Academy of the Pacific Rim
11/12 English Seminar: Magical Realism
Course Syllabus
Ms. Nardi
E: mail: tnardi@pacrim.org
Phone: 617-361-0050 x135
“You can tell the deepest truths with the lies of fiction.”
~Isabel Allende
Essential Course Questions:
What struggles does one encounter when trying to distinguish between magic
and reality?
What does magical realism reveal? What does magical realism conceal?
Should magical realism be considered a genre? What unites the works classified
as magical realism?
Course Overview:
In this course we will explore the genre of magical realism through the
essential questions above? We will begin by reading short stories by Isabel
Allende and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez. We will try to define
magical realism and identify the degree to which magic is used in the fictional
novels and short stories we read. Next we will read The Famished Road by
Booker Prize winning Nigerian author Ben Okri. Okri creates a fantastical world
in Africa where spirits, witches and dwarves are accepted as a part of the
landscape. We will also read sections of The Heart of Darkness by Joseph
Conrad in order to understand how writing about Africa originated in the
Western canon. Weekly seminar papers, a creative writing piece and a final
paper on the genre of magical realism will help students explore the essential
questions.
Major Assignments/Assessments:
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Creative writing assignment (4-6 pages)
Final Paper on the Magical Realism Genre (5-7 pages)
Literary Criticism Analysis
The Famished Road Essay (5-7 pages)
Texts
Collected Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Essay on The Heart of Darkness by Chinua Achebe
Big Fish (2003) Directed by Tim Burton
Don Juan DeMarco (1994) Directed by Jeremy Leven
Being John Malkovich (1999) Directed by Spike Jonze
Seminar Facilitation:
Seminars will be student-facilitated (with faculty assistance). You will be paired
with another student and provided a day on which to facilitate in advance. You
should prepare questions for the group. You will receive a score of 25 for a
flawless facilitation and a score of 0 if you are absent the day you are scheduled to
facilitate. If you know in advance that you cannot facilitate, please trade dates
with another student and inform Ms. Nardi of this trade in advance.
Printing Policy:
All submitted work must be printed. No papers should be e-mailed. There are
computers and a printer in the hallway. If you have a major paper, please print a
draft the night before as a back-up and come in early the next morning to print (as
there may be a line or attacks by witches).
Late Work Policy:
Please get in the habit of turning in your work on time. Late homework
assignments will not be accepted. If you forget your book, you will earn a zero on
notes. If you turn in a paper late, 10% of the total point value will be deducted for
each day late. If a paper is more than 5 days late, your paper will be smashed on
the shores of a remote island.
Writing Center
Writing assistance will be available every Thursday in Room 3 from 2:30-3:40. If
you need additional assistance you should set up an appointment with Ms. Nardi at
a separate time.
Formatting
All typed work must be:
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12 point font
1” margins
Times New Roman
Double-spaced
No extra spaces between paragraphs
Calendar of Due Dates for 11/12 English Seminar: Magical Realism
Monday
Tuesday
9th Grade
Orientation
9th Grade
Orientation
September 5
September 6
No School
CW: Seminar &
Walimai
Wednesday
August 31
Thursday
September 1
CW: Intro to
Magical Realism
CW: Seminar and
Allende TedTalk
CW: Chapter 4 of HW: Read “If You
Magical Realism
Touched My
Heart” and “A
HW: Read “The
Discreet Miracle”
Handsomest
(p. 81-91 and
Drowned Man in
253-269) in
the World” and
Stories of Eva
“Death Beyond
Luna and take
Constant Love”
notes
and take notes
September 7
September 8
CW: Summer
Reading
Assessment
September 13
CW: Read p. 111 of FR
HW: Read p. 1224 of Famished
Road
HW: Read p. 25- CW: Seminar
37 of Famished HW: Read p. 37Road
50 of Famished
Road
September 19
September 20
September 21
CW:
HW: Read p.
150-170 of FR
and take notes
CW: Film: Big
Fish
CW: Film: Big
Fish
HW: Read p.
170-202 of FR
due Thursday
September 14
HW: Read “The
Judge’s Wife”
“Two Words” and
“The Little
Heidelberg” (p.
