ENGL 4310.01W / Studies in Literary Theory
Fall Semester 2003
MWF 11:00 - 11:50 am / Humanities 209
Dr. David W. Newton
Office: TLC 2222
836-6512 (please leave a message with the secretary if I am not in)
dnewton@westga.edu
http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton
Office Hours Location
MW
9:00-10:30 AM
(Writing Center)
MW 10:30-11:00 AM (TLC 2222)
MW 1:30-2:00 PM
(TLC 2222)
MW 4:30-5:30 PM
(TLC 2222)
F
9:00-11:00 AM
(TLC 2222)
Other Times By Appointment
Course Description: This is a course in the history of literary theory. In this course, we
will explore a series of interrelated questions that are at the heart of all literary studies.
Namely, what is literature? Is it an aesthetic object that embodies universal truths or a
socially constructed text that participates in the cultural discourses and power relations
that create it? What is the relationship between writers, readers, society, and literary
texts? Are there correct and incorrect ways to read and interpret literature? How does
our understanding of literature inform our professional identities as writers, teachers, and
literary scholars? As part of our exploration we will engage in an intensive reading of
writers and literary critics who have articulated responses to these questions, beginning
with Plato and Aristotle and concluding with contemporary scholars such as Michel
Foucault and Jacques Derrida. In addition to surveying different fields of critical
inquiry—such as formalism, new historicism, and post-structuralism—we will read some
of the primary essays that define these areas of critical and theoretical investigation.
Learning Outcomes: 1) Students will develop the ability to identify achievements in
various fields and movements within literary theory and criticism; 2) Students will
become familiar with important characteristics of and distinctions between critical
schools and methodologies; 3) Students will recognize how theory and literature
construct a dialectical relationship with social, historical, political, economic, and cultural
forces as they are produced and consumed; 4) Students will understand and appreciate the
relationship between theory and literature and the role played by each in the production
and consumption of the other; 5) Students will be able to apply theoretical issues and
skills to real-world circumstances; 6) Students will demonstrate in both oral and written
work a discipline-specific critical facility through convincing and well-supported analysis
of related material; 7) Students will display their command of academic English and of
the tenets of sound composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose, including at
least eight pages of research-based writing; 8) Students will learn to use discipline-
specific technologies related to the study of language such as listservs, word processing,
and internet research.
Relationship to Program Goals: 1) This course fulfills an elective requirement for the
completion of the English major; 2) This course contributes to the larger goal of
equipping students with a foundation in literary theory and the issues surrounding literary
study in contemporary culture; 3) This course helps students develop the analytical, oral,
and written skills needed to pursue graduate study or careers in teaching, writing,
business, and a variety of other fields; 4) This course will help students learn how to
define and pursue independent research agendas; 5) This course broadens students' desire
and ability to take pleasure in their encounter with literature.
NOTE: This is writing intensive course. Your papers and presentation assignments
involve writing-to-learn activities in which you will be using writing to understand the
material we have read. Your responses will be used to generate class discussion as well as
to help you gain confidence in your abilities to read and write about what you have
learned. Your writing will be evaluated in terms of these expectations. ALL written
assignments should conform to the standards of college-level, academic writing. By
successfully completing this course, you can receive WAC (Writing Across the
Curriculum) credit toward graduation. The goals of WAC are to encourage students to
use writing as a way to learn, to show students how to write effectively in their
disciplines and to improve students' writing skills. All students majoring in disciplines in
the School of Arts and Sciences are required to satisfy the WAC requirements for WAC
to graduate: These requirements include at least two 3000/4000 level W courses for a
total of 6 hours with at least 3 of these hours in the major. Additional WAC certification
is also available. See the current undergraduate catalog for details
Required Texts (Note: students should purchase these specific editions)
Kaplan and Anderson, eds., Criticism: Major Statements. 4th ed. Bedford / St. Martin’s,
2000.
Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, 1997.
Additional materials will be placed on the course website or on reserve in the library.
Course Evaluation
20% Presentation/Homework Assignments (includes oral presentations and written
reports)
20% Reading Quizzes
20% Midterm Examination
20% Final Examination
20% Final Research Paper (minimum of 8 pages)
Grading Scale
Students will be assigned a letter grade for each assignment ranging from A+ to F based
on the following numerical scale. The numerical grade will be used when calculating the
final average at the end of the semester.
97-100 = A+
94-96 = A
90-93 = A-
87-89 = B+
84-86 = B
80-83 = B-
77-79 = C+
74- 76 = C
70- 73 = C-
67-69 = D+
64-66 = D
60-63 = D-
below 60 = F
Attendance Requirements
Improving your critical thinking, analytical writing, and presentation skills requires
commitment and concentrated effort. Therefore, careful preparation and active
participation are crucial to your success in this course. I expect you to be present and on
time for all class meetings. Readings and other assignments should be completed in
advance of each class. You should come prepared to participate actively in our class
discussions. If you are going to be absent from class, you should let me know in advance.
