BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
City University of New York
Department of English
Online
English Composition II
Eng 201
Fall 2010
3 Credits
Professor Holly Messitt
English Department
Room N709
Ext. 7278
hmessitt@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office Hours:
By Appointment
Course Description: English 201 is a writing course that builds upon the skills introduced in English
101. In this course, literature is the field for the development of critical reading, critical thinking,
independent research, and writing skills.
Assignments move from close readings of literary texts in a variety of genres to analyses that introduce
literary terms and broader contexts, culminating in independent research. Students are introduced to
literary criticism and acquire basic knowledge necessary for the analysis of texts (including literary
terms and some literary theory); they gain proficiency in library and Internet research; and they hone
their skills as readers and writers.
By the conclusion of English 201, students will be prepared for the analytical and research-based writing
required in upper-level courses across the curriculum; they will also be prepared for advanced courses in
literature and for the CPE.
Prerequisites: English 101
Student Learning Outcomes:
Course Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students
will:
1. Acquire a critical appreciation of the nuances and
complexities of a variety of literary texts
2. Define and apply literary terms to analyses of texts
within several literary genres
3. Write at least four well-developed, thesis-driven
argument and analysis essays that use evidence
from literary texts and incorporate research, and are
comprised of clear, grammatically-correct,
effective sentences in well-organized paragraphs
4. Frame research questions; plan research strategies;
Measurements (means of assessment for
student learning outcomes listed in first
column)
1. Weekly reading assignments, class
discussions, response papers and Blackboard
discussions
2. Weekly class discussions, response papers, and
Blackboard discussions
3. Formal essay assignments
4. Formal essay assignments and class discussions
find and evaluate sources using the BMCC Library
and the BMCC Library Website; and present the
results of research
5. Correctly use the conventions of MLA
documentation and citation, including a “Works
Cited” page
5. Formal essay assignments
Below are the college’s general education learning outcomes. The outcomes included in the lefthand column indicate goals that will be covered and assessed in this course.
General Education Learning Outcomes
1. Communication Skills- Students will be able to
write, read, listen and speak critically and
effectively.
2. Arts & Humanities- Students will be able to
develop knowledge and understanding of the arts
and literature through critiques of works of art,
music, theatre or literature.
3. Values- Students will be able to make informed
choices based on an understanding of personal
values, human diversity, multicultural awareness
and social responsibility
Measurements (means of assessment for general
education goals listed in first column)
1. Class discussions, response papers, Blackboard
discussions, and formal essays as in
measurements for the class enumerated above.
2. Reading and writing about some of the greatest
work in the English language: Class discussions,
response papers, Blackboard discussions, and
formal essays as in measurements for the class
enumerated above.
3. Literature illuminates the human condition.
Our responses to the works reflect our
values and humanity: class discussions,
response papers, Blackboard discussions,
and formal essays as in measurements for
the class enumerated above.
Required Text & Readings:
Norton Introduction to Literature, Portable Edition, Ed. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, Kelly J. Mays
A Pocket Style Manual, Diana Hacker
(All texts are available at Manhattan Books, Chambers Street)
Evaluation & Requirements of Students:
You will be assigned reading and writing to do each week. In order to stay current with class discussion
and writing, you must complete the assigned reading, writing and Discussion Board assignments.
Four formal essays with accompanying drafts will be assigned during the semester. There will be
additional instructions for these essays.
In addition, you will have a midterm and a final Grades are calculated as such:
Formal Essays: 100 points each * 4 essays = 400 points (NOTE: Failure to hand in your draft for any
formal essay will result in an automatic 20-point reduction in your grade
Blog: 100 points
Midterm: 100 points
Final: 100 points
Discussion Board: 20 points each * 15 = 300 points
Your final grade equals the number of points you earned divided by 1000.
A = 93 – 100 percent; A- = 90 – 92 percent; B+ = 87 – 89 percent; B = 83 – 86 percent; B- = 80 – 82
percent; C+ = 77 – 79 percent; C = 73 – 76 percent; C- = 70 – 72 percent; D+ = 67 – 69 percent; D = 63 –
66 percent; D- = 60 – 62 percent; less than 60 percent = F
Outline of Reading:
8/26-8/29: Introduction
8/30-8/5: Anton Chekhov, "The Lady with the Dog" (p. 181); Edgar Allan Poe, "The Cask of
Amontillado" (p. 108); Etheridge Knight, "Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for
the Criminal Insane" (p. 421); W.H. Auden “Musée des Beaux Arts” (p. 565)
9/6-9/12: James Baldwin, "Sonny’s Blues" (p. 81); Langston Hughes “Harlem (A Dream Deferred” and
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (p. 592); Emily Dickinson “Because I could not stop for
Death” (p. 577) and “Wild Nights—Wild Nights” (p. 490)
9/13-9/19 : D.H. Lawrence, "Odour of Chrysanthemums” (p. 332); Raymond Carver,
"Cathedral" (p. 21); William Blake, “London,” “The Lamb,” “The Tyger” (p. 573) + Norton
p. 1155-1174
9/20-9/26: Louise Erdrich "Love Medicine" (p. 269); William Yeats “The Second Coming” (p.632) and
“Sailing to Byzantium” (p. 634); Adrienne Rich “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” (p. 425) + Hacker:
p.103-154
9/27-10/3: Richard Wilbur, "Love Calls US to the Things of This World"; Claude McKay “The Harlem
Dancer” and “The White House”; William Carlos Williams “The Red Wheelbarrow” (p.
472); Yasunari Kawabata “The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket” (p. 366)
10/11-10/17: Ernest Hemingway, "Hills Like White Elephants" (p.114); Sherman Alexie, "Flight
Patterns" (p. 37); Anne Sexton, "The Fury of Overshoes" (p. 407); Robert Haydon, "Those
Winter Sundays" (p. 427)
10/18-10/24: William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I and Act II
10/25-10/31: Hamlet Act III and Act IV
11/1-11/7: Hamlet Act V and Critics: Hazlitt (p. 164), Lawrence (p. 175)
11/8-11/14: Hamlet Critical Sources: Seng (p. 217), Kettle (p. 237)
11/15-11/2: Hamlet Critical Sources: Ferguson (p. 246), Rose (p. 262)
11/22-11/28: Hacker p. 92-102
11/29-12/5: Your sources + Review Hacker on MLA
12/6-12/12: Your sources + Review Hacker on MLA
12/13-12/19: Research Paper and Final Exam
College Attendance Policy
At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the number of hours a
class meets in one week. For example, you may be enrolled in a three-hour class. In that class, you
would be allowed 4 hours of absence (not 4 days). In the case of excessive absences, the instructor has
the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade.
Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this
course must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. BMCC is committed to
providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.
BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as
one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is
identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original
source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily
absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their
instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The
full policy can be found on BMCC’s web side, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity
and behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).