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------------------------ English 105.01: Introduction to Narrative ----------------------Instructor: Mr. Jacob Babb
Office: MHRA 3210-C
Email: jsbabb@uncg.edu
Class Time: 8:00-8:50 MWF
Spring 2010
Office Hours: 9:00-9:50 MWF
Office Phone: 336-334-5867
Classroom: MHRA 2211
-------------------------------- Course Goals and Materials –-----------------------------Course Description:
Human beings have an impulse to create narratives: we give shape to news, history, and everyday occurrences
through narrative. This course focuses on literary fiction, a specific type of narrative discourse. We will examine
several varieties of fiction, from novels to short stories and film. Some of the texts we will read enable us to explore
concepts of re-inventing narratives. Other texts are positioned to bring their narrative structures into sharp relief. All
of these texts will help us to develop understanding of the human impulse to create, re-create, and enjoy narrative.
The reading load is sometimes heavy, so make sure to leave plenty of time to read the text for each class meeting.
Course Objectives:
- Identify and understand varied characteristics of literature
- Apply techniques of literary analysis to texts
- Use literary study to develop skills in careful reading, clear writing, and engaged discussion
- Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in which literary texts have been written
and interpreted
Required Course Texts:
Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. New York: Cambridge UP, 2008. Print.
ISBN: 978-0521715157
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. New York: Anchor, 1998. Print.
ISBN: 978-0385490818
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York: Norton, 1986. Print.
ISBN: 978-0393312836
Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage, 1991. Print.
ISBN: 978-0679732259
Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. New York: Mariner, 2006. Print.
ISBN: 978-0618711659
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. New York: New American Library, 1961. Print.
ISBN: 978-0451524935
Short stories posted on Blackboard (a total of fifteen): Print these and bring them to class on their designated days.
----------------------------------------------- Grades --------------------------------------------Exams: 55%
There will be two exams in this course: a midterm worth twenty percent and a final worth thirty-five percent. Each
exam will include multiple components, such as terminology identification, character identification, and short
answer sections. In addition, the final exam will require you to compose multiple essays. The exams will be written
on your own paper, so bring several sheets on exam days.
Close Readings: 20%
You will submit four short close reading essays throughout the semester. Each will be about 1½ to 2 pages long.
These are brief interpretive essays focusing on a specific passage that works to illuminate a larger theme or focus of
the text. The purpose of these papers is to (1) sharpen your critical reading and analysis; (2) practice writing about
literature, and thinking about literature in writing; (3) and to focus your readings of texts, and practice using literary
terms to describe and discuss literature. Think of all three of these assignments as preparation for the essay portion
of the final exam. The due dates are listed on the Course Schedule.
Quizzes: 15%
Disclaimer: I will alter the syllabus or schedule if necessary; I will inform you of any changes in writing.
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There will be occasional pop quizzes to determine whether you are reading the course material and how well you
comprehend the texts. Quizzes will focus on terminology from Abbott and brief interpretive questions for the
narratives. When I give quizzes, they count as that day’s attendance, so there will be no make-up quizzes.
A Note on Abbott: When you are reading selections from Abbott, pay special attention to terminology.
Take notes on specific terms and think of how the terms apply to the class texts. If you do this as you read
Abbott, the close reading responses, quizzes, and exams will be far more manageable. Do not depend on
class lecture to cover all of these terms. If a term is found in Abbott, I expect you to know it.
Participation: 10%
Even though this is a large class, much of the course is discussion-oriented. To ensure you receive credit, participate
regularly in discussions and course activities.
------------------------------------------ Course Policies ---------------------------------------Attendance: In accordance with English department policy, you have four free absences. Each subsequent absence
will result in a half-letter grade reduction. If you miss eight classes, you automatically fail the course. I do not
differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. Should a crisis arise, come talk to me or email me before
you miss class(es). Also, get to class on time. I take attendance at the beginning of class, so being late may result in
you being marked absent. Besides, tardy students are very distracting and irritating.
