SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Course Syllabus
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Title: Introduction to Literature
Catalog Number: ENGL – 115 02
Credit Hours: 3
Total Contact Hours: 45
Instructor: Sybil Wilen
Email: swilen@smccme.edu
Office hours: I am available before and after class. Since I do not have an office, it is best
to schedule time with me.
Course Description (from the catalog):
This course introduces the student to the literary genres: poetry, drama, fiction and nonfiction It emphasizes literature as a reflection of culture. This includes the discussion of
literary terms, close textual reading, and historical backgrounds. This course has been
designated as a writing-intensive course.
Prerequisite: Test placement or successful completion of English 100
Texts:
Literature and Its Writers, 6th edition, Ann and Samuel Charters
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (I will be using the Signet classic, 2013
edition, but it can be downloaded free on the Kindle or read here:
http://www.literature.org/authors/shelleymary/frankenstein/index.html)
Tools:
Notebook/Journal
Folder for handouts
Course Objectives (from the catalog):
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate heightened abilities to critically analyze literary works.
2. Demonstrate the ability to write well-organized formal and informal responses to
literature.
3. Describe various forms of poetry.
4. Demonstrate understanding of literary terms such as plot, metaphor, and scene.
5. Describe the theme of a poem, prose, or drama, and support it with specific
examples from the text.
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Peer work
Peer work is an integral part of this course. You will work in a group of your peers
throughout the semester in developing ideas, reviewing assigned readings, responding to each
other as readers, and in helping to shape critical writing assignments. Your prepared,
respectful and constructive participation benefits every member of the group.
Grammar: This is not a grammar course, but if your papers demonstrate weaknesses in
written English, you will need to spend some time on this. Being "always bad at English" is
not an excuse for turning in poor quality work.
Attendance policy:
You’re responsible for all material covered in class including what we cover when you’re not
here. Excessive absences (one week absent), being late, or leaving early will affect your
grade. After three absences, no credit will be earned for attendance. Two weeks absent
without contacting me will result in a grade of AF being assigned, so keep in touch.
EVEN IF YOU CAN’T COME TO CLASS, THE WORK IS STILL DUE. “I wasn’t here” is
a statement of fact. It is not an excuse or a reason that you fail to turn work in on time. We
live in a time of great technology. If you cannot make it to class, make sure your work still
arrives via the internet or other means.
Due to the length and intensity of our classes, it is important to be on time. Tardiness disrupts
the flow of the class and affects everyone in the classroom. If you are late, slip into the
classroom quietly and respectfully. It is your responsibility to catch up upon arrival. This
might mean talking to a classmate close to you or waiting until break to find out what we are
doing. 10 minutes late counts as half an absence, twenty minutes late and you are absent for
the class.
Mindfulness: We live in a world of constant distraction. It can be difficult to focus on writing
and discussion when we are bombarded by texts, social networking, and web browsing. I ask
that you unplug from the outside world as best as possible when in class. And I will too. This
way we can turn our attention to the work at hand.
Class cancellation policy: If class is canceled for any reason, the material and assignments
due that day are due the next time class meets. Due dates for other work will also be moved
up.
Life happens clause: We all juggle the demands of work, school, and personal lives. Please
don’t ask or expect to pass the class if you do not attend and do not do the work. If personal or
professional obligations intervene, we may be able to work something out. However, you may
need to drop the class and take it again when you have more time to give.
Late Work: Projects are due on the due date. Late work is subjected to a penalty of 10%
per class until submitted. In class work can be made up if you have missed a class. It is
recommended that you connect with someone in the course to keep up to date with
assignments and any schedule changes that might occur.
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Grading & Evaluation:
* This class participates in the Early Warning System.
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Project 1 (worth 20% of the final grade).
Project 2 (20% of the final grade).
Project 3 (worth 20% of the final grade).
Project 4 (worth 20% of the final grade).
Attendance (worth 10% of the final grade).
Participation, homework, and in class writing (worth 10% of the final grade).
Participation Scale Guidelines:
100% Always prepared, has thought about assigned readings, frequently asks
questions, starts class discussions, interacts with classmates professionally, comments
show preparation and active listening. Misses 0-3 hours of class, on time.
80% Most often prepared, has thought about assigned readings, asks questions, starts
class discussions, interacts with classmates professionally, comments show
preparation and active listening. Misses 4-7 hours of class, rarely late.
