UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL FLUMINENSE
DEPARTAMENTO DE LETRAS ESTRANGEIRAS MODERNAS
Literaturas de Língua Inglesa
Disciplina: Ficção e Poesia em Língua Inglesa: metodologias
2012.1 (05/3 - 05/7)
Profa Dra Sonia Torres
Estagiário docente: Prof. Mestrando Eduardo Andrade Barbosa de Castro
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course description:
This course will use as its point of departure (module I) short fiction written in the last decades of
the 19th century – situated within the stream of Realism, represented by local color, the Westering
movement in the U.S., social realism, psychological realism, and the gothic and detective genres. In
module II students will become familiarized with fictional texts written in the 20 th century.
Considering that this is a course in reading/teaching methodology, we will read and compare
different models of short fiction, from the simpler Maupassant model of the 19th century, with its
swift action and surprise ending, to more complex forms produced in the 20 th century, with an
emphasis on the two post WW periods. We will also be reading a novella, in order to
compare/contrast forms and narrative structures. Module III is comprised of 20 th century poetry.
The selection of poets is intended to reflect different themes, attitudes, and perspectives, in order to
provide diverse aesthetics and politics.
Course format:
The course will be divided into 1) in-class discussions of assigned readings and presentations of
critical texts, and 2) responses from students, via our class blog, MAGIC BARREL.
Evaluation:
Full participation is expected, and students will be graded for both in-class participation and
comments on blog. A final written exam will be given, as well as a V.S. exam for those who do not
achieve a satisfactory final average.
IMPORTANT:
1) Due to the format of this course, full attendance is required. No excuses.
2) Most
assigned
readings
are
available
for
download
at
<http://magicbarrel.wordpress.com> ; others will be available in hardcopy
(please note indication of “pdf” or “folder” in Course Program, below)
x-x-x-x-x-x
Methodologies for reading and presenting short fiction
Some questions we will be asking:
 What is a short story?
 What is a novella?
 What is a romance?
o How do these narrative modes differ from the novel?
Some elements to be explored throughout our reading:
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setting
atmosphere
characterization
themes
symbols
the 19th century Maupassant model [swift action, surprise ending]
the Frietag Triangle
narrative point of view and its implications
importance of form in the short story
short story as “slice of life”
what is epiphany?
What is the metanarrative technique? (support for “O Conto: Cânones e Dissidências”)
What is parody? (support for “O Conto: Cânones e Dissidencias”)
THEORETICAL SUPPORT
“Teses Sobre o Conto”, by Ricardo Piglia (from Laboratório do Escritor)
O Foco Narrativo, by Lygia Chiappini M. Leite
[an online version of this tiny but precious book is available and will be sent to students via email]
COURSE PROGRAM WITH WEEKLY READINGS & ACTIVITIES’
UFF calendar: March 6th – July 10th 2012
05/04 5ª Feira Santa
06/04 6ª FEIRA SANTA
07/04 RECESSO
21/04 TIRADENTES
23/04 SÃO JORGE
30/04 RECESSO
01/05 DIA DO TRABALHO
07/06 Corpus christi
08/06 RECESSO
MODULE #1 – the 19th century
Week 1 – Social Space in the United Kingdom
THURS., March 8th
First period: Intro. to short fiction – first considerations & becoming familiar
with MAGIC BARREL
Second period: read “The Man with the Twisted Lip” (Arthur Conan Doyle)
and “The Manchester Marriage” (Elizabeth Gaskell) (pdf)
Week 2 –Social Space…cont’d
THURS. March 15th
First period: Discussion of “The Man with the Twisted Lip”
 Plot; setting; atmosphere; characterization; themes; symbols
Second period: Discussion of “The Manchester Marriage”
 Social context; women and marriage in the 19th century
 Magic Barrel, GROUPS #1 and #2: responses to “The Man with the Twisted Lip”
and “The Manchester Marriage”
 Assigned readings for next week: “Mammon and the Archer (O. Henry) and “The
Luck of Roaring Camp” (Bret Harte) (pdf)
Week 3 – Humor in “the making of America”
THURS., March 22nd
First period: Discussion of “Mammon and the Archer” (O. Henry) and “The
Luck of Roaring Camp”
 methodology: the Freytag Triangle
Second period: BLOG RESPONSES GROUP #3
 Assigned reading for next week: “Teses sobre o Conto” (R. Piglia) att: WILL BE
USEFUL FOR DISCUSSION VIA BLOG; there is also a link at MAGIC BARREL.
Week 4 – Methodology: Narrative point of view
THURS., March29th – theoretical class
 methodology: point of view in fiction (Friedman’s classification) – a handout
will be provided.
 Assigned reading for week 5: “Teses sobre o conto” (R. Piglia). ATT: FOR
DISCUSSION VIA BLOG: available in folder; there is also a link at MAGIC BARREL
 Assigned readings for week 6: “Desiree’s Baby” and “The Story of an Hour” (Kate
Chopin)
Week 5THURS. , April 5th – HOLIDAY
Week 6 - Women’s voices: gender and race
THURS., April 12th –
first period: discussion of ““Desiree’s Baby” and “The Story of an Hour”
 Methodology: applying the Freytag Triangle and Ricardo Piglia’s theses to
Chopin’s short stories.
second period: BLOG RESPONSES GROUP #4
 Assigned readings for next week: “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
& critical text, “Gilman’s ‘Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow
Wallpaper’ “ (Beverley A. Hume) (pdf)
Week 7 - Women’s voices…cont’d
THURS., April 19th –
first period: discussion of “The Yellow Wallpaper”
second period: discussion of “Gilman’s Interminable Grotesque…”
 Assigned readings for next week: “New England Nun” (Mary E. Wilkins Freeman) &
critical text, “The No-Man’s-Land of ‘A New England Nun’ ” (Ben Couch) (pdf)
Week 8 - Women’s voices…cont’d
THURS., April 26th
First period: discussion of “New England Nun”
Second period: discussion of “The No-Man’s Land…”
 Assigned reading for next week: “Araby” (Joyce) and “Coming Aphrodite” (Cather)
MODULE #2 – 20th Century
Week 9 - The Modernists
THURS., May 3rd –
First period: discussion of “Araby” and “Coming Aphrodite”
 methodology: setting; atmosphere; themes; epiphany; Modernism
Second period: BLOG RESPONSES GROUP #5
 Assigned readings for next week: “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”
(Hemingway, folder) and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Fitzgerald) (pdf)
Week 10 – Modernists cont’d
THURS., May 10th
First period: Discussion of “The Short Happy Life…”
 Methodology: theme of the master vs. the disciple; Hemingway’s
women; Freudian pattern.
Second period: BLOG RESPONSES GROUP #6
 Next reading assignments: “Dry September” (Faulkner); “Why I Live at the P.O.”
(Welty) (pdf)
Week 10 - The South: (Black?) Humor and the Grotesque : Faulkner, McCullers,
and Welty
THURS., May 17th
First period: Discussion of Faulkner’s “Dry September”

Methodology: discussion of the Southern code of chivalry; racial relations;
the “belle of the South”; tradition vs. innovation; distortions of the belle of
the South tradition
Second period: Discussion of “Why I live at the P.O.”
 Methodology: Narrative point of view; humor; distortion of the Belle of the
South tradition
Reading assignment: The Ballad of the Sad Café (Carson McCullers) (pdf)
Week 11 - The South..cont’d
THURS., May 24th
FILM: The Ballad of the Sad Café
Module# 3 – Poetry: 20th Century Voices: experimentation; protest and
irreverence; race and ethnicity (weeks 12 thru 14)
 THERE IS A SPECIAL LINK TO THE POEMS AT MAGIC BARREL
 POEMS WILL BE DISCUSSED IN CLASS – BE SURE TO READ THEM
BEFOREHAND, IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED TO PARTICIPATE.
 BLOG: ULTIMATE DEADLINE FOR UPDATING COMMENTS. REMEMBER, MAGIC
BARREL IS A SPACE DESIGNED FOR STUDYING AND PREPARING FOR EXERCISES
AND EXAMS. YOU MAY ALSO POST QUESTIONS AND ANY DOUBTS YOU MIGHT
HAVE IN RELATION TO THE SHORT FICTION READ DURING THESE 14 WEEKS.
Week 12 –
THURS., May 31st –
BEAT GENERATION & BRIT IRREVERENCE
US: “AMERICA”; “A SUPERMARKET IN CALIFORNIA” (ALLEN GINSBERG)
UK: “A MARTIAN SENDS A POSTCARD HOME” (CRAIG RAINE)
“THIS BE THE VERSE” (PHILIP LARKIN)
Week 13 –
THURS., June 7th - HOLIDAY
Week 14 –
MODERNISM
“THE ROAD NOT TAKEN” (ROBERT FROST)
“NEXT TO OF COURSE GOD AMERICA”; “SPRING IS LIKE A PERHAPS HAND”; “ONE//T” (E.E. CUMMINGS);
“FINAL ESCAPE” (RAYMOND FEDERMAN)
ETHNIC POETRY
“DEMOCRACY”; “DREAM DEFERRED”; “DINNER GUEST: ME”; PO’ BOY BLUES ( LANGSTON HUGHES)
“STILL I RISE”; I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS” ( MAYA ANGELOU)
“TO BE YOUND, GIFTED, AND BLACK” (NINA SIMONE AND WELDON IRVING JR. )
“THE ART OF RESPONSE” (AUDRE LORDE)
Week 15 –
THURS., June 28th – FINAL WRITTEN EXAM
THURS., July 5th – VS
x-x-x-x-x-x
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