Late Work: I do not give credit for late work, but I do accept early work. If you know you are going to miss a class,
turn in your work before it is due. Printing problems do not constitute an acceptable excuse for you to turn in late
work, so leave yourself plenty of time to print your work. There are several pay print stations around campus,
including Jackson Library and the University Writing Center; be sure you have money on your card for printing.
Email: Email is the best way to reach me. You can reasonably expect responses from me within twenty-four hours,
excluding university holidays. I do not accept work via email under any circumstances.
Electronics: Turn cell phones and mp3 players off before class begins. Laptops may be used in class only by
students having a special need for purposes of note-taking or other classroom activities. Students with such a need
should make specific arrangements with me.
MLA Citation and Format: I expect you to cite all material you use in your work. Both in-text citations and
references must be in MLA format. I also expect you to use MLA formatting for papers: 1” margins, double-spaced,
12 pt. Times New Roman font. For a good guide to this formatting style, go to “Useful Links” on our Blackboard
site and click on, sensibly enough, “MLA Paper Formatting and Citation.” Hint: With the exception of the addition
of the ISBN, the course novels are already in MLA reference format.
University Writing Center: This free service exists solely to help you become a better writer. Take papers at any
stage of completion for a one-on-one consultation. Ask consultants to send me an email about your session. The
Writing Center is located in MHRA 3211. No appointment is necessary.
Academic Integrity: “Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty,
trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic
resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it
must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the
fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity
Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list
of violations at <http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu>. I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. If I
find evidence of plagiarism, I will judge what is best for the situation, from a very stern reprimand to giving you an
F for the semester.
Accommodations: Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations
as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the
Office of Disability Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the
Disclaimer: I will alter the syllabus or schedule if necessary; I will inform you of any changes in writing.
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second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: ods@uncg.edu.
---------------------------------------- Course Schedule --------------------------------------W–
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Week One (Jan. 20 - 22)
Abbott, Ch. 1, “Narrative and Life,” pp. 1 – 12. Read before first class meeting.
Review syllabus: bring printed copy to class, as well as questions about the syllabus.
Letting the Air In: Learning How to Read Narrative
1) Bb (short for Blackboard): Ernest Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants”
2) Abbott, Ch. 2, “Defining Narrative,” pp. 13 - 25
--------------- Novels, Round One: Narratives of Fear and Freedom ----------------
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Week Two (Jan. 25 – 29)
Getting Started: Two Short Dystopian Tales
1) Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
2) Bb: Kurt Vonnegut, “Harrison Bergeron”
3) Abbott, Ch. 5, “Closure,” 55-64
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The Automaton and the State: Language as Resistance
1) Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange, Part One, pp. 3 - 81
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 6, “Narration,” pp. 67 - 72
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1) Burgess, Part Two, pp. 85 - 143
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 6, “Narration,” pp. 73 - 78
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Week Three (Feb. 1 – 5)
1) Burgess, Part Three, pp. 147 – 212
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 7, “Interpreting Narratives,” pp. 95 – 97.
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1) Burgess, Introduction, “A Clockwork Orange Resucked,” pp. ix - xv
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 7, “Interpreting Narratives,” pp. 90 - 95
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1) George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, I-IV, pp. 1 - 48
2) Abbott, Ch. 4, “The Rhetoric of Narrative,” pp. 40 - 52
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Week Four (Feb. 8 – 12)
Big Brother is Watching You: The Classic Dystopian Novel
Orwell, Part One, V-VIII, pp. 48 – 104
Close Reading 1 due
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Orwell, Part Two, I-V, pp. 105 - 156
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1) Orwell, Part Two, VI-X, pp. 156 - 224
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 7, “Interpreting Narrative,” pp. 83 – 90
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Week Five (Feb. 15 – 19)
Orwell, Part Three I-III, pp. 225 - 274
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1) Orwell, Part Three IV-Appendix, pp. 274 - 312
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 3, “The Borders of Narrative,” pp. 28 – 31.
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A Feminist Dystopia: Exploring the Feminine Imaginary
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, I-IV, pp. 3 - 66
Disclaimer: I will alter the syllabus or schedule if necessary; I will inform you of any changes in writing.
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Week Six (Feb. 22 – 26)
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Atwood, V-VII, pp. 69 - 106
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Atwood, VIII-IX, pp. 109 - 147
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Atwood, X-XI, pp. 151 - 195
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Atwood, XII, pp. 199 – 255
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1) Atwood, XIII-Historical Notes, pp. 259 - 311
2) Abbott, part of Ch. 12, “Narrative Worlds,” pp. 160 - 167
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Midterm Exam: Bring several sheets of paper
Week Seven (Mar. 1 – 5)
---------------------------------- Interlude: Film and Short Stories ----------------------------------M–F
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Week Eight (Mar. 15 – 19)
“That’s the last time I get knifed by you!”: Film as Narrative
Watch The Royal Tenenbaums
Close Reading 2 due on Monday
Week Nine (Mar. 22 – 26)
“What a Twist!”: Reading the Short Story
1) Bb: Jorge Luis Borges, “The Gospel According to Mark”
2) Bb: Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
3) Abbott, part of Ch. 10 “Character and Self in Narrative,” pp. 130 - 138
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Goodman Brown Revisited: Re-visioning a Classic Tale
1) Bb: Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown”
2) Bb: Stephen King, “The Man in the Black Suit”
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Impossible Architectures: Stories of Expanding Dreams
1) Bb: Steven Millhauser, “The Dome”
2) Bb: Donald Barthelme, “I Bought a Little City”
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Week Ten (Mar. 29 – Apr. 2)
The Funhouse: Absurd Perspectives
1) Bb: John Barth, “Lost in the Funhouse”
2) Bb: Tobias Wolff, “Bullet in the Brain”
3) Abbott, part of Ch. 12, “Narrative Worlds,” pp. 169 – 173
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Looking at the South: Racism and Classism
1) Bb: Percival Everett, “The Appropriation of Cultures”
2) Bb: Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
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Spring Holiday: no class
Disclaimer: I will alter the syllabus or schedule if necessary; I will inform you of any changes in writing.
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Week Eleven (Apr. 5 – 9)
Southern Gothic: The Grotesque
1) Bb: William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”
2) Bb: William Gay, “The Paperhanger”
Close Reading 3 due
------------------- Novels, Round Two: Narratives of Family and Grief -----------------
Note: The two novels in this section do not have chapter numbers. Use the brief parenthetical quotes to find your
place if your pagination is different.
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Warping of Time, Space, and Perspective in the Southern Gothic Novel
William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying, pp. 3 - 52
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Faulkner, pp. 53 (Vardaman: “Then I begin to run.”) - 93
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Week Twelve (Apr. 12 – 16)
Faulkner, pp. 94 (Darl: “It’s not your horse that’s dead, Jewel…”) - 136
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Faulkner, pp. 137 (Tull: “So they finally got Anse to say…”) - 179
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Faulkner, pp. 180 (Darl: “On the horse he rode…”) - 222
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Week Thirteen (Apr. 19 – 23)
Faulkner, pp. 223 (Vardaman: “When I went to find where they stay at night…”) – 261
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Discovering Healing With the Other: 9/11 and Community
Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, pp. 1 - 74
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Foer, pp. 75 (My Feelings: 12 September 2003) - 141
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Week Fourteen (Apr. 26 – 30)
Foer, pp. 142 (Heavy Boots Heavier Boots) - 216
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Foer, pp. 217 (The Sixth Borough) - 259
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Foer, pp. 260 (Photos of “Yes and No”) – 357
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Week Fifteen (May 3 – 7)
Where Did We Go, How Have We Done?
Course review and evaluations
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Close Reading 4 due: Bring to my office between 8 and 9 AM.
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Reading Day: no class
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I’d Rather Gouge My Eye Out with a Toothpick and Feed It to My Neighboring Classmate
Final Exam: 8 to 11 AM: Bring several sheets of paper
Disclaimer: I will alter the syllabus or schedule if necessary; I will inform you of any changes in writing.