9-19 and 173-180
and 183-210) in
Stories of Eva
Luna and take
notes
September 9
SAT Day/Senior
Day
HW: Prepare for
Summer
HW: Ester Lucero
Reading
and Man with
Assessment
Very Enormous
Wings
September 12
Friday
September 2:
College Fair
September 15
HW: Read Short
Story “The Last
Voyage of the
Ghost Ship” and
“Blacaman the
Good” and take
notes
September 16
HW: Read p. 116149 of Famished
Road Due
Monday & study
for vocabulary
quiz (tomorrow)
September 22
CW: Vocab Quiz
List #1
PREP Fair Tonight
HW: Read p. 227238 of Famished
Road and take
notes
Read p. 116-149
of Famished Road
September 23
September 26
September 27
September 28
HW: Read p.
249-265 of F.R.
CW: Seminar
and Don Juan
DeMarco
HW: Read p.
277-284 & 311322 & 349-364
of Famished
Road Due
Thursday
October 4
CW: Don Juan
DeMarco
HW: Read p.
395-424 of
Famished Road
due Wednesday
October 10
CW: Clips of
Being John
Malkovich
No School
HW: Read p.
491-500 of
Famished Road
and Famished
Road Paper due
Friday
October 3
October 11
October 17
October 18
CW: Two-Part
Stories Intro
CW: Writing
Your “Magical
Story”
HW: Finish
“Realistic”
Story
HW: Finish Your
“Magical Story”
October 24
October 25
Half-Day
Schedule
HW: Read p.
117-137 of
Heart of
Darkness due
Thursday
CW: Read p.
94-105 HoD
HW: Read p.
September 29
September 30
HW: Read p. 365394 of Famished
Road Due Monday
and
CW: Vocab Quiz #2
Study for Vocab
Quiz #2 (tomorrow)
HW: Read p. 365394 of Famished
Road Due Monday
and
October 5
October 6
October 7
HW: Read p.
427-453 of
Famished Road
Due Friday
October 12
SAT Day/Senior Day CW: Seminar
HW: Read p. 463475 and p. 476-488
of Famished Road
October 13
October 14
CW: Seminar
on Famished
Road
CW: Vocab Quiz #3
HW: Study for
Vocab Quiz #3
Tomorrow
October 19
HW: Famished
Road Paper
October 20
CW: Magical
Realism Literary
Criticism
HW: Famished
Road Paper Due
Today!
October 21
CW: Peer-Edit
Drafts
CW: Writing Work
HW: Work on
Final Draft of
Two-Part
Stories (due
Friday)
HW: Work on Final
Draft of Two-Part
Stories (due Friday) TedTalk:
Chimamanda
Adichie: The
danger of a single
story
October 27
October 28
October 26
CW: Seminar
HW: Read p. 138155 of HOD Due
Monday and
Study for Vocab
Quiz #4 for
CW: Final Drafts of
Two-Part Stories
Due (due in-class!
Must be typed!)
CW: Vocab Quiz #4
HW: Read p. 138155 of Heart of
Darkness
106-116 of HoD
Tomorrow!
October 31
November 1
November 2
November 3
November 4
HW: Read
Chinua Achebe
speech on
racism in Heart
of Darkness
and take notes
(due
Wednesday)
HW: Read
Chinua Achebe
speech on
racism in Heart
of Darkness and
take notes
CW: Seminar
(Bring your HoD
book and
Achebe speech)
CW: Seminar
HW: Outline or 2page free-write of
Genre Analysis
Paper
HW: Work on
Paper
Draft Due Monday
Nov. 7th (typed if
possible, neatly
handwritten and
double-spaced is
acceptable)
November 7
November 8
November 9
November 10
November 11
CW: Peer Edit
HW: Work on
Final Draft of
Genre Analysis
Paper
(Final Due
November 10th
at 3:00pm—
typed!)
November 15
CW: Work on
Final Paper
Final Paper due at
3:00pm—typed! No
late papers. No
excuses.
HW: Study for
Vocab Quiz #5 on
Monday
No School—
Veteran’s Day
November 16
November 17
November 18
HW: Read “The
Schoolteacher’s
Guest” on p.
213-221 in
Stories of Eva
Luna and take
notes
CW: Seminar
and Course
Reflections
SAT Day/Senior
DAy
Last Day of
Trimester
Half-Day!
HW: Work on
Final Draft of
Genre Analysis
Paper
November 14
Vocab List #5
HW: Read
“Phantom
Palace” on p.
299-315 in
Stories of Eva
Luna and take
notes
HW: Work on
Final Paper
Creative Writing Piece: Two-Part Story
Assignment: You will write a story in two parts. The first part will be the
story told using a realistic format (fiction or autobiographical). The second
part will be a retelling of the same story using magical realism. The prompt
you should answer with both stories is:
A visitor has arrived (to your school/neighborhood/city). There is
something unusual about this visitor. Describe the reactions of the
community.
