EN1001 M An Introduction to Literary Study
Winter 2022
Course Delivery: IN PERSON:
Lectures: Tuesdays 2:30-4pm SLH B
Tutorial 1: Tuesdays 4-5:20pm ACW 104
Tutorial 2: Tuesdays 5:30-6:50pm DB0011
Tutorial 3: Tuesdays 4-5:20pm FC202
Lectures: Megan Hillman
TA: Megan Hillman mhillman@yorku.ca
TA: Megan Hillman
TA: Monique Attrux moniqueattrux@gmail.com
From “How to Be at Home” by Tanya Davis
In the meantime, we’re surrounded, we’re alone
each a thread woven in the fabric, unravelling in moments though
each a solo entity spinning on its axis, forgetting that the galaxy includes us all
Herein our fall
from grace from each other from god whatever, doesn’t matter
the disaster is that we believe we’re separate
we’re not
As evidenced by viruses taking down societies
as proven by the loneliness inherent in no gatherings
as palpable as the vacancy in the space of one person hugging
If this disruption undoes you
if the absence of people unravels you
if touch was the tether that held you together
and now that it’s severed you’re fragile too
lean into loneliness and know you’re not alone in it
lean into loneliness like it is holding you
like it is a generous representative of a glaring truth
oh, we are connected
we forget this, yet we always knew.
[you can find a video of the poem here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT40RmjwdQ&feature=youtu.be – scroll down for the complete poem]
Course Description:
This course offers an introduction to the study of, and writing about, literature. Through short readings
(essays, stories, poems and plays), we will learn to observe, understand and evaluate how literary texts
work. We will pay specific attention to the technical language of literature, the mechanics of writing
and the preparation of an essay, in order to gain skills to write effectively about literature.
Learning Objectives:
– To introduce students to a variety of literature
– To improve close reading and analytical skills
– To improve writing skills
– To learn to identify and use the terminology of English Literature
Teaching Team:
Course Director – Megan Hillman (tutorials 1 and 2) mhillman@yorku.ca
Virtual Office Hour: Tuesdays 10am or by appointment on eClass
TA – Monique Attrux (tutorial 3) moniqueattrux@gmail.com
Virtual Office Hour: Wednesdays 1-2pm on eClass
Course Delivery:
This course is occurring while a pandemic continues to seriously impact our world. The expectation is
that this course is happening on eClass for the first few weeks, and then we shift to in person classes
after Jan 31, or there may also be days when students – or instructors – are unable to attend in person
due to not passing the Daily Covid Screening questionnaire. Please do not come to class if you feel
unwell! Stay home, let your TA know, fill out the Daily Covid Screening questionnaire, and catch up
with the materials on eClass. And most importantly, look after yourself!
I've tried to design the course so that we can move easily between eClass and in person as public health
directives allow.
Please remember that we are all experiencing the pandemic, though we are all experiencing it
differently. Try to be patient with each other, with the teaching team, and with yourself.
When the class takes place on eClass:
Lectures: Lectures will be posted to eClass by 12:30 each Tuesday. The lectures are presented through
power point slides and audio recordings. My expectation is that you will be listening to the audio while
clicking along with the powerpoint but it is entirely up to you if you listen only, read only, or do a
combination of both! The audio recordings are approximately 20 minutes each, with 2-3 recordings per
lecture. These can be accessed on your own time (asynchronous delivery) though you should access
them as soon as possible after they are posted in order to be prepared for tutorial.
Tutorials: Tutorials will take place over zoom (synchronous delivery). You are expected to attend your
tutorial each week. While you do not have to have your camera on, it is strongly recommended.
Discussion Forums: You can also participate in the discussion forums even if you do attend the
synchronous meeting of your tutorial. Lots of us have ideas about something which arise after a class
has ended – so by all means feel free to share with us in the discussion forums!