50% Some preparation and thought about assigned readings, rarely starts class
discussions, interacts with classmates professionally, comments show preparation and
active listening. Misses 8-11 hours of class. Sometimes late.
0% Rarely prepared, completely avoids any attempt to contribute, misses 12+ hours of
class time or usually late.
Analyzing literature is a skill that is more learned than taught, and this workshop
atmosphere gives you ample opportunity to learn that skill well. In order to
accomplish this:
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You must be prepared for every class
You must participate actively and productively in peer conferences and instructor
conferences.
The workshop atmosphere presents great benefit for reading and writing instruction,
but can, unfortunately, lead to an unproductive environment if even one person in the
class is disruptive or unprepared. If you are that person, you will be asked to leave.
This type of class also requires you to manage your workload, to handle multiple
priorities and to develop and rely on good, independent work habits. If you get behind
on assignments, you will likely stay behind.
Special Notes:
 Plagiarized work will not be accepted for credit.
 Due Dates: When your assignment is due, be prepared at the start of class, with all the
required materials listed in the assignment.
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Cell Phones and Laptops: Cell phone ringers should be off during class and the
phones should be out of sight. Because discussion is an integral component of our
course and distractions such as texting prohibit students from giving their full
attention, Texting is not allowed in class and students will be asked to leave if
engaging in these activities. Laptops are allowed in class but only as a tool for taking
notes and completing journal entries.
Eating: Eating is allowed in our class. Just be mindful of fellow students when
selecting food to bring in.
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College Policies (from the catalog):
End-of-Course Evaluation:
In order to gain access to final course grades, students must complete evaluations for each
course attended at SMCC. Evaluations are submitted online and can be accessed through the
student portal site. Students can access the course evaluation report beginning two weeks
before the end of classes. The deadline for submission of evaluations occurs 24 hours after
the last day of classes each semester. Instructors will announce when the online course
evaluation is available.
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act):
Southern Maine Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and
employer. For more information, please call 207-741-5798. If you have a disabling
condition and wish to request accommodations in order to have reasonable access to the
programs and services offered by SMCC, you must register with the Disability Services
Coordinator, Sandra Lynham, who can be reached at 741-5923. Further information about
services for students with disabilities and the accommodation process is available upon
request at this number. Course policies about online testing are modified to suit each
individual’s accommodations.
2. Student printing policy:
This policy identifies the cost per page for black and white as well as color printing in varying
page sizes. Specifics of the policy are outlined below:
Per Page Costs
Each semester students receive a $20 printing credit. The balance resets at the end of
the semester and any remaining credits are removed. The cost varies depending upon
page size and whether printing is done in black and white or color.
a. There is a $0.10 per page fee for standard 8.5” by 11” black and white
documents.
b. The reverse sides of duplex (double-sided) documents are free.
c. There is a $.50 per page fee for standard 8.5” by 11” color documents.
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d. There is a $.20 per page fee for 8.5” by 14” (legal) or 11” by 17” (tabloid)
black and white documents.
e. There is a $1.00 per page fee for 8.5” by 14” (legal) or 11” by 17” (tabloid)
color documents.
Duplex charges (printing on both sides of a page) work in the following fashion: One
page is $0.10, two pages are $0.10, three pages are $0.20, and four pages are
$0.20, etc. The flipsides are free, but another sheet of paper is $0.10. Please be aware
that a document with any color at all (when printed to a color printer) will by default
be printed in color. You are responsible for setting the print job to print black and
white if you do not need color. For directions, please go to the IT Help tab in My
SMCC.
How does it work?
The College’s pay-for-print system monitors printing on all printers (including those
in general access labs, library printers, the Academic Achievement Center, Noisy
Lounge and technology labs). Students can check the number of pages they have
printed by using the Printing Balance tool available on SMCC computers (located in
the lower right corner of the screen, near the clock). Departments with work study
students who need to print documents for the department should contact the HelpDesk
at 741-5696 to have a special account set up.
Refunds
Print jobs are eligible for a refund in the event of mechanical or electronic error on the
part of the printer, print server, or software used to submit the job. Jobs are not
eligible for a refund in cases where the job was not set up correctly, was submitted
multiple times, or the student is not satisfied with the result. To request a refund,
please bring the offending print to the IT Department in the basement of the Ross
Technology Center. Refunds will be granted in the form of a credit to the student’s
account.
Why is SMCC charging for printing?
