Los Angeles Mission College/Spring 2009
English 102: College Reading and Composition 2
Instructor: Gina Ladinsky
Phone: 818-364-7698
Email: ladinsg@lamission.edu
Website: http://www.lamission.edu/~ladinsg
Office Hours: M 12:30-1:45; Tu 2-3:30; W 12:30-3:15 Location: Bung. A
Course Objectives: Welcome to English 102. As you enter the world of literature, prepare to travel to
new places and to different time periods simply by opening a book. The cost of each adventure is the
time it takes to become an engaged reader with the ability to incorporate your very own imagination into
analytical thought. You will meet many different characters. Some will trick you. Some are insane.
Others are trapped by cultures that have followed them across oceans and time.
English 102 will guide you through the process of analysis of short fiction, long fiction, poetry,
and drama by critical reading and in-depth critical thinking. The skills you develop will empower you to
develop critical theories about literary interpretations that you will develop into argumentative prose-an
analytical essay-that supports your analysis. By the end of the course, you will be able to write effective
essays that express a specific, interesting, and original analysis.
Required Texts:
A Little Literature by Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and
William Cain.
The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking by Richard Epstien. 3rd
Ed.
Required Novel:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
If you cannot afford to buy the books, they are on reserve for you in the library. You will be expected to
make copies of the section of the text we are covering for the day and have the copy with you at each
class meeting.
Required Supplies for each class meeting:
Lined notebook paper
Pens with blue or black ink
Scantron cards (882-E)
Required for in-class exams:
Two or Three large blue-books
Student Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, the student will be able to produce a three to five
page essay demonstrating the ability to use literary analysis. Further, the student will be able to compare
and contrast two literary works as well as produce an analytical research paper on a literary work.
Evaluation and Grading:
1. Attendance and preparation are mandatory. Class participation is a necessary aspect of this course
and will ultimately influence your success in the class, so it is necessary for you to have excellent
attendance. Further it is necessary for you to keep up with the in-class and out-of-class assignments,
which will not be possible if you are absent. You are allowed up to three hours of un-excused absences.
As stated in the LAMC catalog, “Whenever absences “in hours” exceeds the number of hours the class
meets per week, the student may be excluded by the instructor” (43). If we are past the drop deadline, you
will receive a lower letter grade for the course, depending on the number of absences. If you have
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emergencies or special circumstances, please contact me. Excused absences will require documentation.
If you are unsure as to what constitutes documentation, come see me for clarification. Work and doctor’s
appointments will not qualify as an excused absence. If you find you are unable to attend the course, it is
the responsibility of the student to complete the paperwork to drop the course in a timely manner. If
your name appears on the final grade roster, I will have to issue a grade.
→ Note: Each three hour class meeting covers one entire week of material. In order to have a
successful outcome in this course, excellent attendance is required.
Tardiness: Coming late disrupts the class and causes me to have to repeat information already given to
the rest of the class. Three late arrivals will count as an absence, so do your best to be on time. Also,
leaving class early will have the same effect- three = one absence.
2. Essays: You will submit three essays of four-to-five pages - one will include research. One will be on
fiction, one will be on poetry and one will be on drama. Out-of-class papers must be typed, doublespaced and follow MLA guidelines. In addition to a hard copy, you will be required to upload out-of-class
papers to Turnitin.com for a plagiarism check. It is easy to do and specific instructions are posted on my
website. Students will not receive a grade unless their paper has been uploaded. Come see me if you need
help.
A Peer review session and teacher conference may be required for out-of-class papers. It is necessary to
be present for peer review to earn the points for the review. No late papers will be accepted without
documentation. Essays are collected at the beginning of class.
3. Exams: You will write three essay exams in class. One will be on short fiction, one will be on poetry,
and one will be on the novel. The exams will be based on class discussions and on the reading material
for the course. You will need a large blue book (8.5 x 11") for each exam. Neither late papers will be
accepted, nor will make-up exams be given without documentation.
4. Reading Responses: In addition to formal essays, you will be assigned response questions and reading
logs throughout the semester. Some will be written in class; most will be written as homework. These
assignments ask you to focus on a particular passage in a work or to address a critical question specific to
the reading.
Homework Collection: Homework will be collected in packets on the listed on the calendar. You will be
required to keep your homework, clearly labeled, in chronological order until it is handed in for a grade.