Length: 4-6 pages total (parts 1 and 2 combined)
Two-Part Story Rubric
Content
Writer develops a cohesive story
in a realistic format (fiction or
autobiographical).
Writer re-tells the story so that it
incorporates elements of magic.
Writer demonstrates how events
or characters change when magic
is applied to the story.
Author uses description and
detail. Author avoids vague,
pedestrian language.
Writing is engaging and shows
originality.
Conventions
Spelling and word forms are
correct.
Capitalization is correct.
Grammar and punctuation are
correct.
Meets length requirements.
Shows thorough proof-reading.
Total Possible Points: 100
Just
Approaches
Beginning
0-7
10
Meets
Exceeds
15
20
Final Genre Analysis Paper (300 Points):
Write a 5-7 page analytical essay answering the question:
The term “magical realism” is relatively new way of describing the types of literature and film
we explored in this course. Is “magical realism” an appropriate categorization of the works we
studied? Please use at least two authors and one film to argue your thesis.
95-100 A
Essay follows all formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well—connections are made/ thesis is supported. Essay is well-thought out with
an identifiable, well articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported and student may even bring up
complications or new areas for possible research, in terms of thesis, in conclusion of paper.
Student uses sophisticated language and has an excellent command of Standard English.
90-94 AEssay follows all formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well—connections are made/ thesis is supported. Essay is well-thought out with
an identifiable, well articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported and student may even bring up
complications or new areas for possible research, in terms of thesis, in conclusion of paper.
Student uses sophisticated language and has very good command of Standard English. Essay
contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
80-89 B
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 90% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported. Student uses sophisticated language and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
75-80 C+
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 80% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. There is some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or
insufficient evidence to support claims at times. Student uses clear sentences and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
65-74 (70-74 =C; 65-69 = D)
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 70% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. There is some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or
insufficient evidence to support claims at times. Student uses clear sentences and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 5-7 errors in grammar/spelling/usage. May or
may not interfere with reader’s understanding.
64 and under (F):
Essay does not follow formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are either introduced, formatted,
or interpreted incorrectly. Thesis is not complex enough or is flawed, in terms of logic. There is
some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or insufficient evidence to support
claims at times. Student uses unclear, awkward sentences and has many errors in
grammar/spelling/usage. Errors interfere with understanding.
Famished Road Paper:
Write a 3-5 page analytical essay responding to the following prompt:
In The Famished Road, Okri creates a world where the line between reality and fantasy blurs.
How does Okri’s use of magical realism in helping him to create that world?
95-100 A
Essay follows all formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well—connections are made/ thesis is supported. Essay is well-thought out with
an identifiable, well articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported and student may even bring up
complications or new areas for possible research, in terms of thesis, in conclusion of paper.
Student uses sophisticated language and has an excellent command of Standard English.
90-94 AEssay follows all formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well—connections are made/ thesis is supported. Essay is well-thought out with
an identifiable, well articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported and student may even bring up
complications or new areas for possible research, in terms of thesis, in conclusion of paper.
Student uses sophisticated language and has very good command of Standard English. Essay
contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
80-89 B
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 90% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. Thesis is well supported. Student uses sophisticated language and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
75-80 C+
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 80% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. There is some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or
insufficient evidence to support claims at times. Student uses clear sentences and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 3-5 minor errors in grammar/spelling/usage.
65-74 (70-74 =C; 65-69 = D)
Essay follows most formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are introduced, formatted correctly,
and interpreted well 70% of the time. Essay is well-thought out with an identifiable, well
articulated thesis. There is some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or
insufficient evidence to support claims at times. Student uses clear sentences and has a good
command of Standard English. Essay contains 5-7 errors in grammar/spelling/usage. May or
may not interfere with reader’s understanding.
64 and under (F):
Essay does not follow formatting/structural guidelines. Quotes are either introduced, formatted,
or interpreted incorrectly. Thesis is not complex enough or is flawed, in terms of logic. There is
some support for thesis but there may be flaws in argument or insufficient evidence to support
claims at times. Student uses unclear, awkward sentences and has many errors in
grammar/spelling/usage. Errors interfere with understanding.
I have read, understand and agree to the above course requirements and
expectations.
______________________________ _________
Student Signature
Date
______________________________ _________
Parent/Guardian Signature
Date