Dr. Gavin Schulz
English 2342, HCC--Southwest
Spring 2012
Introduction to Fiction (Gothic Horror)
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The purpose of the “Introduction to Fiction” course is to introduce students to Western World literary
forms, philosophical attitudes, and political trends--from a specifically fictional vantage. We will be focusing in
depth on the distinction between the Neoclassical and Romantic traditions, psychological concerns of character
development, and the argumentative process. On the one hand, the course should demonstrate that to read is to
learn; on the other hand, it will hopefully show that even literary texts can be interesting (and that the more popular
forms of fiction can be literary).
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail address: gavin.schulz@hccs.edu (I cannot check email at home)
Office Hours: I am available immediately following class and by appointment.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
The Dark Descent. Ed. David G. Hartwell. New York: TOR, 1987. ISBN-10: 0312862172
ISBN-13: 978-0312862176
Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of Hill House. New York: Penguin, 1987. ISBN-10:
0143039989 ISBN-13: 978-0143039983
The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories. Ed. Alan Ryan. New York: Penguin, 1987. ISBN-10:
0140124454 ISBN-13: 978-0140124453
GRADING SCHEDULE
1] Exams #1 & 2
2] Mid-Term Essay
3] Daily Quizzes
4] Oral Participation
5] Final Exam
15% each
20%
20%
15%
15%
GRADING SCALE
1] Point Equivalents: Grades will be assigned on a +/- scale (point equivalents are 88/85/82 for a B+/B/B-,
etc.). Note, however, that final grades are on an A/B/C scale. For the final grade calculation, an average of 90-100
will result in an A for the course; 80-89 will result in a B; 70-79 will receive a C; 60-69 will receive a D; and 59 or
below will have earned an F.
PAPERS
1] Essay Due Date: The paper must be submitted to me, in class, on the day that it is due. Papers that are
not in my hands by the time I have left class will be accepted as late and will be penalized 5 points, with another 5
points deducted for each subsequent 24 hours it is late. (Essays turned in to my box after class will be treated as
late.) *I will accept an emailed version as being on time if sent before the class period is over, and if you turn in an
identical hard copy during the next class period.
2] Exams: In-class exams must be completed on the dates assigned--no exceptions unless arranged in
advance.
3] Make-up Policy: Students will be allowed to take make-up exams if they have medical or unforeseen
emergencies. Students will be responsible for contacting the instructor and providing documentation of the
emergency situation. Students are strongly encouraged to avoid taking this measure and the make-up exam will be
an entirely different format from the original exam administered in class on the scheduled date.
4] Lost Work: Please keep a copy of your essay for your own file; should a paper be lost (or disappear
from my box), it is your responsibility to give me another.
5] Rough Draft of Essay: I am willing to read complete or partial drafts of essays at any time before the
due date. You must hand me a typed, double-spaced copy in such situations (no online versions).
6] Electronic Copy of Essay: No essay will be accepted without an accompanying electronic copy. You
must give me both the hard copy you want me to grade and an electronic copy.
EXTRA CREDIT
There is none. Your grade in this class will be determined by how well you do on the assignments
themselves.
ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Absences: Attendance is now electronically recorded, and attendance is required by the State of Texas and
HCCS at all class meetings. HCC will now automatically drop all students who miss the first two days of class.
**In addition, should you fail because you have stopped attending, the State of Texas now requires that you be given
an “FX”—a failure for reasons of attendance.
Tardiness: Note, however, that showing up twenty minutes late to class each day does not mean that you
have perfect attendance; it means that you have missed one-fifth of the semester (about 7 hours of class). Therefore,
tardiness of more than 20 minutes will be recorded as an absence.
Withdrawal: It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw; so, should you decide to drop the class, do not
merely stop coming. Note that we no longer have the option to assign "W’s” at the end of the semester, so all
students still on my roll at the end of the semester will receive grades.
Missed Schoolwork: You are, in any event, responsible for any material assigned or collected on those
days that you are absent or tardy. Be sure to get the notes from somebody who was in class. If a paper is due on a
day that you are going to be absent, it is your responsibility to find a way to turn it in. Missed exercises/quizzes may
not be made up.
* TEXAS WITHDRAWAL RULE *
Students who repeat a course three or more times, or who accumulate 6 or more “W’s” during their college
career, face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are
considering course withdrawal, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits,
reading and writing homework, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring that might be
available.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Receiving a “W” in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a “W” is given for the course, it will
not be changed to an “F” because of the visa consideration. Please contact the International Student Office at 713718-8520 if you have any questions about your visa status and any other transfer issues.
