Introduction to Literary Studies:
West of Everything [ENGL 2391.005]
Fall 2015
MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m.
English Building - Room 305
Visit my course webpage
Dr. Sara Spurgeon | sara.spurgeon@ttu.edu Office – English 206
Office Hours – 10-11, 1-2PM MWF, or by
appointment
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Course Overview and Purpose
This is a writing-intensive course, designed to give extensive practice in writing critical
essays about literature and film. Through reading, discussing, and writing about a small
group of texts, students will build close reading skills, engage in both formal and thematic
analysis of literary texts, learn research practices and proper use and citation of sources,
and develop the kind of critical vocabularies essential to successful participation in the
English major. All students will be responsible for participating in class discussion,
completing and revising writing assignments, and reading and commenting on each other’s
writing. This course fulfills the Humanities requirements for TTU’s Core Curriculum.
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301, 1302.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students completing this course should be able to write well-structured paragraphs about
literary texts, with identifiable topic and supporting sentences; write well-structured, multiparagraph essays about literary texts, with identifiable, arguable thesis statements,
supporting evidence, and conclusions; demonstrate the ability, through writing and
discussion, to read texts closely, analytically, and interpretively; revise their writing
effectively; identify and use acceptable basic research tools and methods, both in the library
and online; integrate their research on others’ literary scholarship into their writing, using
proper citation and acknowledgment practices; and effectively and responsibly read and
comment upon their fellow students’ writing.
2. Students should also be able to identify methodologies of historical, literary, philosophical,
and/or aesthetic research and recognize their applicability to everyday life; develop
analytical arguments in written and/or oral forms; and evaluate events, ideas, and artistic
expressions in terms of multiple cultural contexts and value systems.
3. As a course fulfilling the Humanities Core requirement, this course will help students think
critically and demonstrate an understanding of the possibility of multiple interpretations,
cultural contexts, and values.
Methods of Assessment and Grades
Close Reading Scene Analysis
Worksheets (8)
1 point each=8 possible points (Close Reading Scene
Analysis.docx)
Annotated Bibliography
Worksheets (6)
3 points each=18 possible points (Annotated Bib
Worksheet.docx)
Proposal Worksheets (6)
3 points each=18 possible points (Proposal
Worksheet.docx)
Film scene analysis in class (1)
3 possible points
Essays (3)
15 points each=45 possible points (Assignment Sheet
Essays ENGL 2391.docx)
Peer Review (3)
2 points each=6 possible points
Open Teaching Concept
attendance and short paper (1)
2 points
Total possible points
100 points
Percentage scale: 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; <60 = F
Grading Standards
A – Excellent. Your writing lucidly responds to the rhetorical situation in a sophisticated and
original way; is exceptionally well organized with clear and logical transitions; maintains
coherent focus throughout; seamlessly integrates judicial use of other sources or textual
evidence and analysis; and achieves stylistic elegance and grace. Overall, it leaves a dazzling
impression—the writing is fabulous and has either rigorously analyzed a text, or persuasively
presented an intriguing idea.
B – Good. Your writing clearly and solidly responds to the assignment in an interesting, if not
original, way; reflects strong organization and achieves coherence, even if there are momentary
lapses in these areas; it includes textual evidence and competent analysis; and stylistically, it is
clear but may include occasional errors, imprecise phrasing, or unnecessary wordiness. Overall,
a solid performance that gets the point across—you’re doing interesting work that shows
you’re engaging productively with the assignment.
C – Acceptable. Your writing adequately responds to the prompt in a rudimentary fashion. It
may implicitly suggest an argument rather than state it explicitly, appear mostly organized
but inconsistently use topic, transition, and conclusion sentences and phrases, work for
coherence, but may falter occasionally, gesture to the text, but may not use or analyze it as
effectively as it might, show a fundamental grasp of style, but may not do so consistently,
and contain more than the occasional error. Overall, you fulfill the basic goals of the
assignment, but there’s room for improvement.
D – Serious flaws. Your written response is inadequate or inappropriate given the rhetorical
situation. It may lack a thesis, organizational logic, paragraph coherence, and/or textual
evidence or analysis. It may also include a number of grammatical or mechanical flaws that
impede effective delivery of ideas. Overall, you’ve written something that completes the
assignment, but it misses the mark in a few significant areas.