Here is how it will (ideally) unfold for classes when we CANNOT meet in person:
Before Tuesday
Complete the readings for the week
Tuesday 2:30pm
Listen to/read the lecture (approx 60 mins)
Tuesday 4 - 5:20
Groups 1 and 3 attend tutorial on zoom
Tuesday 5:30 -7pm
Group 2 attends tutorial on zoom
Before Thursday at 4pm – and then again between Post your first comment in the discussion forums
Thursday and Tuesday at 2:30pm
within 48 hours if you did not actively participate
in tutorial and then come back later in the week to
post again and keep the conversation going in
order to gain top participation marks
When we ARE meeting in person:
Lectures: In person lectures will take place on Tuesdays from 2:30-4 in Steadman Lecture Hall B.
Please make every effort to be on time and to bring your text book with you. We will be doing a
number of activities in class which require access to the text.
Lecture slides will be posted after the lecture to eClass. These slides are not designed to stand in for the
lecture – they are designed to help you remember key terms and ideas. It is strongly recommended that
you make friends as early as possible so that you can borrow notes should you have to miss a week.
Tutorials: In person tutorials will take place each Tuesday either from 4-5:30 (group 1 and 3) or 5:30-7
(group 2) in the classroom listed at the top of this syllabus.
Online discussion forums will be available each week to help facilitate continued discussion – but
also to provide a participation space for students unable to attend in person. If you have not actively
participated in tutorial then you should post a comment within 48 hours of the discussions opening, and
then again later in the week for maximum participation marks.
Here is how it will (ideally) unfold for classes when we CAN meet in person:
Before Tuesday
Complete the readings for the week
Tuesday 2:30pm
Attend the lecture
Tuesday 4 - 5:20
Groups 1 and 3 attend tutorial
Tuesday 5:30 -7pm
Group 2 attends tutorial
Before Thursday at 4pm – and then again between Post your first comment in the discussion forums
Thursday and Tuesday at 2:30pm
within 48 hours if you did not actively participate
in tutorial. Then come back later in the week to
post again and keep the conversation going in
order to gain top participation marks
In person or online, all students are expected to participate in the course at least once each week.
Accessibility
I try to incorporate principles of Universal Design in all aspects of this course. If there is something I
can do to help accommodate your needs please let me know (whether or not you have a letter of
accommodation). We are here to help!
Required Text:
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature Shorter 13th Edition
You can order this book (or the e-book) through the York Bookstore or through your favourite
bookstore.
Supplementary readings available on eClass
Assignments
Passage Analysis (500 words): 10%
Poetry Essay (750 words): 20%
Comparative Essay (1000 words) 30%
Weekly Tutorial Participation: 10%
Weekly Activity Challenges: 10%
Take Home Test (available April 5): 20%
due 11:59pm February 8, 2022
due 11:59pm March 8, 2022
due 11:59pm March 29, 2022
all term
all term
due 11:59pm April 10, 2022
Essay Submission and Late Policies
The assignments are designed so that you can build on the feedback you receive and continue to
improve over the 12 weeks of the course. We want to help you do your best! Essays are to be submitted
according to MLA 8 formatting (typed, double spaced, with properly formatted quotations, proofread
etc). The late penalty is 1% per day and minimal feedback.
If you are having trouble staying on top of your work get in touch with your TA (Megan –
mhillman@yorku.ca or Monique moniqueattrux@gmail.com– ) so we can help figure out a plan.
Weekly Activity Challenges
Each week I will set you a particular challenge – to find and analyze a book cover for example – which
ties in with that week's readings and skill development. They are marked like so:
Correctly Completed Task within a week – 5 points
Correctly Completed Task within 2 weeks – 3 points
Correctly Completed Task by end of term – 1 point
It is up to you to keep track of any challenges you have not yet completed.
A Word on Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Simply put, plagiarism is te act of using someone else's work
as your own, in whole or in part. Plagiarism can include copying or paraphrasing material, from any
source, without acknowledgment. To avoid a charge of plagiarism remember to always cite your
sources, use quotation marks properly, and write your own original work. The minimum penalty for
students found guilty of plagiarism will be a mark of 0 on the assignment.
Weekly Tutorial Participation
I have designed this course to maximize opportunities for participation. I believe we learn best when
we are sharing our ideas with others and being challenged to think differently.
