Dr. Gavin Schulz
English 2342, HCC--Southwest
Fall 2015
Forms of Literature: 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).
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor : Dr. Gavin Schulz
Section : CRN# 77585
Eagle Online : eo2.hccs.edu
Office Hours : We do not have offices, but I will be available before class to meet with you on an appointment basis. Contact me via email and I will set up a meeting.
CONTACT INFORMATION
HCC E-mail : gavin.schulz@hccs.edu
How often I will check : I will check my email at least every morning; however, I generally do not check email after about 3 p.m., so if you email me late in the day, do not expect an immediate response. The standard rule for all courses is to respond within 24 hours.
You must use your HCC email account when contacting me!
Because of Phishing and viruses, I will not open emails from students that do not originate from the HCC email system! This means you must contact me from your HCC email account, or from the
Quickmail system found within our Eagle class (both send all emails directly to one’s HCC email inbox).
In either case, you must check your HCC email account in order to get my emails to you. You have all been assigned HCC Email accounts; you need to learn how to use it. You can find it by looking on the HCC homepage, opening the “Information For” section (upper-right) and clicking “Students,” then find “Student Email” in the left-hand menu that opens up. HCC will use this system to make general announcements, and I will use this system to make general announcements, so make sure you check it regularly. If you cannot access your account, you must fix it by following the directions found on the “Student Email” page (see “Password Management”).
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
IMPORTANT DATES
August 24 First Day of Classes
September 7 Labor Day Holiday
September 8 Day of Record
October 15 Deadline to Register for Fall Graduation
October 30 Last Day to Withdraw, 4:30 p.m.
November 26-7
December 6
Thanksgiving Holiday
Last Day of Classes
December 7-13
December 13
December 18
Final Exams (No Classes; Only Final Exams)
Semester Ends
Grades Available for Students
ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Absences : Attendance is required by the State of Texas. Students who have no record of attendance (including logging in and submitting work) before the Official Day of Record (Sep. 8) will be automatically dropped from the course by the Registrar’s department. Students dropped for nonattendance will not be reinstated.
In addition, attendance (including submitting online work) is required by the State of Texas and HCCS at all class meetings.
Instructors are expected to drop students who have missed more than 6 hours of class and/or its online equivalent. What does this mean?:
1] Students who miss more than 4 classes by Oct. 30 (the last day to drop with a W) will be dropped;
2] Students who fail to submit Essay #1 by Oct. 30 will be dropped.
FX Grades : In addition, should you fail because you have stopped attending/participating, the State of Texas now requires that you be given an “FX”—a failure for reasons of attendance. What does this mean for us?:
1] If you were passing the class, but end up failing because you did not submit the Final Exam, then you will be assigned an FX

Withdrawal
: It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw; so, should you decide to drop the class, do not merely stop logging in to class.
While it is my intention to drop students for the reasons listed above, it is not my responsibility to drop you. If you are still on my roll at the end of the semester, for whatever reason, you will receive a grade.
Missed Schoolwork : You are 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 (email it).
GRADING SCHEDULE
1] Short Answer Exams #1 & 2
2] Mid-Term Essay
3] Daily Quizzes (4 lowest will be dropped)
15% each
20%
20%
4] Oral Participation
5] Final Short Answer Exam
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.
READINGS
Assignments listed in the “Course Reading Schedule” are due for class on the day listed.
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 fifteen 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.
ORAL PARTICIPATION
Students will participate in group discussions every class period. While the groups will be fixed, they will change members a couple times during the semester. Your Oral Participation grade will be an estimation of how much and how well you contributed to the group discussions.
The grading for this will be partially determined by the other members of your group.
EXAMS
There will be three brief exams covering sections of the course (Exam #1, Exam #2, and the Final Exam). The Final Exam will not be comprehensive; it will only focus on the last section of readings.
The exams will be short answer tests. You will be given generally 5 questions (with a choice between two for each question), and you will be expected to write your answer in about 15 minutes for each question. Therefore, the exams will take no longer than a regular class period.
Exam Dates: In-class exams must be completed on the dates assigned--no exceptions unless arranged in advance.
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.
ESSAY
1] Essay Due Date: No late papers will be accepted after the paper due date—unless arranged in advance. 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 not be accepted. (Essays turned in to my box after class will not be accepted.) *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] Lost Work: Please keep a copy of your work for your own file; should a paper be lost (or disappear from my box), it is your responsibility to give me another.
3] 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).
4] 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.
EXCUSES
Broken computers, printers out of ink, car running out of gas, illness, etc. These may be reasons why you cannot turn in your paper on time, but they are not excuses. If you wait until the last minute to turn something in and fate conspires against you, then you have only yourself to blame. Always keep a backup copy of your essay and do not wait until the last minute to submit your work.

EXTRA CREDIT
There is none. Your grade in this class will be determined by how well you do on the assignments themselves.
* 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” or an “FX” in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a “W” or an “FX” is given for the course, it will not be changed to an “F” because of visa consideration. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 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.
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.
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.
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.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical or cultural events, and characteristic perspectives or attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods or regions.
2. Analyze literary works as expressions of individual or communal values within the social, political, cultural, or religious contexts of different literary periods.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the development of characteristic forms or styles of expression during different historical periods or in different regions.
4. Articulate the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
5. Write research-based critical papers about the assigned readings in clear and grammatically correct prose, using various critical approaches to literature.

Reading Schedule
** Short stories will be found in
(PBV): Penguin Book of Vampire Stories
(DD): Dark Descent
Week 1
Aug. 24] Course Introduction / Edgar Allan Poe “Tell-Tale Heart” (xerox)
26] The Evolution of the Vampire: Neoclassicism vs. Romanticism
Bram Stoker “Dracula’s Guest” (PBV--pgs. 163-174)—Available online.
Week 2
31] John Polidori “The Vampyre” (PBV--pgs. 7-24)—Available online.
Sep. 2]
P. Schuyler Miller “Over the River”
(PBV--pgs. 322-333)—Available online.
Week 3
7] LABOR DAY HOLIDAY !!
9] Suzy McKee Charnas "Unicorn Tapestry" (PBV--pgs. 505-561)
Week 4
14] Chelsea Quinn Yarbro "Cabin 33" (PBV--pgs. 451-504)
16] Mary Wilkins Freeman “Luella Miller” (PBV--pgs. 175-187)—Available online.
Week 5
21] C. L. Moore “Shambleau” (PBV--pgs. 255-281)
23]
Fritz Leiber “The Girl with the Hungry Eyes”
(PBV--pgs. 334-348)—Available online.
Week 6
28] Review Session for Exam #1
30] Exam #1
Week 7
Haunted Houses: The Psychology of Terror
Oct. 5] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapter 1)
7] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapters 2--3)
Week 8
12] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapters 4--5)
14] Shirley Jackson The Haunting of Hill House (Chapter 6--End)
Week 9
19] Conference/Workshop Day
21] * Essay due *

Week 10
Monster, Monsters, Monsters, and Approaches to Literary Criticism
26] Edith Wharton “Afterward” (DD--pgs. 887-908)
Elizabeth Bowen "The Demon-Lover"— Available online.
28] Fritz Leiber "Smoke Ghost" (DD--pgs. 629-640)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper" (DD--pgs. 460-471)
** Fri. Oct. 30-- Last Day to Drop a Class with a W **
Week 11
Nov. 2] Sheridan Le Fanu "Shalken the Painter" (DD--pgs. 445-459)
Ramsey Campbell “Mackintosh Willy” (DD--pgs. 591-601)
4] Edgar Allan Poe “Fall of the House of Usher” (DD--pgs. 368-381)
Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” (DD--pgs. 132-141)
Week 12
9] Review Session for Exam #2
11] * Exam #2 *
Week 13
16] H. P. Lovecraft “Call of Chthulhu” (DD--pgs. 85-107)
Richard Matheson “Born of Man and Woman” (DD—pgs. 513-515)
18] M. R. James "The Ash-Tree" (DD--pgs. 40-49)
Charles Dickens “The Signal Man” (DD--pgs. 680-689)
Week 14
23] Steven King “Crouch End” (DD--pgs. 690-711)
Ambrose Bierce “The Damned Thing” (DD--pgs. 880-886)
25] Online assignment today. No class.
Week 15
30] Clive Barker “Dread” (DD-pgs. 339-367)
Dec. 2] Review Session for In-Class Final Exam
* * * * *
Final Exam Day : Monday, December 7 @ 11:00-12:50 p.m.
in our regular classroom.
(** Note: changes can and may be made at the Instructor’s discretion **)
(** Note that changes can and may be made by the Instructor **)
*