F – Unacceptable. Essay does not respond to the assignment and meet its basic requirements,
such as purpose, topic, genre, use of text, or page length.
Required Texts
Books:
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Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage (1912)
Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony (1977)
Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses (1992)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th edition. New York: MLA (2009)
Films:
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John Ford’s “The Searchers” (1956)
Kevin Costner’s “Dances with Wolves” (1990)
Clint Eastwoods’ “Unforgiven” (1992)
James Cameron’s “Avatar” (2009)
Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” (2012)
Class Policies
•
Accommodation for disabilities - Any student who because of a disability may require
special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the
instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations.
•
Check the course web page
(http://www.depts.ttu.edu/english/general_info/directory/faculty_profile_pages/spurgeon_stu
dents.php) announcement, discussion questions, information, updates, notices, etc.
You will be expected to have completed the assigned readings each day before class. I will
spend some time lecturing, but much of our class time will involve discussion of the texts so
please be prepared to question, analyze, and engage our readings. Wildly differing opinions are
welcome.
Due Dates: Assignments are due on the dates indicated in the syllabus. If you check with me
first, you may turn in one assignment during the semester up to one week late without penalty.
In all other cases, you’ll lose one point per day that an assignment is late.
Absence Policy: You get three free absences. I don’t care why you need them but use them
wisely because starting with absence number four, you’ll lose one point per absence.
Plagiarizing means passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It is my pet peeve.
Don’t do it. University policy on this subject is detailed here:
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http://www.depts.ttu.edu/studentjudicialprograms/academicinteg.php
Semester Calendar
M 8/24
UNIT ONE: THE CLASSIC WESTERN
Introduction to the course. For W begin Riders of the Purple Sage through
Chapter VIII (pg. 77)
W 8/26
Class discussion Grey and Close Reading Scene Analysis. For F read through
Chapter XV (pg. 158) in Riders of the Purple Sage, fill out a Close Reading
Scene Analysis Worksheet, and be prepared to read aloud from it to the class.
F 8/28
Riders of the Purple Sage and your CRSA Worksheet 1 due today. For
Monday finish Riders, and come with a scene from the last half that you
think says something interesting about one of the following Western
themes: gender/sex, violence/weapons, landscape.
M 8/31
Discussion of your chosen scenes. For W, read Jane Tompkins’ “Writing the
Purple Sage” from West of Everything (I’ll provide you with an electronic copy of
this reading), fill out an Annotated Bibliography Worksheet and be
prepared to read aloud from it in class.
W 9/2
Class discussion Tompkins and Grey. Annotated Bib Worksheet 1 due today. For
F, fill out a Proposal Worksheet.
F 9/4
Go over Proposal Worksheet 1 due today. Over Labor Day weekend, read
through the list of Film Vocabulary terms (go to Visit my course webpage
scroll to bottom, click on “Film”), and watch “The Searchers.”
M 9/7
LABOR DAY Yay! Time for sex, violence, and horses! (on film, people, not IRL)
W 9/ 9
Class discussion of “The Searchers” and how to do a close reading of a film scene.
For F, choose three film terms from our list and come prepared to “read” a
scene from “The Searchers” that illustrates them by filling out a Close
Reading Scene Analysis Worksheet.
F 9/11
Your close reading of scenes from “The Searchers.” CRSA Worksheet 2 due
today.
M 9/14
Continue your scene analyses from “The Searchers.” For W, meet in Library for
Research Tutorial.
W 9/16
Meet in Library today. Find an essay on “The Searchers” and for F, fill out an
Annotated Bib Worksheet on your article, as well as a Proposal Worksheet for
“The Searchers.”
F 9/18
Proposal Worksheet 2 and Annotated Bibliography 2 due. Talks about
Essay 1, topics, thesis statements, etc.
