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English 201:
Introduction to Literature
Spring 2009
Sean George
Office: Rm. 115, HOL
Email: sean.george@hotmail.com
Office Hours: TR 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and by appointment
Required Texts
1. Literature and Its Writers, 5th ed. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Beverly Lawn.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s: 2010.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to literature through original works of prose and fiction as well as
an introduction to film studies. Hopefully, it will introduce you to the pleasures of literature and
film, to various approaches of interpreting literature, and to some of the specialized terms, such
as sonnet, antagonist, and epiphany, that will help you articulate your thoughts and observations
about what you read. Finally, the course will allow you to write and think about literature and
film, thus enhancing your writing skills and your ability to reason logically and clearly.
Course Objectives
After completing this course you should be able to: 1. Read literary works and film with more
pleasure and understanding. 2. Identify some of the major differences among short stories,
novels, and film, and the qualities intrinsic to each. 3. Identify significant questions and ideas
dealt with by authors and directors/actors, and describe how literature and film goes about trying
to answer them. 4. Define key literary and filmic terms. 5. Evaluate some of the ways that
readers read literary texts and film. 6. Relate literature and film to your own experiences and to
the world around you. 7. Expand vocabulary and extract meaning from sophisticated syntax. 8.
Infer information about audience and purpose. 9. Polish several general research skills
(paraphrasing, quoting, documenting).
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Absence Policy
More than four (4) absences total (excused or unexcused) throughout the semester will cause your final grade to
drop by a letter grade. For instance, if a student at the end of the semester has a B in the course, but has five (5)
absences total (one past the 4 allowed) his/her grade will drop to a C. Three (3) tardies will count as 1 absence.
Please be proactive about keeping track of your absences, or check with me if you have questions.
Grades
1. Response Papers (35%): 4 – 5 pages of text + 1 works cited page = 5-6 pages total!
Response papers help sum up or conclude our class discussion for the week by providing you with the
occasion to reflect upon a major question or issue under review. These essays can be over any topic related
to the text, whether we’ve discussed it in class or not. You can select a phrase, an image, or even a word
from the readings, then write a commentary in which you strive to articulate why the selection(s) strikes
you as important or significant; in this case, use the selected lines or words to explore the work's theme(s)
and/or form. You might also explore connections between two or more works. Your response paper may
also include your personal response, but it should NOT be solely a personal response to the work(s). In
your response, do not paraphrase or summarize the text (you can safely assume I’ve read the text so you
don’t need to tell me what happens); instead, develop a reading of the work. You can address any of the
texts we have discussed in class through the weeks prior to the due date of each response paper. Whatever
topic you choose to address, your writing must be clear, logical, and grammatically correct.
Required Essay Format: All response papers must be typed, double-spaced and STAPLED. Font size
should only be 12 point Times New Roman font. Every response paper should include a works cited page:
Not including a works cited page will drop your grade by one letter grade. Assignments WILL NOT be
accepted if they do not meet the proper MLA conventions.
Essays will hopefully achieve the following “things.” An “A” paper will achieve them at a higher level than
a “C” paper. 1) Meets assignment requirements and does so in an outstanding way. 2) The writing is
interesting and engaging because of its informative or creative approach. 3) The essay demonstrates
consistent critical and creative thinking. 4) The writer’s purpose is clear. 5) Ideas are unified, coherent,
clear, and developed tightly, thoroughly, and thoughtfully. 6) Supporting details are relevant and wellchosen. 7) Artful transitions are used and a progression of thought has been consciously planned for and
achieved. 8) The writing may "come alive" as a result of vivid or creative written expression. 9) There is a
definite voice behind the writing in this paper. 10) The writer expresses a definite point of view that is
strongly supported. 11) Mechanical skills are controlled by the writer and create a fluent, clear expression
of thought. 12) MLA format for the heading, the use of quotations, and the works cited page are followed.
After I’ve assessed the paper looking at the above elements, I will deduct points for the following:
a. Spelling: For every misspelled word, I will deduct 1 point. This includes words like
their/they’re/there and two/too/to. It also includes all other words.
b. Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences: By far the biggest problem I see in the majority of the
papers I grade in any class is sentence construction, and besides spelling, sentence fragments and
run-on sentences are the most frequent errors I see. For every sentence fragment and/or run-on
sentence in your paper, I will deduct 5 points.
2. Exams
a.
b.
Exam #1 [Mid-Term Exam] (25%)
Exam #2 [Final Exam] (25%)
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3. Participation (15%)
Participation should be a rather self-explanatory concept. You are expected to contribute as
enthusiastically, knowledgeably, diplomatically, and productively as possible to any and all class, pair, and
group discussions. In order to do so, you must also be prepared for each and every class meeting. In short,
all interactive activities assigned and carried out in class will be considered “participation.” Please do not
be fooled into thinking that this is a “gimme” grade. It is possible for a student to be here every day and still
do very poorly in this category. Keep up with your readings, your writing assignments, and everything else
necessary to be a trusted and reliable member of this writing community.
Ways to participate in this class:
a. Class Discussion
b. Class Work
c. Informal Writing Assignments
d. Quizzes
e. Homework Assignments
f. In-Class Peer Review
g. Cell-Phone Usage: If you are seen using your cell phone during class, whether you are calling,
texting, playing games, whatever, your grade will be negatively impacted.
NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!
NO WORK ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL!!!
Official Statements
Academic Honesty: Instructors in the Department of Literature and Languages do not tolerate plagiarism and other
forms of academic dishonesty. Instructors uphold and support the highest academic standards, and students are
expected to do likewise. Penalties for students guilty of academic dishonesty include disciplinary probation,
suspension, and expulsion. (Texas A&M University-Commerce Code of Student Conduct 5.b[1,2,3])
TExES/TOPT: Students who plan to teach English, Spanish, or English as a Second Language in Texas public
schools must pass the appropriate state certification tests. The Department of Literature and Languages grants
approval to take the content-area tests, subject to the policies described at this URL:
<http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/bolin/texes.html>.
Student Conduct: All students enrolled at the University shall follow the tenets of common decency and acceptable
behavior conducive to a positive learning environment. (See Student's Guide Handbook, Policies and Procedures,
Conduct)
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement: Students requesting accommodations for disabilities must go through
the Academic Support Committee. For more information, please contact the Director of Disability Resources and
Services, Halladay Student Services Building, Room 303D, 903.886.5835.
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Tentative Schedule
This schedule is subject to change. Read your syllabus daily. It is YOUR responsibility to know due dates
and assignments. All readings are due on the day for which they are assigned.
Week 1: January 19/21: Short Stories
T
Introduction to the class
Week 10: March 23/25: Poetry
R
“What is a Short Story?” + “The Elements
T
“What is a Poem?” (699) + “The Elements
of Fiction” + “The Art of the Short Story”
of Poetry” (709)
“Common Problems in Writing about
R
The Sonnet (771-77) + William Shakespeare
Literature” (1666), “Guidelines for Writing
The Beat Poets
an Essay about Literature” (1669), “Basic
Poetry of the Chaps and ’zines
Types of Literary Papers” (1672)
Various Poems
Week 2: January 26/28: Short Stories
T
James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”
R
Russell Banks, “Black Man and White
Woman in Dark Green Rowboat”
Ernest Hemingway, “Hills like White
Elephants”
Week 3: February 2/4: Short Stories
T
Anton Chekov, “The Lady w/ the Pet Dog”
Joyce C. Oates, “The Lady w/ the Pet Dog”
R
Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour”
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow
Wallpaper”
Response Paper #1 Due
Week 4: February 9/11: Short Stories
T
Junot Diaz, “How to Date a Browngirl,
Whitegirl, or Halfie”
R
Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal”
Week 5: February 16/18: Short Stories
T
Louise Erdrich, “The Red Convertible”
R
William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”
Week 6: February 23/25: Short Stories
T
Richard Ford, “Leaving for Kenosha”
R
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “A Very Old Man
with Enormous Wings” + Nathaniel
Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown”
Response Paper #2 Due
Week 7: March 2/4: The Things They Carried
T
Franz Kafka, “A Hunger Artist” + “The
Metamorphosis” + “On Meaning and
Intention in Franz Kafka’s Stories” (635-55)
R
Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
Week 8: March 9/11: The Things They Carried
T
Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”
R
EXAM #1
Week 9: March 16/18
Spring Break!!!
Week 11: March 30/ April 1: Poetry
T
Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Langston Hughes
On Langston Hughes and His Legacy (1108)
R
Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Langston Hughes
On Langston Hughes and His Legacy (1108)
Week 12: April 6/8: Poetry
T
Emily Dickinson
On Interpreting Emily Dickinson (1079)
R
Emily Dickinson
On Interpreting Emily Dickinson (1079)
Response Paper #3 Due
Week 13: April 13/15: Poetry
T
Robert Frost
On Robert Frost’s Poetics (1096)
R
Robert Frost
On Robert Frost’s Poetics (1096)
Response Paper #4 Due
Week 14: April 20/22: Drama
T
“What is a Play?” (1119) + “The Elements
of Drama” (1124)
Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll House”
R
Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll House”
Week 15: April 27/29: Drama
T
Susan Glaspell, “A Jury of her Peers” +
“Trifles”
R
Susan Glaspell, “A Jury of her Peers” +
“Trifles”
Week 16: May 4/6: Drama
T
Lynn Nottage, “POOF!”
R
Lynn Nottage, “POOF!”
Response Paper #5 Due
Week 17: May 10-15: FINALS WEEK
T
FINAL EXAM!!!