Prof. Robert Collins
ENGL 262G—The Art of Literature
Paper #2 — Theory and Application
ASSIGNMENT:
For this unit you’re reading Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. In
addition to this, you’ll be reading at least one theoretical essay that is not “about” The Curious Incident,
but is about a topic that is relevant to the novel.
Theoretical essays are notoriously difficult to read: this is meant to be a challenge. I have
selected five essays that are relevant to topics in The Curious Incident and uploaded them to the wiki. I
have divided the class at random into five groups and assigned each of these groups a particular
essay. These are the results:
ESSAY
Mikhail Bakhtin: “The Heteroglot Novel”
GROUP MEMBERS
Quynh-Anh Fucci
Mi Hyang Li
David O’Connor
John Duffy and Rebecca Dorner: “The Pathos Patrick Claude
of Mindblindness”
Chris Hickey
Mackenzie Mulhern
N. Katherine Hayles: “Virtual Bodies and Warda Arman
Flickering Signifiers”
Aliz Havadi
Bruce Miller
Jean-Paul Sartre: “Why Write?”
Andrew Thomas
Kelsea Handibode
Alfredo Martinez
Sigmund Freud: from Beyond the Pleasure Principle Angela Afonso
and Group Psychology and an Analysis of the Ego
Jessica Gianelli
Gordana Maric
Markus Reynolds
Sara Torres
Lisa Raymon
Melinda Taylor
Neil Patel
Rupak Thapa
Claudio Pascoal
Alyssa Sylva
Tyrone Odom
Taylor Sepulveda
This assignment will have two components:
1. A ten-minute group presentation in which the five of you explain what your assigned essay is
about and briefly consider its relationship with The Curious Incident. These presentations will
take place on October 21st and 23rd.
2. An essay of at least five pages that analyzes The Curious Incident from the perspective of any
one of these five essays. The group presentations are meant to help you choose which essay
you prefer. This essay will be due November 4th.
The requirements for both of these components will be explained in greater detail in the coming
weeks. Right now, you should get acquainted with your group and start reading your essay!