(M-W
Instructor: Brother John F. Tryon, C.S.C.
Office: Vincent 169
Office
Hours:
&
by appointment
Phone
(office): 239-8382; (home):
232-2245*
*Please
note: No calls
taken after
Email: jtryon@hcc-nd.edu
I am a man, and alive . . . . For
this reason, I am a novelist. And being
a novelist, I consider myself superior to the
saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the
poet, who are all great masters of different bits of man alive, but never get
the
whole
hog. – D.
H. Lawrence
Required texts: Major Writers of Short Fiction (Ann Charters, ed.)
My Antonia (Willa Cather)
Go Tell It On The Mountain (James Baldwin)
Disgrace (J. M. Coetzee)
Required materials:
1 HCC computer compatible disk
1 HCC pocket folder (for reflective essays)
Strongly recommended:
1 three ring binder/notebook for English 210-1
only
(Numerous handouts and quizzes will be three-hole punched.)
Recommended Resources: Standard Dictionary
Suggested: Random House Webster’s College Dictionary
English 210-1 / Novel & Short Story / Spring
Semester 2004 / Syllabus & Assignment Schedule / page 2
There are three great questions which in life we
have over and over again to answer: Is
it
right
or wrong? Is it true or false? Is it beautiful or ugly? Our education ought to help us answer these
questions.
—Norman Cousins
Course Introduction:
The study of literature (art in letters) is the study of the interrelatedness of creation—the
sacred and the secular; it is a study of, and commentary on, life by authors representing a myriad
of historical, cultural, ethical, religious and philosophical perspectives.
The novel and the short story are two very distinct literary forms. While both genres
share many characteristics, English 210-1 is an opportunity to distinguish and appreciate
their differences and to achieve an understanding of the art and influence of story-telling by
examining the intricacies of each genre via plot development (conflict/crisis/resolution/
denouement), persona, point of view, world view, style, mood, meaning, purpose, theme, setting, imagery, symbolism, character development, and technique.
Course Description/Expected Outcomes (Goals &
Objectives):
The outcome of all education should be growth in knowledge and wisdom. Via this
study of fiction, it is expected that the serious student in English 210-1 will not only find
an informed voice with which to take part in the literary discourse of the academy but—perhaps
more importantly—engage in developing an eye for the interrelation of all intellectual
disciplines
and human pursuits. In short, this
course is offered to educate the heart as well as
the mind (Basil Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross).
To that end, English 210-1 is designed to foster insight into the human condition, to make connections in the art of living—the pabulum of wisdom.
Through the process of reading a wide variety of short stories and novels, lectures,
Discussions, short (two-page) essays, daily quizzes, periodic exams, seminars, conferences,
and research, the student will be encouraged to hone transferable skills which are essential in the pursuit of a liberal education and meaningful life.
Such transferable skills are inherent in the course requirements and policies of English 210-1
articulated below.
English 210-1 / Novel & Short Story / Spring
Semester 2004 / Syllabus & Assignment Schedule / page 3
The end of reading is not more books but more life. —Holbrook Jackson
Course Requirements:
· Regular attendance and active participation (See attendance policy below.)
Through regular attendance and
participation (including one required seminar) the student will have the
opportunity to develop listening skills; become familiar with, gauge, and
engage in, audience dynamics and cooperative thinking; gain confidence in
raising questions, articulate a point of view and defend a position.
·
Daily reading and quizzes
Via daily quizzes, the student is challenged to read
for comprehension, gathering
information
and ideas from the texts. All quizzes
require essay (coherent, complete
sentences) responses demanding expression of both reading comprehension and
effective
writing. Too, the reading assignments
are culturally varied to provide a
broad range of world views.
·
Two (2) essays
Two (2) brief—two page—essays are required. These assignments are designed to
assist students in developing
creative thinking and critical thinking skills.
The student will
generate ideas, make connection,
clarify insights and ideas, and articulate an aesthetic
appreciation of the art of letters.
·
One (1) small group seminar
The student will develop
library and computer research skills in preparing for
this
seminar on a novel and novelist to be assigned.
·
Exams:
Four (4) periodic and one (1) final written assessment
Through multiple methods of
assessment, the student will synthesize the results
of
the study of literature.
The man who does not read good books has no advantage
over the man who can’t read
them. —Mark Twain
English 210-1 / Novel & Short Story / Spring Semester 2004 /
Syllabus & Assignment Schedule / page 4
Anyone who
can read can learn to read deeply and thus live more fully. – Norman Cousins
Attendance Policy:
Enrollment in English 210-1 is a commitment not only to learn; it is a commitment to share views, insights and knowledge as well as to practice newly learned concepts. In other words, learning is a communal experience. Hence, regular class attendance is strongly recommended!
Note: Attendance will be taken daily. After two (2) absences, a student’s final grade will be lowered
one (1) quality point for each subsequent absence. (Two (2) tardies equal one (1) absence.)
Example: With the third absence, an “A” will be adjudicated an “A-”
With a fourth absence, an “A” will be adjudicated a “B+“ (etc.)
Bear in mind: Daily quizzes—administered at the beginning of every class meeting—count
for twenty percent (20%) a student’s final grade. Missed quizzes will not be
re-administered. If not present when the quiz begins, a tardy
student
will
not be permitted to take the quiz.
In short, come to class on time! We need you; and daresay you need us to
fulfill the goals and objectives of English 210-1.
Assessment/Grading Policy: Daily quizzes – 20%
Analytical essays – 20%
Periodic exams (largely essay) – 40%
Novel seminar & notes – 10%
Final exam – 10%
Note: The three (3) lowest quiz grades will be dropped when the quiz percentage is figured for the final grade. This policy is extremely generous; hence, missed quizzes—always given at the beginning of each class period—may not be made up at a later time.
