English 2101/Proseminar in English Studies/Fall 2012
MWF 11-11:50a
Professor Scott L. Rogers
Email: s-rogers@onu.edu/Phone: (419)772-2102/Office: Dukes 119/Office Hours: MWF noon to 2p, T 9-11am
That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not
lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.
-Fernando Pessoa
Literature, in the meaning of the word we have inherited, is an ideology.
-Terry Eagleton
This seminar is an intensive introduction to English Studies. More specifically, it is an introduction to how we
read, analyze, and write about a variety of texts in a wide range of circumstances. In fact, reading, analyzing,
and writing are the three dominant activities that bind together all the fields of English Studies. Whether you
are a teacher, a scholar of literature, a journalist, a poet, or a copywriter, your working life will be focused on
the close and careful consideration of what you write, as well as what others have written. This class is
designed to give you a foothold in that world, to show you how people in English Studies approach text, how
they generate ideas and how they construct interesting responses to the things they encounter. The final
expectation is that you will leave this course with a firm foundation for success in the department and hopefully
beyond.
Course Goals







Establish a foundation for success in the English major/minor at ONU;
Develop reading skills necessary for understanding literature and for offering a critical response to a
wide range of textual materials, including fiction, essay, poetry, and film;
Develop a writing process that includes the essential stages of writing: invention, drafting, editing,
revision, reflection. Our goal will always be to make interesting and meaningful claims about the things
we read;
Understand the usefulness of research for the fields of English Studies and be able to employ research
strategies in the development and completion of original critical work;
Use literary theory and criticism to supplement and expand the range of your own ideas;
Work collaboratively with professor and peers to foster a critical and generous intellectual environment;
Share your original insights through informal class discussion and formal presentation.
Required Readings
You must purchase copies of the following texts. Feel free to locate used copies of any text.
 Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle An Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and Theory (4th Edition)
 Michael Cunningham The Hours (any edition)
 Joseph Harris Rewriting: How to do things with texts
 Ross Murfin and Supryia Ray The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms (3rd edition)
 Jeannette Winterson Written on the Body (any edition)
 Virginia Woolf Mrs. Dalloway (any edition)
There will be other required readings (including short works, poems, essays); they will all be available via
LORE (look under course documents). It is your responsibility to access these materials, to read them, and to
prepare for appropriate class discussion or assignment.
1
Assignments and Grading Scheme (out of 100 possible points):
Key Terms Quizzes (2 total; 5 points each)—as scholars in English, it is important that we all have a similar
foundation for doing the work of critical reading, analysis, and discussion. To help establish this foundation, we
will begin with a collection of “key terms” for work in English Studies. I will ask you to learn and explain the
terms in brief quizzes, but even more importantly, I will expect you to employ these terms throughout the
course both in your written work and in our classroom participation. Required terms are thematically aligned
with course readings in the detailed course schedule at the end of this syllabus. Note: this is hardly an
exhaustive list and your copy of Murfin and Ray will be a very useful tool to keep around throughout your
career in the English Dept. at ONU.
Theory Presentation and Discussion (approx. 15 minute team presentation followed by extended discussion;
15 points)—this assignment will ask you to work with a small group in the preparation and delivery of an
“introduction” to a critical/theoretical viewpoint from literary studies. While there are potentially many to choose
from, we will limit ourselves to six of the most common/important: New Criticism, Psychoanalytical Criticism,
Feminist Criticism, Queer Theory, New Historicism/Cultural Studies, and Postcolonial Theory. Working
together you will research one of these approaches to understanding text, develop a 15 minute presentation
that introduces us to the major concepts and thinkers associated with the approach, and then lead us in a
discussion of that approach and its usefulness of explaining a creative text that the entire class will have read.
You may bring in outside texts/examples to help demonstrate key concepts. Your primary goal for this to offer
a broad understanding (not comprehensive) of the major ideas and questions that drive a particular approach
to literary and cultural criticism. As you prepare, start with the broad definitions from Murfin and Ray and then
do further research to help design your presentation.