M 9/21
First draft Essay 1 due today—in class Peer Review
W 9/23
Writing Day—no class
F 9/25
Essay 1 due (don’t forget to include your first draft and the Peer Review
done by your classmate). For M, read chapter I (1-96) of All the Pretty
Horses
UNIT TWO: COWBOYS
This unit will overlap with TTU”s Open Teaching Concept, which takes
place during the month of October. We will open our classroom on
October 28th to anyone in the campus community who wishes to attend.
Other faculty will do the same throughout the month. You will be
required to attend at least one OTC class session or lecture somewhere on
campus and write two pages on what was discussed and how you see it
intersecting with the topic of our class. This will be due by November 2.
The OTC theme for 2015 is:
“With Liberty and Justice for All”
On the Politics of Plurality, Poverty, Privilege, and Prejudice
As we watched the protests in Ferguson and Baltimore; witnessed the death of
Eric Garner; saw the faces of children from Central America detained; heard
the testimonies of women fighting against rape culture on campus; we sang
together the refrain, “With Liberty and Justice For All.” As we observed the
devastation of the earthquake in Nepal; identified with the looks of
desperation as the threat of a “Grexit” loomed in the European Union;
recognized the displaced visages of Syrian refugees in the camps; stared at
the photographs of more than 200 kidnapped girls in Nigeria; we sang
together the refrain, “With Liberty and Justice For All.” As we lamented the
tragic news of the suicide of a teenaged transgender activist; mourned the
loss of 5 marines and sailors slain at a military recruiting center in Tennessee;
began to understand the plight of nearly 15 million American children
hungry and impoverished; engaged in an international dialogue about
climate change and global warming, we sang together the refrain, “With
Liberty and Justice for All.” The 2015 Open Teaching Concept: Teaching
Diversity Across the Curriculum focuses on the politics of plurality, poverty,
privilege, and prejudice, and invites the Texas Tech community to discuss
some of the most salient, most emotionally charged, and most difficult
issues of the day. At a time when more people are dedicated to improving
access to education, opportunity, medical care, support, shelter, equity,
equality, and human rights, why do we also seem to be engaged in more
conflict, in more soul-searching, in more questioning, in more challenges for
basic decency? How do we make good on the promise, “With Liberty and
Justice for All?” Throughout the month of October, selected faculty from
every single college at Texas Tech University will open up their lectures,
invite the community in to listen, dialogue, and engage in the difficult
dialogues of nationalism and global citizenship.
M 9/28
Intro to All the Pretty Horses. For W, read chapter II and fill out a Close
Reading Scene Analysis Worksheet.
W 9/30
Class discussion and your CRSA Worksheet 3 due today. For F, read
through Chapter III and come with a scene you think says something
interesting about one of the following Western themes: gender/sex,
violence/weapons, landscape/borderlands..
F 10/2
Class discussion Chapter III All the Pretty Horses and your scenes. For M,
finish All the Pretty Horses and find and read “Pledged in Blood: Truth and
Redemption in Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses” by SL Spurgeon
from the journal Western American Literature, 1999, and fill out an
Annotated Bibliography Worksheet.
M 10/5
Discussion of article and your Annotated Bib Worksheet 3 due today. For
W, fill out a Proposal Worksheet.
W 10/7
Class discussion your Proposal Worksheet 3 due today. For F, watch
“Unforgiven,” choose one scene from the film that illustrates three of our
film vocabulary terms to analyze in class and fill out a Close Reading Scene
Analysis Worksheet.
F 10/9
Class discussion “Unforgiven” and your CRSA Worksheet 4 due today. For M,
find and read “The Seductive and Subversive Meta-Narrative of
Unforgiven,” by JH Kupfer from the Journal of Film and Video, 2008 and fill
out an Annotated Bibliography Worksheet.
M
10/12
Class discussion “Unforgiven, ” Kupfer, and your Annotated Bib Worksheet 4
due today. For next M, fill out a Proposal Worksheet for “Unforgiven.”
W
10/14
NO CLASS—I will be at the Western Literature Association Conference
F 10/16
NO CLASS—I will be at the Western Literature Association Conference
M
10/19
Discuss Essay 2 and Proposal Worksheet 4 due today.