BOOKSTORE
Please note that the bookstore is not run by HCC. It is a Barnes and Noble facility. We, therefore, have no
say in how it is run, what books they stock, how many copies of each book they stock, or what they claim you will
need for any specific class.
DAILY QUIZZES
There will be a brief reading quiz during the first 15 minutes of each class. They will consist of simple
questions designed to merely find out whether or not you have read the material. After ten minutes all quizzes will
be turned in and no make-ups will be allowed. I will, however, drop your four lowest scores at the end of the
semester.
These quizzes will be added together to get a percentage score that will be your Daily Quiz grade. While it
is possible to score 100%, it is also possible to score less than an F (55%) in this category.
READINGS
Assignments listed in the “Course Reading Schedule” are due for class on the day listed.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms and other
locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Inappropriate use of a recording device will be reported to
the police and may be a felony offense.
NEW STUDENT SURVEY SYSTEM
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to
improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of
research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your
professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston
Community College Student System online near the end of the term.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS/CIRCUMSTANCES
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the beginning of each
semester.
MENINGITIS IMMUNIZATION REQUIRED FOR SPRING REGISTRATION
Texas Senate Bill 1107 passed in May 2011, requires that new HCC students and former HCC students returning
after an absence of at least one fall or spring semester who are under the age of 30 are required to present a
physician-signed certificate showing they have been vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. Beginning with Spring
registration, November 7, students will have to satisfy this requirement prior to enrollment. For more information
and a list of exemptions please go to
http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/admissions-registration-center/new-student-general-admissions-steps/submit-meningitisdocumentation
INCLEMENT WEATHER
During inclement weather conditions, monitor major local channels for updates on school closings. You
can also check for school closing information on the HCC homepage.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
“Scholastic dishonest includes, but it not limited to:
1] Plagiarism--the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one’s own written work for credit.
2] Collusion--the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work
offered for credit.”
A student guilty of a first offense will receive a grade of 0 on the assignment involved. For a
second offense, the student will receive a grade of F for the course.
ENGLISH 2342 COURSE DESCRIPTION
Prerequisite: English 1302
Credit: 3 (3 lecture)
An introductory study of short stories, novellas, and novels with emphasis upon understanding the vocabulary of
literary analysis and applying it to fiction. Core Curriculum Course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS
By the end of the semester, the student who passes with a final grade of “C” or above will have demonstrated the
ability to:
· Complete and comprehend reading assignments. (Assignments vary in length, but a typical assignment requires
2 hours out of class for each hour in class: e.g. 2 1/2 to 3 hours reading to prepare for a 1 1/2 hour class session).
· Attend class regularly, missing no more than 12.5% (6 hours) of instruction.
· Participate in small group and/or class discussions in which assigned literary works are analyzed and
interpreted.
· Write at least 3,500 words in completing written assignments of varying types and lengths that are relevant to
course content. At least one written assignment will include information obtained through research that is
related to one or more prominent European or American literary works of the eras covered and is presented in
current MLA form.
· Participate in at least one oral presentation of a literary work.
· Explain and illustrate stylistic characteristics of authors and literary works included in the course syllabus.
· Express clearly and support convincingly an interpretation or analysis of a literary text.
· Explain similarities and differences among writers studied and/or among literary works studied.
· Explain the characteristics of each literary period covered, with particular attention to prominent literary
themes.
· Use a word processor (available in school labs) to fulfill written assignments and use the computer as well as
the library to research a literary topic.
· Maintain an overall average of 70 or above on written assignments and tests.
HCCS LITERATURE COURSES IN THE CORE CURRICULUM
All HCCS 2300-level literature courses satisfy the core curriculum requirement for 3 semester hours of literature. A
second 2300-level literature course may be taken to fulfill the core curriculum requirement for 3 semester hours in
Cross/Multicultural Studies. In 2300-level literature courses, the student will gain increased capability in all six
basic intellectual competencies in the HCCS Core Curriculum (reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical
thinking, and computer literacy). Student progress in the core competencies will be measured in the activities
outlined in the objectives and requirements section of this syllabus.
PERSPECTIVES IN THE HCCS CORE CURRICULUM
2300-level literature courses help students attain the following:
· Establish broad and multiple perspectives on the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in
which he or she lives and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically diversified
world;
· Stimulate a capacity to discuss and reflect upon individual, political, economic, and social aspects of life in
order to understand ways in which to be a responsible member of society;
· Develop personal values for ethical behavior;
· Develop the ability to make aesthetic judgments; and
· Integrate knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships of the scholarly disciplines.