Two additional expectations: First, all presentations must be accompanied by a handout of no more than 2
pages. Feel free to be creative with these handouts (but make sure they are useful too!). Make enough copies
available for everyone. Second, all groups must meet with me several days before your scheduled
presentation to go over your plan and to show me a draft of your handout. It is up to your group to arrange this
meeting.
Essay One (1250 words minimum; MLA style; 15 points)—This first paper builds on the work you will have
done for your theory presentation. I want you to write a short analysis (around 5 pages) of the assigned
creative text that accompanies your theory (so, Eliot, Winterson, or Smith). You will use the critical/theoretical
lens that you presented in class as the foundation for this analysis—so, essentially, I am asking you to do a
“reading” of the text from the approach of a specific theory. You have 10 days from the date of your
presentation to submit a complete version of this paper. I will offer you comments and then you will have
until Monday 10/22 to resubmit a final, revised version. Please note that a “reading” of text means you make a
critical claim and you use the text and the theoretical lens to support that claim. We will discuss this in class.
An alternative for the ambitious:
You may bring in a text from outside the course that you think will make for a good pairing with your
particular theoretical/critical lens; this may not be a text you’ve written about for other classes and you must
clear it with me before you begin writing (I will be very selective about what I approve).
Reading Response Posts (2 total; 5 points each; 400-500 words each)—the reading response paper is a
classic of English studies. These responses will be done at the end of the course (focused on Woolf and
Cunningham) to motivate class discussion and to help you develop ideas for your final papers. While we’ll
discuss the form and expectations more thoroughly in class, the basic goal is to offer your reader a quick,
critical interpretation/reflection about what you’ve read. You do not want to summarize plot or character and
you do not want to include massive quotations. Rather, you want to have an interesting reaction, to
demonstrate what and how you’re thinking as you read. For example, you might make a claim about what you
think is happening in the story, identify a key character in the text and explore why they are so important, or
select a passage and do a close reading of the author’s use of language, symbol, or imagery. Just remember,
it is not enough to demonstrate that you have read, you must show your reader that you have read well!
2
Essay Two (30 points for the entire project)—This final paper will ask you to read, think, research, write and
revise like an English major. This project in particular should demonstrate your mastery over the course
outcomes. It is broken into four sections:
 Project Proposal (250-300 words)
 Annotated Bibliography (8 sources minimum)
 Complete/Revised Essay (2000 words minimum; MLA style)
 Presentation (5 minutes MAX.)
Each of these steps is common throughout English Studies (including our department). You will use this 4 text
sequence to develop an original and thorough critical analysis of the final thematic set of reading in the
course—Woolf, Cunningham, and the filmed version the Cunningham’s novel. Note that they work very well as
a collective text, but you may choose to focus solely on one if you prefer. Also, you may draw on any useful
theoretical lens and you should be sure to work with the key terms you’ve been learning and practicing.
Further, a central goal of this assignment is to help you see how critical conversations develop in the field of
English studies, so you’ll be doing research on theories, texts, authors, and/or ideas related to the claims you
are making in your paper. Basically, you are not the first to write about these materials, therefore you must link
your reading to some of the work that was done before you arrived on the scene. We will discuss the details of
the assignment in more depth later in the course, let me know if you have questions.
Class and Writing Workshop Participation (20 points)
Work Policies
Late work will only be accepted with prior arrangement—this is a firm rule.
Revision is built into the course as part of assignment sequences, however, if you want to do further revision
on a given assignment you should consult with me to make a plan for revision and development. I will give you
every opportunity to “fix” a paper, but I will expect you to work hard on your revisions.
One of the most important goals of this course is learning how to write for an audience and to give constructive
feedback. To foster these skills we will hold two writing workshops, one for each major essay. The night before
your scheduled workshop, you will post a complete (or nearly complete) draft of your paper to the course
discussion stream. You will access, read, and prepare responses to all of those papers assigned to your
scheduled workshop day (we will have 3 days of workshops per essay, you will sign up for one; you may
attend the others if you wish). Failure to post your draft on-time or the posting of an incomplete draft will heavily
affect your class participation grade. Failure to offer feedback on peer work will also affect your class
participation grade.