W
10/21
First draft Essay 2 due today—in class Peer Review
F 10/23
Essay 2 due (don’t forget to include your First Draft and the Peer Review
done by your classmate). For M, watch “Dances with Wolves,” choose
three terms from our film vocabulary list, and fill out a Close Reading
Scene Analysis Worksheet for a scene from the film that illustrates them.
As always, consider how this work engages our genre’s themes:
gender/sex, violence/weapons, landscape/borderlands, but also consider
how race affects each of these categories.
M
10/26
W
10/28
UNIT THREE: INDIANS
Class discussion “Dances with Wolves” and your CRSA Worksheet 5 due today.
For W, watch “Avatar,” and come prepared to speculate on the following tropes:
the figure of the “White Male Savior” and interracial romance (when is it
acceptable, when is it not? What race is the man supposed to be in such a
romance and what race is the woman supposed to be, and WHY does it matter?).
Class discussion “Dances with Wolves,” “Avatar,” race, and sex. Open Teaching
Concept Day—our class will be open to anyone on campus today and may be
held in a different location. For F, choose three terms from our film
vocabulary list, and come prepared to analyze a scene from “Avatar” that
illustrates them. Fill out a Close Reading Scene Analysis Worksheet and,
again, consider how this work engages our genre’s themes: gender/sex,
violence/weapons, landscape/borderlands, but also consider how race
affects each of these categories. “Avatar” and your scenes.
F 10/30
Class discussion “Avatar” and your CSRA Worksheet 6 due today. For M, read
up to pg. 100 in Ceremony. Consider the trope of “the Vanishing Indian,” and
speculate on why we culturally embrace the image of the Vanishing Indian (or
the Indian as only “authentic” if he’s living in the 1800’s wearing buckskin and
feathers). Why don’t we also imagine African Americans as only “authentically”
black if they are dressed in tribal clothes from Africa? Why might mainstream
American culture subconsciously want Indians to vanish, but not other racial
groups?
M 11/2
Lecture and class discussion Ceremony and your ideas about race and the
Vanishing Indian. For W, read up to pg. 214, and fill out a Close Reading Scene
Analysis Worksheet. Your 2 page OTC write up due today.
W 11/4
Class discussion Ceremony and your CSRA Worksheet 7 due today. For Friday,
finish the novel.
F 11/6
Class discussion Silko. For M, find and read Lydia Cooper’s “’The Sterility of
Their Art’: Masculinity and the Western in Leslie Marmon Silko’s
Ceremony” from the journal Western American Literature (2014), and fill
out an Annotated Bibliography Worksheet.
M 11/9
Class discussion Cooper and your Annotated Bib 5 due today. For W, fill out a
Proposal Worksheet for either “Dances with Wolves,” “Avatar,” or Ceremony.
W
11/11
Class discussion your Proposal Worksheet 5 due today. For F, watch “Django
Unchained,” and choose one scene from the film that illustrates three of
our film vocabulary terms and fill out a Close Reading Scene Analysis
Worksheet.
F 11/13
Class discussion “Django Unchained” and your CRSA Worksheet 8 due today.
For M, find and read “Looking Sharp: Performance, Genre, and Questioning
History in ‘Django Unchained’ by Terri Simone Francis in the journal Transition,
vol. 112, issue 1 (2013) and fill out an Annotated Bibliography Worksheet.
M
11/16
Class discussion “Django”and your Annotated Bib Worksheet 6 due today. For
W, fill out a Proposal Worksheet for “Django.”
W
11/18
Class discussion and your Proposal Worksheet 6 due today. For F, come
prepared to debate the following: Is “Django Unchained” a Western? Make a
list of what you believe to be the defining characteristics of a Western, then
make an argument for why you believe “Django” does or does not meet those
criteria.
F 11/20
“Django Unchained” debate and discussion of Essay 3.
M
11/23
First draft Essay 3 due today—in class Peer Review
W
11/25
THANKSGIVING BREAK
F 11/27
THANKSGIVING BREAK
M
11/30
Writing Day—no class
W 12/2
Essay 3 due today. Remember to include your first draft and the Peer Review
done by your classmate. If you want your essay returned quickly, include a
stamped, self-addressed envelope and I will mail you the graded copy.
Otherwise, graded essays will be available one week from today.
LAST CLASS DAY