You are expected to attend and participate in your tutorial each week (happening on zoom OR in
person, depending on Public Health Directives). However, if you are not able to attend the synchronous
zoom or in person session, then you should participate in the asynchronous discussion forums which
will appear each Tuesday afternoon. To get maximum participation marks each week you should either
actively participate in your tutorial, or engage with at least one of the discussion questions each class
(posting a first comment within 48 hours). The best posts demonstrate you have thought about the
question and you have read what others have posted (so you aren't repeating a point already made).
Posts should be between 75-150 words. Try to think of it as simply a conversation between you, your
classmates and your TA. I recommend spending about 15 minutes reading the most recent posts and no
more than 10 minutes writing your own post in response to one of those posts. Our expectation is that
you will express your ideas and that you will have back-and-forth discussions in the forums. They are
there for you to work through ideas, ask questions of each other, notice things you hadn't previously,
and learn from each other. You will have one week to participate in each forum – after that the forum
will close.
Office Hours
Your TA holds office hours each week. You can find the link under the Virtual Office tab on our
eClass site. You are always welcome to attend – with camera on or camera off (it is up to you). Your
TA will have their camera on but if you have band-width issues we are happy to turn the camera off –
just let us know.
Help is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This is not a private or confidential space – a group
of students may all show up, and have similar questions about something, which can lead to a really
useful teaching moment! Or perhaps you want to just double check your understanding of something
and then leave – that's okay too!
If you want to talk privately about something, email your TA and she will set something up.
Reasons you might come to office hours:
– To say hi! (We like this – teaching in the dark void of the pandemic is hard. Seeing and hearing
you is delightful!
– To ask for clarification about something ('what did you mean when you said X' is a perfectly
fine thing to ask! Our job is to teach you some things; if those things are not clear then letting us
know that is really important!)
– To ask for help with writing or to bounce some ideas around
– If you are spending a lot of time making very little progress then that is definitely a
moment to reach out. Making use of the resources available to you can be so important for
success in university! Again, we're here! To help!)
Getting in Touch by Email (mhillman@yorku.ca or moniqueattrux@gmail.com)
We welcome you to contact us by email whenever you like – we aim to respond within 48 hours
(normally it is much faster than that!). If you haven't heard back from your TA after 48 hours please
feel free to send a follow up email!
We do ask, however, that you include your name and the course number (EN1001) in your email.
Names
Everyone should be known by the name you want to be known by, whether it is legally recognized or
not. You can change your name on eClass by following the instructions laid out here:
https://lthelp.yorku.ca/how-do-i-change-my-name-in-eclass.
However, you might be perfectly comfortable with your name as it appears on eClass but really prefer
to be called something else. If so, please a) let us know in your introduction and b) sign your forum
posts if relevant with the name you want to be called. For example, if your name is José Diego Peron,
but you prefer to go by Diego, sign your posts “Diego.” That way, we'll all see the name to reference
when we respond to the ideas you shared.
And speaking of names, you should call me Megan.
Schedule Of Weekly Readings And Writing Assignments
Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings prior to attending the lecture/tutorial in
which those readings are discussed. Page numbers in brackets refer to The Norton Introduction to
Literature Shorter 13th edition.
Tuesday January 11 – class will be held today on eClass
Welcome and Introduction to the course
Tuesday January 18 – class will be held today on eClass
Non-fiction:
– Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”
https://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit/
– Blachor, “How to Use the Past Exonerative Tense to Uphold White Supremacy”
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/how-to-use-the-past-exonerative-tense-to-uphold-whitesupremacy
– Campbell, “A Copy Editor's Education in Indigenous Style”
https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/01/17/Copy-Editor-Indigenous-Style/?
utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2TUA7GqaSH0S_Fn1sz8TWRYKGrHerYgZlfqPwWYa
NvFKgVNfB7ycYrEBI
– Optional: Wainaina, “How to Write about Africa” https://granta.com/how-to-write-about-africa/
Jan 23: Last day to add a course without permission of the instructor
Tuesday January 25 – class will be held today on eClass
Short Story I: Narration
– Norton 169-173
– Brewer, “20/20” (20-21)
– Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (571-582)
– Kincaid, “Girl” (675-677)
– Achebe, “Dead Men's Path”
https://www.sabanciuniv.edu/HaberlerDuyurular/Documents/F_Courses_/2012/Dead_Mens_Pa
th.pdf
Tuesday February 1
Short Story II: Setting
– Norton (282-288)
– Joyce, “Araby” (288-292)
– Ortiz Cofar, “Volar” (306-308)
– Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” (568-569)
Essay Help: “Basic Moves: Paraphrase, Summary, and Description” (1914-1917)
Feb 7: Last day to add a course with permission of the instructor
Tuesday February 8
Short Story III: Symbolism
–
–
–
–
Norton (380-385)
Danticat, “A Wall of Fire Rising” (412-424)
Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants” (665-668)
Betasamosake Simpson, “A Few Good Reasons to Wear a Long Skirt”
https://complit.utoronto.ca/wpcontent/uploads/Leanne_Simpson_TheAccidentofBeingLost_Reading_For_MasterClass.pdf
Passage Analysis Due Today
Tuesday February 15
Poetry I: Sonnets
– Norton (730-735; 965-966)
– Shakespeare,”Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds” (968)
– Millay, “What Lips my Lips Have Kissed” (971)
– Brooks, “First Fight. Then Fiddle” (973)
– Harwood, “In the Park” (973)
– McKay, “If We Must Die” (1077)
Tuesday February 22
No Class [Winter Reading Week Feb 19-25]
Tuesday March 1
Poetry II: Other Fixed Form
– Norton (951-955)
– Behn, “On Her Loving Two Equally” (746)
– Rich, “Aunt Jennifer's Tigers” (833)
– Dickinson, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” (872)
– Parker, “One Perfect Rose” (888)
Essay Help: “The Literature Essay” (1918-1937)
Tuesday March 8
Poetry III: Open Form
– Moore, “Poetry” (765)
– Collins, “Introduction to Poetry” (767)
– Brooks, “We Real Cool” (779)
– Olds, “Sex Without Love” (859)
– cummings, “l(a” (959)
– Bennett, “Colonization in Reverse” https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/colonization-inreverse-2/
– Hughes, “Dream Boogie” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/151091/dream-boogie
Poetry Essay Due Today
Tuesday March 15
Poetry IV: Dramatic Monologue
–
–
–
Norton (742-743)
Browning, “My Last Duchess” (1132)
Taylor, “My Stranger” https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/dec/07/poem-ofthe-week-my-stranger-by-maria-taylor
March 18: Last day to drop without receiving a grade
Tuesday March 22
Drama I: Structure
– Norton (1194-1196)
– Glaspell, Trifles (1197-1207)
Essay Help: “The Writing Process” (1938-1950)
Tuesday March 29
Drama II: Comedy
- Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (1798-1842)
Comparative Essay Due Today
Tuesday April 5
Drama III: Review
- Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (1798-1842)
Test Available Today on eClass (due April 10)
Campus Resources
Writing Department S329 Ross. 416-736-5134
http://writing-centre.writ.laps.yorku.ca/ offers individual tutoring in all aspects of the essay writing
process as well as workshops on a variety of writing skills and problem-solving strategies. Tutors can
be hard to come by once the term is fully underway so get in touch with them early. Virtual and in
person appointments are available.
Learning Skills Program S172 Ross. 416-736-5144.
http://lss.info.yorku.ca/workshops/ in non-pandemic times they offer workshops, online assistance and
support regarding all aspects of student life. They are not currently offering in-person workshops but
they have lots of resources available to help you virtually!
Learning Commons – 2nd floor Scott Library.
http://learningcommons.yorku.ca/workshops/ in non-pandemic times they offer a variety of skillsbased workshops including writing instruction, citation help, assistance with research etc. Some videos
are available on their website.
The Counselling and Development Centre N110 Bennett Centre. 416-736-5297
http://www.yorku.ca/cds/ offers personal and group counselling. An appointment is needed for personal
counselling but anyone facing immediate crisis will be accommodated straight away. This is a
confidential service and is free of charge. Virtual appointments are available.
York Federation of Students 336 Student Centre. 416-736-2100 ext 58066
www.yfs.ca This is your union and offers a wide range of services.