English 2213-008 Literary Criticism and Analysis
Fall 2009
Class Days and Hours –TR 11:00am -12:15pm
Classroom: MB 1.206
Dr. Lenora Perry-Samaniego
Office: MB 2.248B
Office Hours: Th 10:00 to 11:00 am or by appointment.
Telephone: 458-5049
Email lenora.perrysamaniego@utsa.edu
Course Description:
This course introduces students to different ways of reading and interpreting
literature. It is a course “about literature” as much as of literature. It will involve
intensive reading and extensive writing. It will enable and prepare serious students of
English Studies to take advanced courses in literature. We will read, interpret, and
analyze a variety of poetry, fiction, and drama by using different literary critical
approaches and critical theories. In doing so, we will pay attention to literary terms and
to the form of the text in order to understand the notion of literary genre.
Specific Goals of the Course:
Gaining Factual Knowledge
To expose you to different types of literature and different approaches to reading it
through the study and practice of literary criticism.
To understand how the meaning of literature varies according to different interpretive
lenses.
Learning Fundamental Principles, Generalizations, and Theories
To instill an understanding of literary genres and literary forms.
To introduce Literary Theory.
To begin to learn to write critically researched literary analysis.
General Goals of the Course
Critical Reasoning Skills: To continue to develop your ability
to analyze a writer’s argument.
to compare and contrast ideas.
to paraphrase and summarize a text.
Reading Skills: To continue to develop your ability
to approach texts in a critical fashion.
to become an active reader.
Writing Skills: To continue to develop your ability
to write clearly and economically with grammatical correctness.
to formulate and support a thesis.
to incorporate sources and document them, using appropriate citation.
Required Texts:
Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide. (Garland Publishing).
Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking,
Writing. 7th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006.
Viramontes, Helena Maria. Under the Feet of Jesus. Plume/Penguin, 1996.
Class procedures
Class attendance: It is in the student’s best interest to attend all scheduled classes,
however, emergencies do happen. If you miss class because of a scheduled school
sponsored event, please inform the instructor by email prior to the event. If you miss
because of illness, please send an email anyway. Missed work is your responsibility.
Excessive absences will result in a failed grade. For a T/R class, missing 5 classes is
EXCESSIVE.
Lateness is the same as absence should it become habitual. Leave early, arrive early, and
find a parking place.
Purchase and bring the assigned books to class. You can’t be eligible for a participation
grade without having the book and having read it.
Assignments are due on the date assigned unless arrangements have been made prior to
the turn-in date (for example, an athletic absence).
All work done outside the classroom must be word-processed and must be done in
MLA format. An excellent resource is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers edited by Gibaldi.
Save all your work as you complete drafts, revisions, and finals. For your own protection
and for the satisfaction of seeing it accomplished, keep track of ALL your work!
Grading
Attendance and Response Papers
Paper 1
Research Paper
Exam 1
Final Exam
20%
15%
25%
20%
20%
Response Papers:
These will be over the material in your text(s). They will entail close reading of your
texts. You cannot just skim the material, because these papers will require you to think
critically about factual and plot details. Invest the time and read the material.
Paper I (3-5 pages) and Research Paper (5-8 pages):
It is useful to take notes or diagram texts and questions as you read. It helps to keep you
focused and on target with your reading. The practices will also aid in drafting your
papers, of which you will write two. Presume that I have read the material. Do not
summarize the plot.
You will need to pick texts for your research paper that differ from the ones you chose to
analyze for your first paper. In other words, you cannot use a first-paper topic for your
research paper.
Exam One/Midterm
The first exam will be a traditional exam (you will not be allowed to bring books or notes
to the exam), held during class time. The exam will be on all the material covered up
until the exam day. It will ask you to compare and contrast two texts according to their
form and/or theme and define important terminology used in class.
Final Exam
This exam will be comprehensive. This means that all the material covered in the course
and all the reading we have done in-class is eligible to be included. It will be an openbook exam. Consequently, note taking is important.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when you have inadequately recognized work that is not your own or
represent the work of others as yours. Should I encounter plagiarism, the grade assigned
will automatically be a failing grade and the incident will be referred to Academic
Affairs. I routinely submit randomly selected student papers to plagiarism detection
databases.
Course Schedule
Week 1
Aug 27:
Week 2
Sept 1:
Sept 3:
Course Introduction
Introduction, CB 1-7
Chapter 1, “Reading Fiction,”
Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour.” Karen Van Der Zee, “From A Secret
Sorrow,” Gail Goodwin, “A Sorrowful Woman.”
Chapter 3, “Plot,” pp. 69-70; 90-116.
Week 3
Sep 8:
Chapter 4, “Character,” pp. 117-61 & see definition on p. 1622.
Sep 10:
Chapter 5, “Setting” pp. 163-71 & see definition on p. 1639. Response Paper
Due
Week 4
Sep 15:
Sep 17:
Week 5
Sep 22:
Sep 24:
Week 6
Sep 29:
Oct 1:
Week 7
Oct 6:
Oct 8:
Week 8
Oct 13:
Chapter 19, “Reading Poetry,” pp. 569-605 AND Chapter 1 CTT,
“Everything you wanted to know about critical theory but were afraid to ask,”
pp. 1-10.
Chapter 12, CTT “Postcolonial Criticism” pp. 417-33. Response Paper Due
Postcolonial Criticism, cont. & Chapter 32, Langston Hughes pp. 907-36.
Suggested readings: “Border Crossings” — between pp. 1038-39.
Julia Alvarez, “Five poems,” pp. 937-64 & Response Paper Due
Chapter 2 CTT “Psychoanalytic Criticism.” & Chapter 38 CB “Reading
Drama”1045-63.
Exam I in class. / Psychoanalytic Criticism, cont.
Chapter 39 “Writing about Drama,” pp. 1088-93. Chapter 45 “Plays for
further reading,” & Begin Death of a Salesman, Act One: pp. 1371-1402.
Death of a Salesman, Act Two 1402-??. ***Actors from London Stage ***
(tentative visit.) & Kennedy, “A Visit from St. Sigmund” pp. 797-98.
Response Paper Due
Finish Death of a Salesman & Psychoanalytic Criticism — Draft paper I,
bring paper to class.
Oct 15
Paper I Due
Week 9
Oct 20:
Chapter 3 CTT “Marxist Criticism,” pp. 53-81.
Oct 22:
Marxist Criticism, cont. Under the Feet of Jesus.
Week 10
Oct 27: Under the Feet of Jesus,
Oct 29:
UFJ. Response paper due.
Week 11
Nov 3: CTT Chapter 4 “Feminist Criticism”
Nov 5:
“Feminist Criticism,” cont. & Obejas, “We Came all the Way…” pp. 194-204
& Divakaruni, “Clothes” 532-41; Kincaid, “Girl” 541-42. Response paper
Week 12
Nov 10: CTT Chapter 10 “Lesbian, Gay and Queer Criticism”
Nov 12: Lizer, “Dolls & Dolls” from Will & Grace pp. 1081-87; “Rodeo,” 1368-70.
Response Paper
Week 13
Nov 17: Queer Theory, cont. RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS DUE
Nov 19: Films and readings.
Week 14
Nov 24: RESEARCH PAPER Workshop
Nov 26:
Thanksgiving Holiday — No classes
Week 15
Dec 1:
Research Papers Due
Dec 3:
Review Day.
Dec 7
Dec 8
Student Study Days- classes do not meet
Student Study Days- classes do not meet
Final Exam: Wednesday 15-Dec 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM