Heartland Community College
Course Syllabus
Humanities and Fine Arts
COURSE PREFIX & NUMBER: ENGL 112
COURSE TITLE: Understanding Fiction
Days and Times the Course Meets: MW 9:30-10:45
Location: ICB 1707
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in ENGL 101 is strongly
recommended. Reading and discussion of works of fiction, chiefly short stories, from a
variety of authors and periods, with the aim of providing competence in critical judgment
and analysis, knowledge of formal characteristics, and appreciation of literary excellence.
TEXTBOOKS:
Best European Short Stories. Ed. Aleksandar Heman. Champaign: Dalkey Archive Press,
2010. Print.
The Oxford Book of American Short Stories. Ed. Joyce Carol Oates. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1992. Print.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFERABILITY:
ENGL 112 fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required
for the A.A. or A.S. degree. It satisfies the Humanities component of this
requirement. ENGL 112 should transfer to other Illinois colleges and universities as the
equivalent of the General Education Core Curriculum course H3 901, described in the
Illinois Articulation Initiative. However, students should consult an academic advisor for
transfer information regarding particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web page for
information as well at www.itransfer.org
Instructor Information:
Instructor name:
Phone number to contact instructor:
Instructor e-mail address, if one:
Location of instructor’s office:
Days/hours of instructor’s office hours:
Jennifer Cherry
(309) 268-8605
Jennifer.Cherry@heartland.edu
ICB 2006 (inside ICB 2000)
MW 11-12:15 and TR 2:15-3:30
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes)
After completing this course students should be able to
1. Read works of fiction with more pleasure and understanding
2. Define the modern short story and the novel, discuss their similarities to and
differences from other narrative forms, and trace the evolution of these genres.
3. For a given story
a.
analyze its characters, identifying the protagonist, antagonist(s),
round characters, flat characters, dynamic characters, static characters,
foils, etc.
b.
describe the setting(s).
c.
identify the conflict and describe its complications.
d.
identify the theme.
e.
identify the point of view and explain its significance.
f.
identify literary antecedents.
g.
analyze the story from a variety of perspectives (sociological,
psychological, archetypal, formalist, deconstructionist, etc.).
4. Recognize and define key literary concepts and terms such as bildungsroman,
Freytag's pyramid, dénouement, point of view, stream of consciousness, magical realism,
costumbrismo, novella, etc.
5. Evaluate some of the ways that readers read literary texts.
6. Understand the relationship between literary works and the historical, political,
philosophical, and cultural milieux in which they develop.
7. Relate literature to their own experience and to the world around them.
8. Write short essays of literary analysis that follow standard conventions of literary
scholarship, utilize appropriate research skills and methodology, and exhibit critical
thinking and problem-solving skills applied to problems of literary interpretation.
9. Articulate both in speech and in writing the personal thoughts and observations that
have come about due to class assignments and discussions.
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
1. Antecedents of Modern Fiction: Parable, Fable, & Tale
2. Evolution of Modern Forms of Fiction: Short Story, Novella, Novel
3. Elements of Fiction
a. Plot
b. Character
c. Setting
d. Point of View
e. Theme
f. Symbol and Allegory
g. Style and Tone
4. Genres of Fiction
5. Fiction as Mirror
a.
Fiction and Intellectual Movements
b.
Fiction and Psychological States
c.
Fiction as Social Criticism
d.
Fiction and Cultural Values
6. Critical Responses to Fiction
a.
Biographical Criticism
b.
Historical Criticism
c.
Sociological Criticism
d.
Marxist and Neo-Marxist Criticism
e.
Feminist Criticism
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Archetypal Criticism
Reader Response Criticism
Formalist Criticism
Post-Structuralist Criticism
Deconstructionist Criticism
Semiotic Analysis
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
Evaluation will be based upon four exams, and possible quizzes during the semester, in
addition to research-based essays.
Final grades will be determined according to the following scale:
92 to 100% = A
83 to 91% = B
74 to 82% = C
65 to 73% = D
Below 65% = F
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
The research-based essays will total at least 9 pages. There will be additional informal
writings, assigned texts, materials on library reserve, and handouts from the
instructor. Students will read approximately 25-35 stories, varying in length from
roughly 500 to 50,000 words.
Participation (or Attendance)
To become a skillful reader, you must take responsibility for your own learning. One of
the best as well as easiest ways to make this happen is to simply attend class. Just like
there is no miracle pill to help you lose weight—I know, sigh, I sure wish there was—
there is no miracle pill to help you become a skillful reader, thinker, writer. Just like with
keeping the weight off happens by working at it, by engaging in that evil activity called
exercise, to become a skillful reader, thinker, writer you must work at it by becoming
engaged in the class, the activities, and the assignments.
As such, you should place the expectation on yourself to attend all classes and participate
meaningfully in the activities each class day. Hold yourself accountable for attending
each day, and keep in mind that if you are absent, your grade will be affected as you may
lose points for in-class work completed during your absence.
Incompletes
The official college policy, from the college catalog is:
An incomplete grade may be given to a student who, by the withdrawal date, can
reasonably be expected to pass the course. Incompletes may be granted only when
justified by extreme circumstances (e.g., serious illness, accident, death or serious illness
in the immediate family). Incomplete grades are not given for such reasons as unjustified
failure to appear for the final examination. A written agreement, outline the requirements
to be met, must be signed by the instructor and the student. The agreed upon
requirements must be completed no later than the end of the following semester (spring
semester for incompletes granted during the fall, and the following fall for incompletes
given during the spring and summer semesters). By the agreed upon date, the instructor
will assign a grade or the incomplete will be changed to an ‘F’ if the requirements are not
completed.