Late homework packets will not be accepted with ONE exception: You will be given one No Questions
Asked (NQA) coupon. To use the coupon simply attach it to the homework packet, sign it, and hand it in
at the very next class meeting - no questions asked. The stipulation of using this coupon is that it can
only be used for homework, not for writing assignments such as essays, and the work must arrive at the
next class meeting. If you have an extended absence, please contact me.
Our Class is a Leaning Community: Students who arrive with homework are placed in groups to
collaborate on the best possible responses to the readings. Each group then presents its findings to the
class. A large class discussion follows. If you have not done the homework, you will not be placed in a
group, but you are welcome to join the discussion.
5. Class work: Quizzes may occur in response to any reading assignment or class discussion. They will
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be unannounced and may require a scantron card, so keep an ample supply (882-E) along with number
two pencils. In-class attendance is required for quizzes. I conduct the class using a variety of methods to
include: lecture, in-class writing and collaborative/workshop activities. You will be required to
participate in class discussions as well as be an active member of small group discussions. Missed tests,
quizzes, or in-class papers (exams) cannot be made up without documentation.
6. Grading: Please keep all returned papers and all returned written assignments. In the unlikely
case that you feel you handed in an assignment that the instructor did not record, you must have the
graded work in your possession for evidence. Make a copy of all papers prior to handing them in. Keep
them in a safe place. Your grade will be based on the following:
Quizzes, Reading Responses, Homework 15%
Out of class essays (3 at 10% each) 30 %
Exams (2 at 15% each) 30%
Final Exam 25%
Essay Grading:
A: A's are for superior work, for writing that is often original and well-expressed. Students who expect to
receive A's always come to class, they participate in class discussion, they keep up with the reading and
have obviously asked questions of it and thought about it on their own. Students who do A work show
intellectual curiosity and initiative. A writing is intellectually engaging and well-reasoned, well-supported
and fluent, revealing complexity of thought, insight and originality. It is generally free of mechanical
errors. It follows MLA format.
B: B's are for good to very good work. Generally, students earn B's by being prepared for class and by
participating in class discussion. Writing tends to be less consistently analytic; it doesn't engage the issues
of the work as thoroughly as A papers do. Although it is generally free of mechanical errors, B writing
lacks the complexity of thought, support, and fluency that A papers demonstrate.
C: C's are for average university-level work. Students earn C's by completing all the requirements of the
course: that is, they accomplish the reading, and they turn in competently written assignments. They
participate in class discussion. C writing shows thinking that is developing skill in engaging with the
literature but, in comparison to A and B writing, is probably less insightful or original. Avoiding critical
analysis, it may sometimes lapse into plot summary. Writing may be clouded by surface errors or
occasional unsupported generalizations, while it shows thoughtfulness and general university level skill
and fluency.
Final Semester Grades will be broken down as follows:
A
100-90%
B
C
D
F
89-80%
79-70%
69-60%
59-50%
Attendance: Will not assure a student a passing grade.
Extra-Credit: There is none. However, you can earn “Waves” by participating in class discussions. Two
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“Waves” equal one quiz, reading response, homework point. You are responsible to keep your “Waves”
and to hand them in during the 15th week.
Plagiarism: Any form of plagiarism, which is the use of someone else’s words that you count as your
own, is an offense punishable by failure of this course. Further, any form of plagiarism is considered
academic dishonesty that may result in disciplinary action.
My Website: You may be asked to access my website for writing assignments, including reading
response questions, class handouts, class announcements, and papers. The class syllabus is posted on my
website as well. My website can be found at www.lamission.edu/~ladinsg.
Electronic submissions of assignments, including papers will not be accepted. For each out-of-class
paper, you will hand in a hard copy in class and upload a copy to Turnitin for a plagiarism check.
Turn off all electronic devices before class begins and remove iPod earphones. If I observe you texting
during class, I will give one warning and the second time I will mark you absent.
Note: If you do not write all papers and exams assigned for the semester, you will not pass the course in
that the objectives set forth by the English Department must be met.
Note: You are responsible for the information on this syllabus.
Note: I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus.☺
Class Calendar
Reading assignments are due on the dates listed below. The readings refer to A Little Literature
unless noted. Stories, poems, and plays in each chapter are considered part of the reading
assignment. The class schedule is subject to change.
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T Feb. 10
Syllabus Review
Introduction to literary analysis
Introduction to argument
T Feb 17
Chapter 1 - Writing Arguments about Literature:
A Crash Course in Critical Thinking and Writing - p1-17
Chapter 1 -Writing Arguments about Literature:
A Crash Course in Critical Thinking and Writing -p18-22; 25-32
Emily Wu, “The Lesson of the Master” p 18 -19
Tobias Wolf, “Powder” - p 19 -23
T Feb. 24
Chapter 3 - Approaching Fiction: Responding in Writing - p 77-89
Ernst Hemingway, “Cat in the Rain” p 77 - 80
The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking 1 Claims p 2 - 7
Chapter 4 - Stories and Meanings: Plot, Character, Theme - p 90-111
Anton Chekhov, “Misery” p 94-98
Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” p 103 - 111
T Mar. 3
Gish Jen - “Who’s Irish” - p 239 - 248
Flannery O’Conner - “A Good Man is Hard to Find” -182-195
The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking - 6 - Writing Good Arguments p 126 -127
The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking - 4.5 - Cause and Effect p 86 - 96
Paper 1 Assigned: Fiction Paper
Chapter 7 In Brief: Writing Arguments about Fiction p 164 - 168
The Pocket Guide to Critical Thinking 2 - Arguments p 12 -37
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Fri Mar.6
LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT RECEIVING A “W”
T Mar. 10
Chapter 5: Narrative Point of View - p - 112-116
John Updike, “A&P” 117 - 122
William Faulkner - “A Rose for Emily” - p 289-301
Chapter 6: Allegory and Symbolism - p- 132 -135
Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” p - 136 - 146
John Steinbeck, “The Chrysanthemums” p - 147 - 156
Paper 1 Due
T Mar. 17
Exam 1- Blue Book Required - Chapters 5 and 6
Reading Responses Fiction Due
Chapter 11 - Approaching Poetry: Responding in Writing - p 385-398
Chapter 2 - Writing about Literature: From Idea to Essay - p 33-35; 55-62
T Mar. 24
Chapter 14 - The Speaking Tone of Voice - p 422-425
Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Mother” p - 425 - 426
Stevie Smith, “Not Waving but Drowning”p - 427
Wislawa Szymborska, “The Terrorist, He Watches” p - 428
John Updike, “Icarus” p -429 - 430
Chapter 14 - The Speaking Tone of Voice - Cont.
Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess - 431- 433
Thomas Hardy, “The Man He Killed” p - 436
Countee Cullen, “For a Lady I Know” p - 437
Marge Piercy, “Barbie Doll” p - 439 -440
Chapter 19 - In Brief: Writing Arguments about Poetry 509-521
Paper 2 Assigned - Poetry Paper
T Mar 31
School Holiday – Cesar Chavez
Apr. 6- 12
Spring Recess
T Apr. 14
Peer Review and Conferences Paper 2. Bring two typed copies of Paper 1 to class
Chapter 15 - Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Apostrophe- p 441446; 448;449 - 451
Richard Wilbur, “A Smilie for Her Smile” p - 445
Edmund Waller, “Song” p - 450
T Apr 21
Chapter 16 – Imagery and Symbolism – p 456-439
Walt Whitman, “I Saw in Louisiana a Live Oak Growing p – 458
Claude McKay, “The Tropics of New York” p 464
Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck” p – 465-462
Poetry Paper Due
Chapter 20 – American Voices: Poems for a Diverse Nation – p 523-526; 531-532
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Mitsuye Yamada, “To the Lady” – p 523
Yusef Komunyahaa, “Facing It” – p 525
Sherman Alexie, “On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City” – p 531
T Apr 28
Exam 2 Poetry: Chapter 15, 16, and 20 – Large Blue Book Required
Reading Responses Poetry Due
Chapter 24 – How to Read a Play 617 - 630
Susan Glaspell, “Trifles” – p 630 - 642
T May 5
Chapter 27 – A Play about Marriage – p 884
Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll’s House” – p 884 - 946
Fri May 8
Last Day to Drop with a “W”
T May 12
Chapter 26 – American Voices: Drama for a Nation – p 811
Luis Valdez, “Los Vendidos” – p 811 - 821
Chapter 25- In Brief- Writing Arguments about Drama 700-718
Paper 3 Assigned - Drama
T May 19
Love in the Time of Cholera
Peer Review and Conferences Paper 4 - Bring Two Typed Drafts
Tu May 26
Love in the Time of Cholera
Love in the Time of Cholera
Paper 3 Due
Reading Responses Drama Due
T June 2
Final Exam - Love in the Time of Cholera 10-12 - Large Blue Book Required
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