judgments and respond
sensitively and intelligently
13.
learn,
through class experiences, techniques for helping others enjoy and understand
literature
METHODS
AND PROCEDURES USED:
1. Lectures about authors and literary
concepts
2. Journal notes for assigned stories and
poems (See daily schedule.)
3. Optional audio versions of drama
and/or attendance at dramatic presentations
4. Objective and short essay examinations
5. Oral presentations of selected poetry
6. Class discussion of assigned works
7.
Small group projects requiring collaboration
UNITS: Fiction— Reading the Story; Plot and Structure;
Characterization; Theme; Point of View;
Symbol, Allegory, and Fantasy; Humor and
Irony; Evaluating Fiction
Poetry— What is Poetry?;
Reading the Poem; Denotation and Connotation; Imagery;
Figurative Language; Allusion; Meaning and
Idea; Tone; Musical Devices;
Rhythm and Meter; Sound and
Meaning; Pattern
Drama— The Nature of Drama; Realistic and
Nonrealistic Drama; Tragedy and Comedy
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
1.
Completion of reading schedule (See daily schedule for assignments)
2.
Daily written response to the chapter material and the literature
through journal notes on
assigned chapters, stories, and poems
NOTE: Each journal response must
be 300 words minimum, 12-point font, Times New Roman
or Arial, double spaced. (Check word count with “Tools,” “Word Count” or look
at
bottom left corner of screen.)
3.
Familiarity with and ability to use correct literary terminology in
discussion
4.
Passing of mid-term and final examinations
5. Oral report on a selected poem to demonstrate
the ability to understand the work and articulate its meaning to one’s peer
group
6. Participation and contribution to class
discussion and in small groups
THINGS
TO KEEP IN MIND:
1.
Class attendance – On the 8th
absence, a student is dropped from the course. This includes
school-sponsored and sports related events. Keep a record
of your absences. The course is also designed to reward those who attend
regularly and to adversely affect the grades of those who do not.
Daily points cannot be made up, and information given
in class is usually not found elsewhere. Our decisions have consequences, and we
must make choices daily regarding our academic and other responsibilities.
Habitually arriving late to class suggests a lack of consideration for
others and a careless attitude toward one’s work. If possible, be early, not
late!
2.
Plagiarism
ON ANY ASSIGNMENT (journal notes, daily work, tests, etc.) will result in a
failing
grade in the course and possible University disciplinary
action.
3.
Taking
an examination either early or late is not permitted except in extreme
situations.
In any event, a
test may not be made up later than one week after it is given.
EVALUATION:
1. Class points: journal entries, class participation,
group work, oral report, etc. 50%
2.
Exam points: mid-term and final exam 50%
------
100%
Reader
response journal notes must be submitted to TurnItIn.com before the
start of each class period whether a
student is in class that day or not. No late notes are accepted. No
exceptions! For general instructions on note forms for each assignment type,
refer to the guide sheets provided.
JAN 14
|
Introduction to the
Course - Syllabus / TurnItIn.com
Enrollment Explanation of
Reader Response Journals / Plagiarism-Collusion Policy |
|
JAN 19 |
The Elements of Fiction [In-Class Lecture] |
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JAN 21 |
Ch 1–Reading the Story / Ortiz Cofer’s
“American History” (539-546) |
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JAN 26 |
Fitzgerald’s “A New
Leaf” (420-434) / Hood’s “How Far She Went” (179-187) |
|
JAN 28 |
Ch 2–Plot and Structure / Gordimer’s “Once Upon a
Time” (220--225) Glaspell’s “A Jury
of Her Peers” (389-408) [audio] |
|
FEB 2 |
Ch 3–Characterization / Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” (175--179) O’Connor’s “A Good
Man is Hard to Find” (454-468) [Groups] |
|
FEB 4 |
Ch 4–Theme / Ch 5–Point of View Jackson’s “The
Lottery” (251-259) [video] |
|
FEB 9 |
Ch 6–Symbol, Allegory, and Fantasy / Ch 7–Humor
and Irony Porter’s “The
Jilting of Granny Weatherall” (260—268) [video] |
|
FEB 11 |
Ch 8–Evaluating Fiction
/ Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner”
(285-299) Hawthorne’s “Young
Goodman Brown” (299--311) |
|
FEB 16 |
FICTION UNIT EXAM
(Bring a #2 pencil and a pen.) |
|
FEB 18 |
Ch 1–What is Poetry? / Ch 2–Reading the Poem Poem 1: Hayden’s “The
Whipping” (656) OR Hardy’s “The Man
He Killed” (670) |
|
FEB 23 |
Ch 3–Denotation/Connotation / Ch 4–Imagery Poem 2: Frost’s “Desert
Places” (696) OR Frost’s “After
Apple Picking” (708) |
|
FEB 25 |
Ch 5–Figurative Language 1 / Ch 6–Figurative Language 2 Poem 3: Rich’s “Ghost of
a Chance” (728) OR Heaney’s “Digging” (739) |
|
MAR 2 |
Ch 7–Figurative Language 3 / Ch 8–Allusion Poem 4: Cullen’s
“Incident” (759) OR Milton’s “On His
Blindness” (783) |
|
MAR 4 |
Ch 10–Tone / Ch 11—Musical Devices Poem 5: Shakespeare’s “My
Mistress’ Eyes”(809) OR
Olds’ “Rite of Passage”(833) Allusion
Exercise |
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MAR 9 |
SPRING BREAK |
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MAR 11 |
SPRING BREAK |
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MAR 16 |
Ch 12–Rhythm and Meter / Ch 14–Pattern Poem 6: Plath’s “Old
Ladies’ Home” (856) OR Collins’ “The Story We Know” (894) DISCUSS ORAL REPORTS / SIGN UP SHEET |
|
MAR 18 |
Ch 15--Evaluating Poetry 1 / Ch
16--Evaluating Poetry 2 Poem 7: Compare ONE of the following PAIRS of poems as
to overall QUALITY based on the criteria in Ch 15 and 16. (Pair 1) “Pitcher”
(908-909) and “The Old-Fashioned Pitcher” (909) OR (Pair 2) “The Toys” (911-912) and “Little
Boy Blue (912-913) [Last week to Withdraw with W] |
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MAR 23 |
POETRY ORAL REPORTS (Random order)
7-8 minutes each |
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MAR 25 |
POETRY ORAL REPORTS (Random order)
7-8 minutes each |
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MAR 30 |
POETRY ORAL REPORTS (Random order)
7-8 minutes each |
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APR 1 |
POETRY ORAL REPORTS (Random order)
7-8 minutes each |
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APR 6 |
Ch 1-The Nature of Drama) / Ch
2-Realistic and Nonrealistic Drama / Ch 3-Tragedy and Comedy) / More Elements of Drama [In-Class Lecture] |
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APR 8 |
John Millington
Synge’s Riders to the Sea [video] Full text found below:
http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/micsun/IrishResources/riders.htm |
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APR 13 |
Tennessee Williams’
The Glass Menagerie [video]
[1143-1196] |
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APR 15 |
Tennessee Williams’
The Glass Menagerie [video]
[1143-1196] [Last week to Withdraw WP/WF] |
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APR 20 |
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman [video]
[1445-1525] |
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APR 22 |
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman [video]
[1445-1525] |
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APR 27 |
REVIEW PERIOD –
Bring questions for final exam review |
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APR 29 |
In-Class Essay on
the Three Drama Presentations (Part of Final Exam) Location Computer Lab -- TBA |
FINAL EXAM Tuesday, May 4, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Trask-302 Bring #2 Pencil.