My experience has been that students who ask for an incomplete and are granted one do
not finish the class. Do the work, get it in on time, and complete the course during this
semester. If something happens which prevents you from being able to complete the
required work, please see me to discuss the situation and determine the best course of
action.
Missing an exam and assignments policy
If you miss class and thus miss an assignment (other than the formal paper assignments),
you will not be allowed to make up the work. You will lose all points connected to that
assignment.
Deadlines: I have established due dates for all assignments. You are expected to have
these assignments ready upon entering the classroom on the dates they are due.
Notice of Canceled Class Sessions
Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed under Cancelled Class
Meetings in the A-Z Index and under Academic Information in the Current Students page
on the HCC Web site. Go to http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what
classes have been cancelled for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to check the last
column, which might contain a message from the instructor.
Student Conduct:
Classroom Conduct
Good manners and courteous behavior is expected while in the classroom. It is important
to remember at all times that the classroom is a learning environment, and as such, you
should take care to maintain a classroom environment which is conducive to learning.
Cell phones ringing, texting during class, beepers going off, walking in late, talking
persistently, eating, leaving early, shuffling papers, playing games on the computer,
reading the newspaper, and sleeping are disruptions to the others in the classroom. Please
refrain from all of these behaviors. If you engage in any of these behaviors and disrupt
the class, you will be asked to leave the class and will receive an absence for that day. If
you persist in engaging in any of these actions, you may be asked to leave the course
permanently.
In addition, if any member of the class engages in verbal and/or other behavior that
distracts the class from the subject, such as intimidation, physical threats, harassing
behavior, or personal insults, he/she will be asked to leave the class, receiving an absence
for that day. Incidents in which these behaviors are demonstrated will be referred to
Student Services for further review.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community
College and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs.
Moreover, because grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their
academic work violate the right of their fellow students. The College, therefore, views
any act of academic dishonest as a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures,
including course failure, suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition,
an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen effects far beyond any officially
imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or
suborning cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of
data, falsification of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to
computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these
violations may be found in the college catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a
paper, create a project, do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all
the work, except for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and may take the following forms:
 Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
 Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
 Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
 Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
 Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as
if it were your own.
 Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project
as if it were your own.
[Adapted from the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for
plagiarism may be severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in
the course or expulsion from school in extreme cases.
Support Services:
Academic Support Center Services:
Library
The Library, located in the Student Commons Buildings at the Raab Road
campus, provides Heartland students with a full range of resources including
books, online journal databases, videos, newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and
interlibrary loan. Librarians are available to assist in locating information. For
more information, please call the Library (309) 268-8200 or (309) 268-8292
Tutoring Services
Heartland Community College offers tutoring in various forms at no cost to
Heartland students at the Tutoring and Testing Center in Normal and at the
Pontiac and Lincoln Centers. Tutors are available at convenient times throughout
the week. Study groups are also available by request. For more information about
services available at each location, please call the Tutoring and Testing Center in
Normal (309) at 268-8231, the Pontiac Center at (815) 842-6777, or the Lincoln
Center at (217) 735-1731.
Writing Services: Writing Services is open to all HCC students working on their
writing. HCC writing faculty help students apply course outcomes to their
papers. Visit the Tutoring and Testing Center or call the TTC for an appointment:
268-8231.
Testing Services
The Tutoring and Testing Center provides a secure testing environment for
students who are enrolled in online, hybrid, and other distance learning courses;
have a documented disability; or need to take a make-up exam. Testing
accommodations for students having documented disabilities must be arranged by
the student through the Office of Disability Services, and Testing Services will
only administer make-up exams at the request of the instructor. Contact Testing
Services at (309) 268-8231 for more information.
Open Computing Lab
The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC students at
convenient times throughout the week. The computer lab is staffed by trained
Lab Assistants and offers the use of approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a
laser printer, and an electric typewriter.
Disability Support Services
Heartland Community College offers Disability Support Services (DSS) with
offices located in the Academic Support Center. DSS ensures that students with
disabilities have equal access to the college’s programs, services and activities
through the provision of reasonable accommodations as outlined in Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. DSS offers a wide
range of services to support students with disabilities, including: assistive
technology, document conversion services, personnel, classroom and testing
accommodations. Students with a documented disability who wish to discuss
academic accommodations can contact disability support services at (309) 2688259.
If you believe you need accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact the
Disability Support Services.
Additional Information:
Instructor Absence:
If I am late in arriving to class, you must wait a full 15 minutes after the start of class
before you may leave without being counted absent, or you must follow any written
instructions I may give you about my anticipated tardiness. If I need to cancel class due
to illness or unforeseen circumstances, a cancellation notice will be posted next to the
door before the start of class. If no notice is posted, and I am tardy, you must wait the full
15 minutes, as class will meet as scheduled.
If I know at least two hours before class is to start that the class will not meet, I will
notify the college so a cancellation notice can be posted to the Cancelled Class Meetings
site on the HCC website. Please get into the habit of checking the website each
morning/afternoon before class. Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be
listed under Cancelled Class Meetings in the A-Z Index and under Academic Information
in the Current Students page on the HCC Web site. Go to
http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what classes have been cancelled
for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to check the last column, which might
contain a message from the instructor.
Syllabi disclaimer:
The standards and requirements set forth in this syllabus may be modified at any time by
the course instructor. Notice of such changes will be by announcement in class or by
written or email notice.
Course Calendar: Available on a separate handout.