Late work will not be accepted unless you make arrangements with me in advance and
you have a legitimate reason (a serious medical or family emergency) for turning in work
after it is due.
In the case of excused absences, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to
complete assignments you have missed immediately upon your return to class. Failure to
follow these guidelines will result in a zero or grade reduction for work not submitted on
time. You will not be able to make up missed in-class assignments or quizzes, and you
will not receive credit for these assignments. If you find it unavoidable to miss class, be
aware of the following guidelines:
a) Four (4) absences are allowed during the course. Every absence thereafter will result in
a one-third letter grade reduction of your final grade in the course, regardless of the
nature of the absence. No distinctions will be made between excused and unexcused
absences.
b) Roll will be taken during every class period at the beginning of class. If you arrive late,
it is your responsibility to let us know so you are not counted absent.
c) It is your responsibility to keep up with your absences and tardies.
d) You should use your allotted absences wisely. Unplanned or unexpected occurrences
are likely, so be prepared to use absences for these events only.
e) Entering class late and leaving class before it is over will count as an unexcused
absence, unless you have a legitimate medical excuse for doing so.
f) Excessive absences or tardiness from class may result in your administrative
withdrawal from this course with a grade of F.
g) Please turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering class.
Classroom Presentations
Throughout the course, you will be expected to complete outside reading and homework
assignments, written and oral classroom presentations, and other classroom activities.
These assignments are designed to reinforce the information presented in reading
assignments and lectures. Classroom presentations will give you an opportunity to
present information to the class for consideration and discussion. You will not be able to
make up presentation assignments that are missed due to absence from class.
Presentations will be assessed on the basis on organization, clarity, and presentation style.
I will provide you with a list of assignments and guidelines for the presentations as the
course progresses.
Quizzes
A short quiz (3-4 questions) will be given at the start of virtually every class. It will cover
the reading assignments for that day. The questions will be objective (identification of
characters, significant events, etc.) and will assess reading comprehension. I will drop
one quiz grade from the final quiz average. Students who arrive late to class or who miss
class will not be able to make up quizzes they miss.
NOTE: I will add up to five points to your final quiz average for active, constructive, and
informed participation in our general class discussions. The specific amount will be
based on your contributions to the class over the course of the semester.
Midterm and Final Examinations
Examinations will be based on reading assignments, course lectures, and other materials
presented in class. For each examination students will be expected to know the major
terms and figures, concepts and theories related to the study of the literature that will be
presented in reading assignments and course lectures. Consequently, students should be
thoroughly familiar with each reading assignment and be prepared to take notes during
class. Examinations will include an objective, in-class component (terms, definitions,
etc.) and an out of class essay component. Examinations cannot be taken late or
scheduled at an alternate time unless you have a serious medical emergency or another
legitimate reason for doing so. In the event that such circumstances arise, you must let me
know in advance to schedule an alternate time to take the examination. Otherwise, late
exams will be marked down one letter grade for each day they are taken late. I will
provide you with a study guide prior to each exam.
Final Research Paper
The final research paper (a minimum of 8 pages of type-written research-based analysis)
will represent the culmination of your study in this course. Your paper can focus on any
aspect of literary theory, pending my final approval. I will provide you with more
specific details about the requirements for the paper in the weeks ahead. The paper is due
on the date listed in the syllabus. Papers turned in late will be marked down one letter
grade for each day they are late. I will be glad to meet with you outside of class to discuss
specific research topics. The project is a formal academic assignment and will be
assessed on the basis of structure, content, grammar, writing style, proper paper format,
and documentation of sources.
Technology
You need to be familiar with finding sources online and other aspects of computer
technology for this class. I will assist you if you have questions. Also, information can be
found online at the UWG Technology / Surfing Guide: http://www.westga.edu/~techlife/
Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty
UWG defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as
they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. I expect that students will
accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating
sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for
failing the course. Any student caught submitting materials (in part or whole) as their
own work from online websites will fail the course automatically and be referred to the
Academic Discipline Council. For additional information, please see
http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/Plagiarism
Conferences and Outside Assistance
I will be glad to meet with you outside of class to discuss your work in this class, the
writing assignments, or the texts we are studying. If you are having trouble with the
material in this class or have questions and/or concerns you would like to discuss, please
set up a time to meet with me. You can also schedule an appointment with the university
writing center (located on the first floor of the TLC). NOTE: I work as a tutor in the
Writing Center on MW 9-:00 – 10:30 am. You are welcome to meet with me in the
Writing Center during those hours if you have questions or want to go over class
materials or writing assignments.
NOTE: Please make a xerox copy of all written work you turn in to me, in case it is
misplaced or lost. Save your work on a computer disk! I will not give you credit for work
you claim to turn in but that I do not have in my possession.
Readings and Assignments: Readings and assignments should be completed on by the
dates listed below. Updates to the reading assignments along with other materials and
assignments can be found on my website for this course:
http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton/engl4310
Code: K = Kaplan, Criticism: Major Statements
C = Culler, Literary Theory
M 8/18—Course introduction; objectives and requirements.
W 8/20—Literary Theory: Some Preliminary Considerations. Read = “What is Theory?”
C 1-17.
F 8/22— What is Literature? Read: “What is Literature and Does it Matter?” C 18-41.
M 8/25—Classical Perspectives. Read: Plato, from The Republic, Book X, K 1-14; Plato,
from Ion, K 15-17.
W 8/27— Classical Perspectives, continued. Read: Aristotle, from The Poetics, K 18-46.
F 8/29—English Renaissance. Read: Sir Philip Sidney, An Apology for Poetry, K 10135.
M 9/1—Labor Day Holiday (No classes will be held)
W 9/3— Romanticism. Read: William Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads, K 24056.
F 9/5— Romanticism, continued. Read: John Keats, Four Letters, K 279-86.
M 9/8— Romanticism, conclusion. Read: Percy Bysshe Shelley, A Defence of Poetry, K
287-309.
W 9/10— Introduction to Modern Criticism. Read: Matthew Arnold, "The Study of
Poetry," K 333-53.
F 9/12—Formalism. Read: T.S. Eliot, "Tradition and the Individual Talent," K 404-10.
M 9/15— New Criticism. Read: Cleanth Brooks, "Keats's Sylvan Historian: History
without Footnotes," K 465-74; John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" (Course Website).
W 9/17— New Criticism. Read: John Crowe Ransom, "Criticism as Pure Speculation," K
448-64.
F 9/19— Narratology. Read: “Narrative,” C 82-93; Mikhal Bakhtin, “Heteroglossia in the
Novel,” K 422-47.
M 9/22— Literary Structures: Read: Northrop Frye, "The Archetypes of Literature," K
475-86.
W 9/24— Linguistic Structuralism. Read: “Language, Meaning, and Interpretation,” C
55-68; Ferdinand de Saussure, from the Third Course of Lectures on General Linguistics
(Course Website).
F 9/26— de Saussure, conclusion.
M 9/29— Structuralism. Read: Roland Barthes, “The Structuralist Activity,” K 487-92.
W 10/1— Mid-Term Exam
F 10/3— Structuralism, conclusion.
M 10/6— Reader Response Theories. Read: “Performative Language,” C 94-107; Stanley
Fish, "Is There a Text in This Class?" K 573-85.
W 10/8— Reader Response, conclusion; Post-Structuralism. Read: “Language, Identity,
and the Subject,” C 108-20; Derrida, "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the
Human Sciences," K 493-510.
R 10/9— (Last Day to Withdraw with a W)
F 10/10— Derrida, conclusion.
M 10/13— Read: Foucault, "What is an Author?" K 544-58.
W 10/15— Deconstruction. Read: Derrida, from Of Grammatology (Course Website).
F 10/17— Derrida, conclusion.
M 10/20— Deconstruction, continued. Read: Hillis Miller, “The Critic as Host”
(Reserve).
W 10/22— Deconstruction, continued. Read: Paul De Man, “Semiology and Rhetoric,” K
559-572.
F 10/24— Deconstruction, conclusion.
M 10/27— Psychoanalytical Criticism. Read: Jacques Lacan, from Ecrits: A Selection,
"The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic
Experience" (Course Website).
W 10/29— Lacan, conclusion.
F 10/31— No Class Held (Attending Conference)
M 11/3— Psychoanalytical Criticism, conclusion. Read: Shoshana Felman, “The Case of
Poe,” K 662-82.
W 11/5— Feminist Criticism. Read: Adrienne Rich, “When We Dean Awaken: Writing
as Re-Vision,” K 511-24; Nina Baym, “Melodramas of Beset Manhood,” K 586-602.
F 11/7— Feminist Criticism, conclusion. Elaine Showalter, "Representing Ophelia:
Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism," K 615-29.
M 11/10— French Feminism. Read: Helene Cixous, "The Laugh of the Medusa" (Course
Website); Luce Irigaray, from "This Sex Which Is Not One" (Course Website).
W 11/12— Cixous and Irigaray, conclusion.
F 11/14— French Feminism, conclusion. Read: Julia Kristeva, "Stabat Mater" (Reserve).
M 11/17— Kristeva, conclusion.
W 11/19— Marxism and Cultural Criticism. Read: “Literature and Cultural Studies,” C
42-54; Karl Marx, “The German Ideology,” 310-18; Terry Eagleton, from Marxism and
Literary Criticism, K 551-73.
F 11/21— Cultural Criticism, continued. Read: Frederick Jameson, from
Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (Course Website).
M 11/24— Jameson, conclusion.
W 11/26—Thanksgiving Holiday (No classes will be held)
F 11/28—Thanksgiving Holiday (No classes will be held)
M 12/1— New Historicism. Read: Greenblatt, "Shakespeare and the Exorcists," K 630653.
W 12/3— Last day of classes. Research Papers Due.
M 12/8—Final Examination, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (HUM 209)