Attendance
You are entitled to 4 unexcused absences. I will not ask where you were; I do not care (though I would
appreciate a note or email in advance, if possible). After the 4th unexcused absence I will deduct 5 points (half
a letter grade) from your final course grade for each additional absence. Excused absences should be cleared
in advance and will require some sort of official notice—i.e. a letter from a doctor, a coach, a band director, etc.
Excused absences include illnesses requiring medical attention and university sanctioned events. Please note
that, while there is no real “limit” on excused absences, if you are not in class you are not learning. It is your
responsibility to find out what you missed for any day you were absent—come to my office hours or consult a
trustworthy classmate.
Access
It is absolutely essential that every student has every opportunity to succeed in this course. If you have a
disability that will necessitate some accommodation, please bring this to my attention as soon as possible.
Together we will contact the Dean’s office to ensure that appropriate accommodations are made. If you have
3
already contacted Melissa Verb (A&S Assistant to the Dean; m-verb@onu.edu) about disability
accommodation, please check with me to make sure I am aware of the arrangements.
Technology
Will use two technologies in this course. First, email…lots of it. I do a great deal of communicating through
email. I expect you to check several times a week to ensure that you do not miss anything important. I am
available through email all day, every day. Second, we will use a course management system called Lore. This
will replace WebCT or Moodlerooms (which you may have used or be using in other classes). PDFs of some
course materials, assignment prompts and assignment grades will be available through Lore. Additionally, I will
ask you to post much of your course material to the Lore discussion stream. To access Lore go to the following
URL and create an account: http://lore.com/create_account/d392629fc167. If you have any problems
accessing or using the site, please let me know asap.
Plagiarism
In an English course, the most common form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism. Sometimes students
commit plagiarism unintentionally, that is, they don’t realize what they are doing. So that all of us understand
what this type of academic honesty entails at the outset of the course, here are the basic characteristics of
plagiarism and the penalties the English Department imposes:
Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas or language in one's own work without proper attribution (or
permission). It is a serious violation of academic honesty and incongruent with ONU's mission to "educate and
graduate students accomplished in scholastic achievement, prepared for a useful life and meaningful career" in
a way "consistent with Judeo-Christian ideals" (ONU Catalog).
The English Department at ONU enforces the following penalties for plagiarism:
1.
Grades of papers that contain errors in the proper citation of sources will be lowered.
2.
Papers in which the use of the ideas or language of others is not indicated clearly enough (e.g.,
papers that inadequately paraphrase the work of others, use a direct quotation that is not clearly
marked as such, or only partially document the work of others) may receive a 0.
3.
Students who turn in papers that represent the language or ideas of others as the student's own or
do not acknowledge ideas or language from other sources in their text and documentation may
receive an F for the course. In addition, students who submit such papers may be referred to the
university judicial system, have a notation of the offense sent to their advisor and dean, and/ or be
expelled from the university.
How to be an (Effective) English Major














Be an open and generous reader;
Read all assigned work carefully and re-read/review whenever possible;
Annotate text as your read;
Always have an opinion about what you read…share it in class discussion;
Write early, revise often;
Be clear and concise in writing and in discussion;
Support, support, support any claim you wish to make about a text;
Complete all assignments as listed and on time;
Balance generosity and critique during workshop discussions;
Do not fear criticism, theory and/or research, it is your friend;
Be a professional… this is a professional degree;
Go to faculty office hours;
Attend departmental events;
Ask for help, support, guidance when you need it.