Note well: A missed quiz will be calculated as a 0 or F and will be considered as a low grade in calculating the final quiz grade.
Missed exams
must be made up by appointment with the instructor on the day of the student’s
return to class. Exams may not be
made up during class time. The wise
student will not miss a scheduled exam except in a dire situation.
(Wee hint: Make-up exams are always a bit more bearish
than the regularly scheduled exams. To
be frank, the more bearish make-up exams are intended to dissuade scholars from
slacking when they should be immersed in their studies.)
Note: The
instructor reserves the right to revise the assignment schedule throughout the
semester. Such revisions will be kept
to a
minimum, but they may
be necessary for any number of reasons.
While an attempt will be made to make assignment schedule
If a student misses a class,
it is that student’s responsibility to contact the instructor
regarding any
change in the assignment for the next class.
Any first-rate novel or story must have in it the
strength of a dozen fairly good stories
that
have been sacrificed to it.
—Willa Cather
Assignment
Schedule
(W) 14 Jan. – Course Introduction; lecture on the structural differences between the novel and
short story as well as basic literary terms. Introduction to Frank O’Connor.
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(M) 19 Jan. – Quiz on
previous lecture/syllabus/readings (2-quiz equivalent) quiz
Literary terms (continued)/ Story structure
Frank O’Connor: Guests of the Nation (Text – pp. 1123-1131)
My Oedipus Complex (Text – pp. 1131-1140)
Introduction to James Joyce
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(W) 21 Jan. – James
Joyce: Araby
(Text – pp. 661-665) quiz
Clay (Text – pp. 665-669)
Introduction to Franz Kafka
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(M) 26 Jan. – Franz Kafka: In the Penal Colony (Text – pp. 714-734) quiz
Introduction to Guy de Maupassant
Reflection paper #1 assigned
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(W) 28 Jan. – Guy de Maupassant: The Jewels of M. Lantin (Text – pp. 877-882) quiz
The Little Soldier (Text – pp. 882-887)
Introduction to Joseph Conrad
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(M) 2 Feb. – Joseph
Conrad: The Secret Sharer (Text –
pp. 318-348) quiz
Introduction to Doris Lessing
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(W) 4 Feb. – Doris Lessing: The Old Chief Mshlanga (Text – pp. 824-833) quiz
A
Introduction to D.H. Lawrence
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(M) 9 Feb. – D.H. Lawrence: The Blind Man (Text – pp. 739-753) quiz
Introduction to Jorge Luis Borges
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(W) 11 Feb.
– Jorge Luis Borges: Emma Zunz (Text – pp. 127-130) quiz
The Garden of Forking Paths (Text – pp. 131-138)
Introduction to Margaret Atwood & Alice Munro
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To be caught up in the world of thought – that is education. –Edith Hamilton
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(M) 16 Feb. – Margaret Atwood: Death by Landscape (Text – pp.
22-35) quiz
Alice Munro: Boys and Girls (Text – pp.
1015-1026)
Reflection paper #1
due
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(W) 18 Feb. – Short Story Exam #1
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Monday, 23 February – Thursday, 26 Februrary:
Conference w/ Instructor (by
appointment)
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(M)
23 Feb. –
“The Seventh Day” & “
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(W)
25 Feb – Baldwin: Go Tell It On The Mountain (pp. 92-150) quiz
“Gabriel’s Prayer”
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(M) 1 Mar. –
“Elizabeth’s Prayer” & “The Threshing-Floor”
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(W) 3 Mar. – Exam on Go Tell
It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
Introduction to Stephen Crane (handout)
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(M/W) 8-10 Mar. – Spring Break
Enjoy!
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(M) 15 Mar. – Stephen Crane: The Blue Hotel (Text – pp. 376-396) double-point quiz
The Upturned Face (Text – pp. 415-418)
Introduction to Ernest Hemingway
Reflection paper #2 assigned
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(W) 17 Mar. – Ernest
Hemingway: Big Two-Hearted River:
Part I (Text – pp. 543-549)
quiz
Big
Introduction to Sara Orne Jewett
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(M) 22 Mar. – Sara Orne Jewett: An
Autumn Holiday (Text – pp. 637-647) quiz
A White Heron (Text – pp. 647-654)
Introduction to William Faulkner
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(W) 24 Mar. – William
Faulkner: A Rose for Emily (Text
– pp. 424-431) quiz
That Evening Sun
(Text – pp. 431-444)
Introduction to Alice Walker & Eudora Welty
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(M) 29 Mar. –
Alice Walker: Everyday
Use (Text – pp. 1282-1288) quiz
Eudora Welty: A Worn Path (Text – pp. 1327-1334)
Reflection paper #2 due
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Writers of good fiction have their fingers on the pulse of life. –Anonymous
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(W) 31 Mar. – Short Story Exam II
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(M) 5 Apr. – Willa Cather: My Antonia (pp. 3-96) double-point quiz
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(W) 7 Apr. – Cather: My
Antonia (pp. 97-145)
quiz
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(M) 12 Apr. Easter Break
Happy
Easter!
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(W) 14 Apr. – Cather: My
Antonia (pp. 146-235)
quiz
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(M) 19 Apr. – Cather: My
Antonia (pp. 236-272)
quiz
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(W) 21 Apr. – Exam on My
Antonia by Willa Cather
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(M/W) 26/28 Apr. – Reading/Writing Week (No regular class meeting/Office consultation)
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(M) 3 May – Group A Evening Seminar
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(T) 4 May – Group B Evening Seminar
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(W) 5 May – Group C Evening Seminar
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FINAL EXAM
Thursday
6 May 2004