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LI -256: Variety of Literature
Spring, 2005,
Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:50 P.M.

Instructor: Thomas M. Eaton
Office: 318-K, Grauel BLDG.
Office Hours: 10-12 M/W
Office Phone: 651-2019, Home office, 339-1595
E-mail: tmeaton@semo.edu

Required Texts :

Abacarian, R. & Klotz, K. Literature: The Human Eperience,, (8th ed.) (university Bookstore textbook rental)

Course Description:

LI- 256 is an introduction course meeting university standards off general study and advanced literature analysis skills. This course will introduce the student to a variety of literary approaches addressing the human experience. Students will be encouraged to aesthetically evaluate the reading, apply and consider elements of social conditions within the students’ own experiences as to gain ability in communicating supported evaluative judgments contributing to leadership, citizenship and scholarly focus on literary styles, trends and conditions.. LI-256 endorses a multicultural approach, focusing on commonalities between humans as well as cultural patterns indicative of issues that affect call cultural arenas. Students will develop analytical tools needed to become well-rounded readers.

Design: This syllabus uses a thematic approach in accordance with the Graduate English Association’s (2004) recommendations towards the thematic approach in as means towards generating motivation. Students are encouraged to make thematic connections between the texts through six primary human conditions while still recognizing the cultural nuances or historicity behind the work. Written assignments will demand critical analysis of daily universal experiences but will be heightened through the students’ awareness of cultural differences and challenges toward propaganda. The application of composition tools to translate analytical thought into formal and professional written responses is built within this course. Tests will be of a multiple choice venue, reinforcing knowledge blocks, variations and commonalities within themes, and cultural and historic awareness of social backdrops of the literature.

Course Goals and Outcomes:

General Outcomes:

- identify and explain the fundamental features of the short story structure as a means of demonstrating human experience against human condition and cultural limitation backdrops.

- Define key literary terms/concepts and implement these in oral/written discussion as well as in literary interpretation.

- Describe, examine, and evaluate one’s own reading practices and oral/written critical analyses.

- Analyze literature and explain how various perspectives of literary work merge together to create meaning reflecting social and individual conflict.

- Apply writing and revision as tools for personalizing literature as life-demonstrations of actual human conditions thereby training students to apply these cultural and individual situations in real life practice.

Specific Outcomes –

- Familiarity with literature as a live active force demonstrating human condition and defining separations that exist within cultural frameworks, being able to identify distances between cultural realities and the ideal cultural equality.

- Develop interpretive, connective and descriptive analysis techniques and translate those techniques through writing practices including summarizing, extracting, engaging personal narrative involvement, comparing and contrasting and challenging cause and effect relationships.

Requirements: (See Advisor for eligibility)

Students are to attend all classes. This is highly important as this class meets twice a week. While attendance itself does not affect grades in a statistical manner, failure to attend, because of the particular nature of the course, will likely result in missed information, participation, and background knowledge necessary for success in this course. Students must notify the instructor prior to missing a class via e-mail.

All cell phones and electronic devices are to be turned off unless accompanied by certification from the Learning Enrichment Center that such devices assist in overcoming a learning disability. Southeast Missouri State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first take appropriate documentation to the Office of the LEC, second floor, University Center . Students with special needs should then make an appointment with me during the first week of class to discuss any accommodations that need to be made.

Assignments are due on the day required. Any assignments not completed, without prior approval by the instructor for extensions, on the day they are due will not be accepted.

In line with the university’s policy guidelines regarding student behavior, any acts of student belligerence, threats, hostility toward other students or instruction staff, misuse of language or offensive behavior will be immediate grounds for dismissal from the class without return until a hearing is established in line with university mandates regarding petitions or hearing procedures as is outlined in the student handbook.

Students are responsible for all course materials. Assignment sheets will be employed by the instructor and devices including e-mail and traditional mail will be used. However, it remains the students’ responsibility to keep up with all work.

Scoring:

Because of the developmental nature of this course, both in degrees of concept development and writing development, overall scoring is done holistically meaning a blend of statistical outcome and quantitative analysis within the following areas.

Electronic Assimilation Journal……………………= 30%

Participation discussion, In-class presentation……= 20%

Mid-term & Final Exam………………………… ..= 30%

Formal papers …………… ……………………….= 20%

This system allows for weaknesses in one area to be compensated by other areas. Absenteeism has been proven to be harmful to all of these areas. You are evaluated here much as you are on the job. Educating yourself is your job. Performance, behavior, initiative, contributions to coursework and preparedness all constitute this scoring method.