The pay-for-print system is an effort to control escalating printing costs. Charging for
printing helps offset the increasing cost of supplies and encourages students to
conserve resources. To find ways to reduce your printing charges, please go to the IT
Help tab on My SMCC. If you have questions about the pay-for-printing policy or
your printing charges, please contact the HelpDesk at 741-5696 or send an email
to helpdesk@smccme.edu.
Be sure to log OUT of the system when you’ve finished your printing, to prevent
unauthorized access to your account.
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Add-Drop Policy:
Students who drop a course during the one-week “add/drop” period in the fall and spring
semesters and the first three days of summer sessions receive a 100% refund of the tuition and
associated fees for that course. Please note any course that meets for less than the traditional
semester length, i.e., 15 weeks, has a pro-rated add/drop period. There is no refund for nonattendance.
Withdrawal Policy:
A student may withdraw from a course only during the semester in which s/he is registered
for that course. The withdrawal period is the second through twelfth week of the fall and
spring semesters and the second through ninth week of twelve-week summer courses. This
period is pro-rated for shorter-length courses. To withdraw from a course, a student must
complete and submit the appropriate course withdrawal form, available at the Enrollment
Service Center (no phone calls, please). The designation “W” will appear on the transcript
after a student has officially withdrawn. A course withdrawal is an uncompleted course and
may adversely affect financial aid eligibility. Failure to attend or ceasing to attend class does
not constitute withdrawal from the course. There is no refund associated with a withdrawal.
Plagiarism Statement:
Adherence to ethical academic standards is obligatory. Cheating is a serious offense, whether
it consists of taking credit for work done by another person or doing work for which another
person will receive credit. Taking and using the ideas or writings of another person without
clearly and fully crediting the source is plagiarism and violates the academic code as well as
the Student Code of Conduct. If it is suspected that a student in any course in which s/he is
enrolled has knowingly committed such a violation, the faculty member should refer the
matter to the College’s Disciplinary Officer and appropriate action will be taken under the
Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions may include suspension from the course and a failing
grade in the course. Students have the right to appeal these actions to the Disciplinary
Committee under the terms outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
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Fall Literature Calendar:
*this calendar is subject to change
Week One
Monday 8/31: Introduction to course
Wednesday: 9/2: Watch “One for the Road” by Stephen King
For Next Class, read: “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” by Joe Hill
Friday 9/4: Discuss“Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” by Joe Hill & “One for
the Road” by Stephen King
For next class read pages 541 (Edgar Allan Poe) – 561 (“The Cask of Amontillado”
and “The Fall of the House of Usher” Read pages 648 “On Critical Views of Edgar
Allan Poe’s Short Stories” and page 653 - 665, “On ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’
and ‘The Cask of Amontillado”’, “A New Critical Reading of ‘The Fall of the House
of Usher”’, “On ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’”, and “Poe’s Art of Transformation
in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’”.
Week Two
Monday 9/7: No class. Labor Day
Wednesday 9/9: Discuss pages 541 (Edgar Allan Poe) – 561 (“The Cask of
Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” , pages 648 “On Critical Views of
Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories” and page 653 - 665, “On ‘The Fall of the House of
Usher’ and ‘The Cask of Amontillado”’, “A New Critical Reading of ‘The Fall of the
House of Usher”’, “On ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’”, and “Poe’s Art of
Transformation in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’”.
For next class: In class handout: poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Friday, 9/11: Discuss poems by Edgar Allan Poe
For next class: Read Nathaniel Hawthorne, page 260 – 272 including “Young
Goodman Brown”
Read pages 650 – 652, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Importance of the Single Effect in a
Prose Tale”
Read pages 270 – 272, Herman Melville’s “Blackness in Hawthorne’s ‘Young
Goodman Brown’”
Week Three
Monday 9/14: Discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne, page 260 – 272 including “Young
Goodman Brown”, pages 650 – 652, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Importance of the Single Effect
in a Prose Tale”, pages 270 – 272, Herman Melville’s “Blackness in Hawthorne’s ‘Young
Goodman Brown’”
For next class: In class handout: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Wreck of the
Hesperus”
Wednesday & Friday: In class viewing of the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller
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For next class: Handout of poems and pages 1003 – 1008 in your textbook
Week Four
Monday 9/21 & Wednesday 9/23: In class viewing of Dead Poet’s Society
Friday: Discussion of movie and poems
Project 1 Due on Friday 9/25!
