Chabot College
Fall 2002
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for English 45
STUDIES IN FICTION
Catalog Description:
45 - Studies in Fiction
3 units
Form, development, and cultural insights of the novel and short story; exploration of particular themes or
periods as reflected in works of fiction. Strongly recommended: Eligibility for English 1A or 52A. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. demonstrate familiarity with a variety of techniques and styles used by authors of fiction;
2. demonstrate familiarity with the structure and elements of fiction, such as metaphor, plot, point of
view, and character development;
3. recognize the cultural and historical influence on the works studied;
4. demonstrate appreciation of the diversity of the literature while identifying common themes and topics.
Course Content:
1. Representative sample of literary works, including poetry, drama, essays, and fiction, including at
least two novels
2. Supplemental readings giving historical, critical and thematic context for the literary works
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lecture
Discussion
Group work
Student presentations
Multimedia
Guest lecturers, when appropriate
Typical Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Compare the journey into madness in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Charlotte Perkins
Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper.
b. Construct a profile of Emily Grierson in William Faulkner's "A Rose For Emily." Is she a criminal,
a lunatic, or a heroine?
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Short, critical essays
b. Journals
c. Participation in discussion
d. Final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, R. V. Cassill, sixth ed., Norton Pub., 2000
The Story and Its Writer, Ann Charters, shorter fifth ed., St. Martin's Press, 1999
Special Student Materials:
None
dk 11/01/01
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