4
This list is not exhaustive, but if you can do these things I guarantee you will excel as an English Major
Schedule (note: I reserve the right to alter this schedule based on the needs of the class; I will never make
changes that do not benefit you, however, it is your responsibility to keep up with any changes that have been
made. Contact me or a classmate if your miss a session or if you are confused about an assignment or due
date)
Week 1:
Wednesday 8/22
Friday 8/24
Week 2:
Monday 8/27
Wednesday 8/29
Friday 8/31
Week 3:
Monday 9/3
Wednesday 9/5
Friday 9/7
Week 4:
Monday 9/10
Wednesday 9/12
Friday 9/14
Week 5:
Monday 9/17
Wednesday 9/19
Friday 9/21
Week 6:
Monday 9/24
Wednesday 9/26
Friday 9/28
Week 7:
Monday 10/1
Wednesday 10/3
Friday 10/5
Syllabus
Read: McComiskey—“The New English Studies” pgs. 1-25 (Available on
Lore)
Read: McComiskey—“The New English Studies” pgs. 26-48
Read: B&R “Readers and Reading”
Terms: Text, Reader, Literary Criticism, Theory, Canon
Read: B&R “The Author”; “The Text and the World”
Terms: Author, Anxiety of Influence, Style, Intertextuality, Allusion,
Epigraph, Genre, Form, Convention
Labor Day—No Classes
Read: B&R “Narrative”; “Character”
Terms: Narrative, Narrator, Point of View, Plot, Deus Ex Machina, In
Medias Res, Character, Subjectivity, Denotation/Connotation, Motivation
Read: B&R “Voice”; “Figures and Tropes”
Terms: Voice, Tone, Discourse, Diction, Heteroglossia, Tropes, Figures of
Speech/Figurative Language: Hyperbole, Metaphor, Metonymy,
Synecdoche, Apostrophe, Personification
Terms Quiz
Lecture/No Reading Today
Read: Eliot The Wasteland (complete versions available online at
http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html/ or http://eliotswasteland.tripod.com/
(this second one is annotated)
Read: Eliot The Wasteland … again
New Criticism Presentation
Terms: Close Reading, Intentional Fallacy, Affective Fallacy, Image,
Symbol, Structure/Texture
Psychoanalytic Criticism Presentation
Read: B&R “Me”; “The Uncanny”
Terms: Unconscious, Other, Id, Superego, Myth, Archetype
Read: Jeanette Winterson Written on the Body
Read: Jeanette Winterson Written on the Body
Feminist Criticism Presentation
Read: B&R “Sexual Difference”
Terms: Patriarchy, Ecriture Feminine, Phallocentrism, Gynocriticism
Queer Theory Presentation
Read: B&R “Queer”
Terms: Queer, Identity, Gender, Sexuality
Wrap Up w/ Winterson
Read: Smith “The Waiter’s Wife” (Available on Lore)
New Historicism/Cultural Studies Presentation
5
Read: B&R “History”; “Ideology”
Terms: Ideology, Power, Class, Hegemony
Week 8:
Monday 10/8
Wednesday 10/10
Friday 10/12
Week 9:
Monday 10/15
Wednesday 10/17
Friday 10/19
Week 10:
Monday 10/22
Wednesday 10/24
Friday 10/26
Week 11:
Monday 10/29
Wednesday 10/31
Friday 11/2
Week 12:
Monday 11/5
Wednesday 11/7
Friday 11/9
Week 13:
Monday 11/12
Wednesday 11/14
Friday 11/16
Week 14:
Monday 11/19
Wednesday 11/21
Friday 11/23
Week 15:
Monday 11/26
Wednesday 11/28
Friday 11/30
Week 16:
Monday 12/3
Wednesday 12/5
Friday 12/7
Week 17:
Final Exam
Post-Colonial Criticism Presentation
Read: B&R “The Colony”; “Racial Difference”
Terms: Race, Representation, Orientalism
Terms Quiz
Writing Workshops
Writing Workshops
Writing Workshops
Gone to Watson Conference—no class meeting
All Theory Papers/Revisions Due Today anytime before Midnight
Mrs. Dalloway
Mrs. Dalloway
Mrs. Dalloway
The Hours
The Hours
The Hours
Library Training—Locating the Conversation
Read: Harris Chapter 1 “Coming to Terms”
Read: Harris Chapter 2 “Forwarding” and Chapter 3 “Countering”
Watch The Hours (scheduled outside of class)
Optional Reading: B&R “Moving Pictures”
Read: Critical Article TBD
Paper Proposal is Due—bring a copy to class with you and submit
online anytime before midnight
Thanksgiving Holiday—no classes
Thanksgiving Holiday—no classes
Thanksgiving Holiday—no classes
Research Discussion
Presentation Design and Strategy
Read: Harris Chapter 5 “Revision”
Annotated Bibliography is Due anytime before midnight
Paper Workshops
Paper Workshops
Paper Workshops
Papers Due/Presentations
6