Assignment sheets: Assignment sheets will be provided for each formal exercise. These include outline for Electronic Assimilation Journal, the Midterm preparation, final exam preparation and expectations of forum-response activities. These sheets will indicate specific expectations, direction and purpose of each written assignment. They will also indicate deadlines for material completion. Grades will not be posted or available as students know roughly what range they are in and because the holistic qualitative approach cannot supply a final grade until the term is over. Assignment sheets will be handed out in class. NOTE: students who fail to attend class during these hand-out days will be responsible for accessing the assignment sheets and associated rubrics from the web page. Do not ask the instructor to run” “courier duty” on assignment sheets.

Additional Notes: Students planning to major in English should keep copies of their best papers to submit as their senior portfolio. Information regarding the senior portfolio can be located through discussion with your instructor.

Closing: This course rewards critical thinking, willingness to challenge and question readings and respectful debate. It demands clear and concise writing practice in which guidance will be supplied. It invites and welcomes innovation and experimentation. This course does not reward passivity, purposeful mediocrity, excuses, attitude or blame. Note: In class group exercises CANNOT be made up.

Sixteen Week Schedule

Legend

Column 1 indicates the day of class. Column 2 indicates what areas will be discussed during that week, column 3 informs the student of what needs to be read, and column 4 indicates what the student needs to prepare. This includes group activities or formal papers, presentations, or exams preparation.

Note: As of 01/25/05 only the first five weeks are represented in this schedule - please refer back to this schedule over the next four weeks to receive additional updates. TE

Time Frame	Objectives	Tasks	Assessments
Week 1: Jan. 17-21	Introduction to Course Syllabus via website – general discussion of human experience. Innocence (introduction to initial area of exploration.) Student analuysis of meaning of reklationshiop between innocence and experience – introduction to five primary levels of application and exploration.	Pgs 100 – 133: Stories by Joyce’ Araby, Hemingway’s, A Clean Well-lighted place Frank O’Connor, My Oedipus Complex, Flannery O’Connor’s Good Country People.” Also, 1505 – psychological criticism study.	Group. – 4 groups will form, each taking on one of the four short stories, each group focusing on where innocence and experience meet in each of the stories. Explanation of psychological “lenses” (introduce others) for literature analy6sis in real-life application. EAJ entry 1
Week 2: Jan 23-28	Discussion of Oedipus complex in line with psychoanalytical criticism approach (demonstrate deviancy text)	Bambara”” the Lesson p. 134-140, Cisneros: The hoiuse on Mango Street , pp. 141-142 Poems, pp’s 143 - 155 - poetry: Economic “phrasing of innocence and experience”	Class discussion – interpretations, EAJ. 2
Week 3: Jan 31-Feb 4	Poetry as a genre: Economy, pacing, mood, purpose: Option as innocence or experience –poetry as the “innocent art.” Analysis of poems toward “romantic ideal – return to romanticism /idealism (discuss three levels of idealism. Brief introduction – principles for preparation: Conformity and Rebellion unit	Hughes’ Salvation, Didion’s Morality, Eightner’s “On Dumpster Diving – Readings ps.296-313	Film: Sandra Cisneros – discussion of house on Mango Street .” Group meeting: In all of these works the writers attempt to need something – discuss among your group whether a pattern emerges regarding human need. If so, how does it work with the balance of innocence and experience? Formal Assign 1: I&E
Week 4: Feb. 7-11	Variations of social isolation and external response by others in the face of isolation reaction -- Elements include incident, reaction, snowball effect of initial action, degree of which mores and morals laws are affronted, unspoken delineations of racial, gender, and ethnicity laws (morals not applied equally based on one of these profiles). (singular oppression – gender identification “Social rules of men). (opportunity to question traditional values of masculine honor, feminine pride, racial stereotyping, creed-based loyalty to “God-form” or ethnic loyalty	Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener, p. 334- & Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist” Notes:	Focus Question: How does isolation engender external violence, internalized abuse, and hostility or curiosity by onlookers when you “take a stand.” (compare Bambara to “My Oeidipus Complex.) Part 2: offer the class the your differences between Needs, wants, and pragmatic necessities” We’ll discuss them. EAJ Entry
Week 5, Feb. 14-18	Discussion of Bartleby and Kafka’s “artist” portrayal – The integrity of conformity and rebellion as judged by motive. Melville and Kafka as men of experience as opposed to innocence: (short comparison of writings – subject treatment)	Reader response criticism , p. 1506 – application of the RR criticism as a means of identifying differences between rebellion and conformity. – Ellison’s “Repent Harlequin…pp 399-408 McPhersons: A Loaf of Bread, p. 409	Group 3: Each group will make a five minute argument as to whether Bartleby or the artist was the conformist – Validate your decision. Film cut –Bartleby… Turn in Formal 1: