Spring 2009
English 104, Introduction to Literary Studies; 3 credit hours,
MWF 11-11:50 a.m.

Don W. King: http://www.montreat.edu/Academics/MontreatTraditionalCampus/DegreePrograms/EnglishLanguages/Faculty/DonKing/tabid/1240/Default.aspx 
Office: McGowan Center 107
Office hrs.: MWF 8-10 a.m.; Tuesday 9-12 a.m.
Phone 828-669-8012, ex. 3819

dking@montreat.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A course in literary studies, including the writing of formal literary research papers and an introduction to literary genres.  Strongly recommended for students intending to major in either the literature or the creative writing track of the English major, and for other students who desire intense literary exposure.

COURSE RATIONALE:  Reading, thinking, discussing, analyzing, and writing about literature are integral to a liberal arts education.  For students majoring in English or those interested in literary studies, this course will provide a forum for these activities and will introduce the important literary terms and concepts that will be explored more fully in upper level literature courses.  In addition, guided assistance in developing and writing formal literary analyses will prepare students for writing in upper level literature courses.

TEXTS:

The Norton Introduction to Literature, Shorter 9th edition. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter
A Handbook to Literature, Eds. William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman
Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Norton Critical Edition 
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed), Ed. Joseph Gibaldi

Also, see Oxford Reference Online www.oxfordreference.com for some basic reference assistance.  It contains desktop access to 100 key Oxford dictionaries and reference works. The Core Collection brings together 100 language and subject dictionaries and reference works - containing well over 60,000 pages - into a single cross-searchable resource.  Also, see the Oxford English Dictionary, the grandfather of all dictionaries at http://dictionary.oed.com 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The central objectives of this course are 1) to introduce you to the literary genres of drama, lyric poetry, and fiction, 2) to familiarize you with important literary terminology, and 3) to give you practice in writing literary analyses (Montreat College Educational Objectives IV: 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7).

Additionally, there are several questions we will consider as we work through the course, including, but not limited to:

1. What is language?  What is its source (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

2. What is literature?  How can it be defined (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

3. What is the relationship between language and literature (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

4. Does literature have intrinsic value?  If so, what is it (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

5. What is the relationship between the human condition and literature (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

6. What makes a literary work transcend its own time and culture (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

7. What does a literary work have to say to us about ourselves?  About others?  About the natural creation?  About God (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

8. What is the relationship between an author and his or her work (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

9. In what sense, if any, can truth be communicate through a literary work (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

10. What is the importance of analyzing and writing about a literary work (MCEO 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3, and 5)?

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. That you read a selection of important plays, lyric poems, and prose fiction, and that you understand the literary characteristics of each (MCEO 2 and 3).

2. That you become familiar with and understand a core of important literary terms and concepts (MCEO 2 and 3).

3. That you learn how to read and analyze literature, including writing in class essays about literature (MCEO 2 and 3).

4. That you write three out of class literary analyses, requiring outside critical research (MCEO 2 and 3).

5. That you learn how to perform effective and efficient library research (MCEO 2 and 3).

6. That you utilize email to extend class discussion, to communicate with me, and to perform assigned small group work (MCEO 2, 3, and 4).

7. That you turn in all important written assignments via email attachments or on diskette (MCEO 2, 3, and 4.

8. That you engage in research via the Internet (MCEO 2, 3, and 4).

COURSE OUTLINE:

Jan. 21                   Course introduction 

Jan. 23-Feb. 6        Intro. to Drama A Midsummer Night's Dream or Hamlet;

Writing about literature; in class essay

Feb. 9-16               A Raisin in the Sun; in class essay

Feb. 18-25             Research and writing for first literary analysis          

Feb. 27                  First out of class literary analysis due

Mar. 2-9                Intro. to Lyric poetry and selected poems; in class essay

Mar. 11-30            Poetry and research for second literary analysis.         

April 1                   Second literary analysis due

Apr. 3-14               Intro. to Prose Fiction; selected stories; in class essay

Apr. 15-May 11     Intro. to the Novel; Crime & Punishment; research and

writing for third literary analysis; in class essay

May 13                  Third literary analysis due at                  

EVALUATION:  

1. The in class essays will count 30% of your final grade.  

2. The out of class literary analyses will count 40% of your final grade.

3. The remaining 30% will come from your class participation, quizzes, discussion, regular attendance, homework, reserve and supplemental reading, group work, various short writing assignments, and Web site searches.

4. Attendance policy: You may miss class for any reason up to six times; each additional missed class will result in a reduction of 25 points from your final grade.

5. There are a total of 1000 pts possible in the course. Final grades will be compiled using the following guidelines:

1000-900    A to A-
899-800      B+ to B-
799-700      C+ to C-
699-600      D+ to D-
599-0          F

LIBRARY:   All students are encouraged to take advantage of the services and resources available from the library.  You can search the online catalog and the library’s databases by going to http://www.montreat.edu/library/.  Select “Catalog” to search the online catalog or “Electronic Resources” to search the databases.  The catalog lists all of the books in the Montreat College library as well as the holdings of five other colleges.  You may check out books from all of these libraries.  In addition, you may request books or journal articles via interlibrary loan.  From the online catalog, you can also check on reserve materials by selecting “Reserve Desk” and searching by instructor name or course name.  

The list of databases at http://www.montreat.edu/library/completeelectronic.asp provides links to a variety of databases containing journal articles, online reference sources, and electronic books (ebooks).  These databases are accessible both on and off campus. You can search for journals at http://www.montreat.edu/library/electronic.asp.  Ask the library staff for a password for remote access if you live off campus.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Of much interest to you will be the multiple resources available via electronic databases, especially JSTOR.  In addition, the following books are on three-day reserve in the library and may be helpful when you work on your out of class literary analyses:

On Drama:

Belsey, Catherine. Shakespeare and the Loss of Eden 
Bentley, Gerald Eades. Shakespeare: A Biographical Handbook. 
Brown, Richard. A Shakespeare Reader.
Bryant, J. A. Jr. Shakespeare and the Uses of Comedy.
Carter, Steven.  Hansberry’s Drama: Commitment amid Complexity.
Carter, Thomas. Shakespeare and Holy Scripture.
Chambers, E. K. William Shakespeare: A Study of Facts and Problems, 2 vols.
Charlton, H. B. Shakespearean Comedy.
Cheney, Anne.  Lorraine Hansberry. 
Domina, Lynn.  Understanding A Raisin in the Sun:  A Student Casebook.
Dreher, Diane Elizabeth. Domination and Defiance: Fathers and Daughters in Shakespeare.
Dusinberre, Juliet. Shakespeare and the Nature of Women.
Hansberry, Lorraine.  To Be Young, Gifted, and Black.
Harbage, Alfred. A Reader's Guide to William Shakespeare.
Kasten, David Scott. A Companion to Shakespeare.
Kermode, Frank. Shakespeare's Language.
Kirsch, Arthur. Shakespeare and the Experience of Love. 
Marx, Steven. Shakespeare and the Bible.
McCrum, Robert, et. al. The Story of English. (book and 9, one hour video recordings) 
Milward, Peter. Shakespeare's Religious Background.
Muir, Kenneth. Shakespeare's Sources.
----------. Shakespeare: The Comedies.
Orgel, Stephen. Impersonations: The Performance of Gender in Shakespeare's England. 
Ornstein, Robert. Shakespeare's Comedies.
Parrott, T. Marc. Shakespearean Comedy.
Stoll, E. E. Shakespeare Studies.
Tillyard. E. M. W. The Elizabethan World Picture.

On Dostoyevsky:

Amonia, Alba. Feodor Dostoevsky.
Berdyaev, Nicholas. Dostoyevsky.
Bloom, Harold.  Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Modern Critical Views.
Cox, Gary.  Crime and Punishment: A Mind to Murder.
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor.  Diary of a Writer.  2 vols.
Frank, Joseph.  Dostoyevsky:  The Seeds of Revolt, 1821-1849.
Frank, Joseph.  Dostoyevsky:  The Years of Ordeal, 1850-59.
Frank, Joseph.  Dostoyevsky:  The Stir of Liberation, 1860-1865.
Garrard, John.  The Russian Novel from Pushkin to Pasternak.
Jackson, Robert. Crime and Punishment: A Collection of Critical Essays.
Jones, John.  Dostoyevsky.
Jones, Malcolm and Garth Terry, eds. New Essays on Dostoyevsky.
Wellek, Rene. Dostoyevsky: A Collection of Critical Essays.

Message from the Writing Center: To write a successful paper in this course, you will need to follow a process of planning, writing, and revising your papers.  The Writing Center tutors will work with you one-on-one on any or all parts of this process.  This academic service is available to assist you in becoming a confident writer, as both a student and a graduate.  

The Center is located on the top floor of the L. Nelson Bell Library in the back of the computer lab.  The Center is open Sunday – Thursday between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.  An appointment is not necessary.   If you are a day student or a non-traditional student, you may contact the Director, Anne Oxenreider (aoxenreider@montreat.edu), to schedule a daytime appointment. See

In addition, please know that an excellent internet resource is available to you at all times‑‑Purdue University’s OWL (On‑line Writing Lab).  This site provides an “always on” and authoritative resource for composition, grammar, and citation.  The address is http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: For all individual assignments students are expected to present their own work; documentation of research for your literary analysis must follow the specific criteria as outlined in the MLA Handbook for Writer of Research Paper or The Columbia Guide to Online Style second edition. Cases of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating and plagiarism, will result in either of failure of the assignment or of the course.  For the college's policy on this issue, please click academic integrity.