The objective of the humanities and visual and performing arts in a core curriculum is to expand students’
knowledge of the human condition and human cultures especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values
expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in disciplines such as literature and the visual
and performing arts, students will engage in critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation
of the arts and humanities as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. Students should have
experiences in both the arts and humanities.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES -- SOPHOMORE LITERATURE (Literature Segment of the
Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts requirements of the HCCS Core Curriculum):
· To demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of literary works;
· To understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social
context;
· To respond critically to literary works;
· To articulate an informed personal reaction to literary works;
· To develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern literature; and
· To demonstrate knowledge of the influence of literature on inter-cultural experiences.
The objective of the cross/multicultural component of the core curriculum is to introduce students to areas of
study which enlarge their knowledge and appreciation of the multicultural and multiracial world in which they live.
EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES-- SOPHOMORE LITERATURE
(Cross/Multicultural Studies Segment of the HCCS Core Curriculum):
· To establish broad and multiple perspectives in the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in
which he or she lives and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically diversified
world;
· To demonstrate knowledge of those elements and processes that create and define culture;
· To understand and analyze the origin and function of values, beliefs, and practices found in human societies;
· To develop basic cross/multicultural understanding, empathy, and communication;
· To identify and understand underlying commonalities of diverse cultural practices; and
· To analyze the effects of cultural forces on the areas of study.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1]Explain and illustrate stylistic characteristics of representative works of fiction (short stories, novellas,
novels).
2] Connect representative works of fiction to human and individual values in historical and social contexts.
3]Demonstrate knowledge of various works of fiction.
4]Analyze critical texts relating to works of fiction.
5]Critique and interpret representative works of fiction.
(** Note that changes can and may be made by the Instructor **)
Calendar/Reading Schedule
** Short stories will be found in
(PBV): Penguin Book of Vampire Stories
(DD): Dark Descent
Week 1
Jan. 17] Course Introduction / Edgar Allan Poe “Tell-Tale Heart” (xerox)
The Evolution of the Vampire: Neoclassicism vs. Romanticism
21] John Polidori “The Vampyre” (PBV--pgs. 7-24)
Week 2
24] Bram Stoker “Dracula’s Guest” (PBV--pgs. 163-174)
26] P. Schuyler Miller “Over the River” (PBV--pgs. 322-333)
Week 3
31] Suzy McKee Charnas "Unicorn Tapestry" (PBV--pgs. 505-561)
Feb.
2] Carl Jacobi "Revelations in Black (PBV--pgs. 282-300)
Week 4
7] Chelsea Quinn Yarbro "Cabin 33" (PBV--pgs. 451-504)
9] Review Session for Exam #1
Week 5
14] ** Exam #1 **
16] Mary Wilkins Freeman “Luella Miller” (PBV--pgs. 175-187)
Week 6
21] C. L. Moore “Shambleau” (PBV--pgs. 255-281)
23] Fritz Leiber “The Girl with the Hungry Eyes” (PBV--pgs. 334-348)
Week 7
Haunted Houses: The Psychology of Terror
29] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapter 1)
Mar.
1] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapters 2-3)
Week 8
6] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapters 4-5)
8] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapter 6-end)
Week 9
13]
SPRING BREAK
15]
HOLIDAY !!!
Week 10
20] Conference / Workshop Day
22] ** Essay due **
Week 11
Monster, Monsters, Monsters, and Approaches to Literary Criticism
27] Edith Wharton “Afterward” (DD--pgs. 887-908)
Elizabeth Bowen "The Demon-Lover" (available online)
29] Charlotte Perkins Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper" (DD--pgs. 460-471)
Fritz Leiber "Smoke Ghost" (DD--pgs. 629-640)
**Thurs. Mar. 29--Last Day to Drop a Class with a W **
Week 12
Apr.
3] Ramsey Campbell “Mackintosh Willy” (DD--pgs. 591-601)
Sheridan Le Fanu "Shalken the Painter" (DD--pgs. 445-459)
5] Edgar Allan Poe “Fall of the House of Usher” (DD--pgs. 368-381)
Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” (DD--pgs. 132-141)
Week 13
10] Review Session for Exam #2
12] ** Exam #2 **
Week 14
17] Charles Dickens “The Signal Man” (DD--pgs. 680-689)
M. R. James "The Ash-Tree" (DD--pgs. 40-49)
19] H. P. Lovecraft “Call of Chthulhu” (DD--pgs. 85-107)
Richard Matheson “Born of Man and Woman” (DD—pgs. 513-515)
Week 15
24] Steven King “Crouch End” (DD--pgs. 690-711)
Ambrose Bierce “The Damned Thing” (DD--pgs. 880-886)
26] Clive Barker “Dread” (DD-pgs. 339-367)
Week 16
May
1] Review Session for Exam #3
3] ** Exam #3 **
(** Note that changes can and may be made by the Instructor **)