English 206 Syllabus

English 206: Applied Literary Criticism
3 credits
Fall 2002--#31043--MTR 11-11:50 AM--LH 117

Instructor:
Nancy Knowles
Office: Loso 146--(541) 962-3795
E-mail: nknowles@eou.edu
Course home page: http://www2.eou.edu/~nknowles/fall2002/engl206syl.html
Office hours: M 10-11, TR 1-2, and by appointment

Catalog Description: Study of selected critical approaches to literature, with emphasis on writing critiques of literary works.

Prerequisite: WR 121 or 131, and any 100-level English course.

Learning Outcomes (Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to...):

Understand literary theory as occurring in all literary interpretation
Identify, explain, and apply theoretical concepts orally and in writing

Means of Assessment:

Participation in classroom discussion and activities (10%): Successful learning depends on active participation in class discussion and activities. Read assigned texts by the date due. Extra credit will be awarded for excellent class participation, conferences with me, and documented Learning Center tutorial sessions.
Group Presentation introducing and applying concepts discussed (10%). Presentation dates cannot be changed.
Two short analyses of the use of theory in published criticism (20%)
Two long analyses applying theory in the analysis of literature (50%)
Final examination demonstrating the ability to identify, explain, and apply theoretical concepts (10%)

All grades assume a “C” represents satisfactory work.

A 92-100, A- 90-91, B+ 88-89, B 82-87, B- 80-81, C+ 78-79, C 72-77, C- 70-71, D+ 68-69, D 62-67, D- 60-61, F 59 and below

Required Texts:

Lentricchia, Frank and Thomas McLaughlin, eds. Critical Terms for Literary Study. 2nd ed. U of Chicago P, 1995.
Morrison, Toni. Paradise. New York: Knopf, 1998.
Printed versions of other readings available on reserve or online
Style manual including MLA format or access to online MLA materials at: http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml

Rules and Guidelines:

According to the EOU Catalog, “Minimum elements of appropriate classroom decorum include: punctuality, courtesy, civility, purposefulness, and integrity.” Hate speech is prohibited. Students who cannot behave appropriately will be asked to leave the classroom. Repeated infractions may result in disciplinary action.

All written assignments must be double-spaced and submitted in a word-processed format using a 12-point font and 1” margins. Because errors in formal writing influence readers’ opinions of you as a writer, make sure to check grammar and spelling before printing a final copy. I will be happy to discuss issues of grammar with you during office hours. Final drafts of long assignments must be accompanied by earlier notes, outlines, and drafts demonstrating substantial revision, copies of all cited secondary materials, and a works cited page.

All students are responsible for adhering to EOU’s Academic Honesty Code. Violations of this code will result in a grade of zero for the assignment and may result in failing the course, suspension, or expulsion from EOU:

Collaboration is allowed only with express instructor permission. I expect students to know the difference between collaboration, where two or more people share the work equally, and doing someone else’s work, where some people work and others do not.
Plagiarism, representing someone else’s ideas or words as your own, is unacceptable. Use MLA citation format to cite all ideas or words belonging to others that you include in your own writing. Such citations may include ideas that occur in class discussion, as well as primary and secondary sources. Your work should significantly exceed the quantity of citations and build new ideas upon them. Contact me immediately with questions about plagiarism and/or MLA citation format.
No work from another course may be used for credit in this one without prior permission from both instructors.

Keep copies of all work until you receive official notice of your course grade.

If you have personal concerns about any aspect of this course, please contact me immediately. The sooner I know what is going on with you, the sooner I can begin to help.

Schedule:

Date	Class Activities	Assignments Due
Week 1 9/30M	Course introduction
10/1T	Introduction to literary theory Dickinson's "Mine by the right..."	Start Paradise
10/3R	Paradise and its literary context	Paradise "Ruby," "Mavis," and "Grace" sections due

Week 2 10/7M	Select presentation topics Representation	In Lentricchia "Representation" Continue Paradise
10/8T	Writing	In Lentricchia "Writing" Continue Paradise
10/9R	Paradise discussion	Paradise "Seneca," "Divine," and "Patricia" sections due

Week 3 10/14M	Paradise discussion	In Lentricchia "Canon" Complete Paradise
10/15T	Canon and popular culture	In Lentricchia "Popular Culture"
10/17R	Performance	In Lentricchia "Performance"

Week 4 10/21M	Author	In Lentricchia "Author" Read Paradise criticism #1 Write short analysis #1
10/22T	Interpretation and intention	In Lentricchia "Interpretation" and "Intention"
10/23R	Response groups	In Lentricchia "Value/Evaluation" Bring three copies of long analysis #1

Week 5 10/28M	Value/evaluation and ethics	In Lentricchia "Ethics"
10/29T	Determinacy/indeterminacy	In Lentricchia "Determinancy/Indeterminacy"
10/31R	Rhetoric	In Lentricchia "Rhetoric" Long analysis #1 due

Week 6 11/4M	Unconscious and influence	In Lentricchia "Unconscious" and "Influence"
11/5T	Structure	In Lentricchia "Structure"
11/7R	Discourse	In Lentricchia "Discourse"

Week 7 11/11M	Potentially no class	In Lentricchia "Narrative"
11/12T	Narrative and figurative language	In Lentricchia "Figurative Language"
11/14R	Culture	In Lentricchia "Culture"

Week 8 11/18M	Gender	In Lentricchia "Gender" Read Paradise criticism #2 Write short analysis #2
11/19T	Race and ethnicity	In Lentricchia "Race" and "Ethnicity"
11/21R	No class	In Lentricchia "Class"

Week 9 11/25M	Response groups	Bring three copies of long analysis #2
11/26T	Class and ideology	In Lentricchia "Ideology"
11/28R	No class--Thanksgiving holiday

Week 10 12/2M	Imperialism/nationalism	In Lentricchia "Imperialism/Nationalism"
12/3T	Concluding discussion	In Lentricchia "Someone Reading"
12/5R	Course evaluations	Long analysis #2 due

12/10T	Final Examination

Last update 9/24/02