For next class: Reading: Pages 1182 – 1243 Introduction to Shakespeare and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Week Five
Monday 9/28: Discuss pages 1182 – 1243 Introduction to Shakespeare and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
For next class: Read Chapter 13 in your textbook.
Wednesday 9/30: Chapter 13
For next class: Read Chapter 12 in your textbook
Friday 10/2: Discuss Chapter 12
For next class: Chapters 1, 2 and 3 (pages 25-32) and 5 (page 68-end)
Week Six
Monday 10/5: Discuss Chapters 1, 2 and 3 (pages 25-32) and 5 (page 68-end)
For next class: Read “Hills Like White Elephants” p. 224 and in class handouts:
“Good People” by David Foster Wallace and “Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green
Rowboat” by Russell Banks
Wednesday & Friday: Discuss “Hills Like White Elephants” p. 224 and in class
handouts: “Good People” by David Foster Wallace and “Black Man and White Woman in
Dark Green Rowboat” by Russell Banks
For next class: Pages 1506 – 1579 Introduction to Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the
Sun.
Week Seven
Monday 10/12: No Class Columbus Day
Wednesday 10/14: Discuss pages 1506 – 1579 Introduction to Lorraine Hansberry
and A Raisin in the Sun.
For next class: Read pages 886 – 907, The world of Langston Hughes.
Friday 10/16:Discuss pages 886 – 907, The world of Langston Hughes.
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For next class: Read “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara p.126 and “Battle Royal”
by Ralph Ellison p. 204
Week Eight
Monday 10/19: Discuss “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara p.126 and “Battle
Royal” by Ralph Ellison p. 204
For next class: Read Chapter 3 (page 32-end) and Chapter 4 (pages 40-45)
Wednesday 10/21: Discuss Chapter 3 (page 32-end) and Chapter 4 (pages 40-45)
For next class: Read“How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie” by Junot
Diaz p. 200 and handout “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz
Friday 10/23: Discuss Read“How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or
Halfie” by Junot Diaz p. 200 and handout “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Diaz
Project 2 Due!!
For next class: Read “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane and Dorothy Allison’s “Jason Who
Will Be Famous” p. 88
Week Nine
Monday 10/26: Discuss Read “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane and Dorothy Allison’s
“Jason Who Will Be Famous” p. 88
For next class: Read “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates
p. 452 and pages 464 – 467, Joyce Carol Oates, “Smooth Talk: Short Story into Film”.
Wednesday 10/28 & Friday 10/30: Watch Smooth Talk and Discuss “Where are You
Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates p. 452 and pages 464 – 467, Joyce
Carol Oates, “Smooth Talk: Short Story into Film”.
For next class: Read pages 482 – 508, Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” and
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” and pages 636 – 648.
Week Ten
Monday 11/2: Discuss pages 482 – 508, Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country
People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and pages 636 – 648.
For next class: Read pages 289 – 299, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and handouts
Wednesday 11/4 and Friday, 11/6: Discuss pages 289 – 299, Shirley Jackson’s “The
Lottery” and handouts
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For next class: The Letters and Chapters 1 & 2 in Frankenstein (Follow the reading schedule
as follows):
Week Eleven
Introduction to Frankenstein
For Monday 11/9: The Letters and Chapters 1 & 2
For Wednesday 11/11: No Class Veteran’s Day
For Friday 11/13: Chapters 3- 8
Project 3 due!!!!
Week Twelve
For Monday 11/16: Chapters 9 – 11
For Wednesday 11/18: Chapters 12-14
For Friday 11/20: Chapters 15 & 16
Week Thirteen
For Monday 11/23: Chapters 17-19
For Wednesday 11/25: Chapters 20-22
Friday: Thanksgiving Break
Week Fourteen:
Monday 11/30: Chapters 23 – end
Wednesday 12/2 & Friday 12/4: Watch Frankenstein
Week Fifteen:
Monday 12/7: Discuss movie interpretations
For next class: Read Nick Zagone’s Portland Blood Slam
Wednesday 12/9: Discuss Nick Zagone’s Portland Blood Slam
Friday 12/11: The X-Files
Project 4 Due!!
Week Sixteen:
Monday 12/14: Discuss the X-Files
For next class: Read Pages 561 – 571 Introduction to Marjane Satrapi, “The Veil” and the
Commentary
Wednesday and Friday: Discuss 561 – 571 Introduction to Marjane Satrapi, “The
Veil” and the Commentary
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