WRTG 3020: The Grotesque
Instructor: Dr. Nancy Hightower
Office: TB1 6A
Office Hours: 1-2:30 T/TH and by appt.
Email: Nancy.Hightower@colorado.edu
Assignments:
Quizzes: 10%
Photo Assignment: 10%
Participation: 10%
Review: 15%
Midterm 15%
Analysis Paper: 25%
Group Presentation 15%
Email Policy: Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. However, you will need to follow
proper etiquette when emailing me. Please include 1) a proper subject line, 2) a respectful greeting (Dear Nancy,
Hi Dr. Hightower, etc), and 3) your name at the end. I will not answer email that is sent without these
components.
You will need to allow 24 hours for me to respond to any email (this is from the time I receive it; I will send you a
reply to let you know I got it). If you do not receive some kind of reply within 24 hours, please email me again, or
call me.
I never accept final assignments in disk form or in an email, and I don’t take attachments.
Attendance: You are allowed two absences, for any reason. After two absences, your final grade will be lowered
by one-half letter grade for every day missed, and more than five absences will cause your failure of the course. I
will take into account dire illness (with a doctor’s note).
Your timely attendance is required; if you are late for two classes, it will count as an absence.
If you miss a class:
 Email me before class to let me know you aren’t coming.
 Get notes, handouts, and homework assignments from a classmate.
 Turn assignments in by due date (unless a prior arrangement has been made).
Campus policy requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because
of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments, or required attendance. In this class,
you will need to give me two weeks notice if you must miss a class for religious practices. See full details at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
Participation: Coming to class will only earn you 50% of your participation grade. The other 50% comes from
contributing to class discussions and being good peer editors when work-shopping drafts. It also means not
talking out of turn or doing other homework, not having your cell phone ring in the middle of class, and not text
messaging anyone. It means being respectful to your fellow classmates.
Drafts: Failure to bring a draft on a draft due date will result in a five point reduction of your final participation
grade.
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If you have missed a draft day for illness (with a doctor’s note), email two other students with your draft
and get comments on it. Likewise, edit their drafts as well. You need to bring all edited drafts in hard copy
the next class day to get full credit.
If you know you will miss a draft day, then follow the above instructions, only all drafts are due the draft
day. Have the students whose papers you have edited show me their drafts in class. Likewise, make sure
to show me your edited paper (by two students) the next class day.
Late Work: You have the option of turning in the photo assignment and review up to one week after the due date
without penalty. However, if you choose this option, you will only receive a grade for the paper, but no additional
comments, either written or verbal. The final paper must be turned in on time or it will not be accepted.
Email assignments must also be turned in on time.
Quizzes: We will have a quiz almost every day. You will be allowed to drop your lowest quiz grade. Other quizzes
may not be made up unless you have spoken with me before your absence about making up the quiz grade, or
you have a doctor’s note. You have one class day to make up the quiz, and it is your responsibility to set up a
time with me to do so.
Plagiarism: We will have an ongoing discussion regarding how to acknowledge sources and authors in your own
works. My own policy regarding plagiarism is that whatever paper has been plagiarized will receive a zero. If you
plagiarize twice, you fail the course. All work must be your own, generated this semester. You are not allowed to
use a previous paper for any work in this class. Likewise, all ideas that you have borrowed from others (whether
in a direct quote or paraphrased) must be correctly cited.
Special Accommodations: If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please give me a letter from
Disability Services so that we can make the necessary arrangements. If you have any questions regarding this
process, please visit www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices.
Texts: The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, and Other Stories by Franz Kafka, The Complete Stories by
Flannery O’Connor, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and a grammar handbook of your
choosing which also show how to cite sources.
Course Schedule: Readings are to be read and annotated before class. We will have a closed book quiz for
every reading unless informed otherwise.
WEEK 1 Aug 28, 30
Tues: Introductions
Thurs: People quiz. “The Uncanny”; “The Grotesque in Literature”; In-class reading: “The Blue Bouquet”
Fri: Email assignment #1
WEEK 2 Sept 4, 6
Tues: “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (handout).
Thurs: Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
WEEK 3 Sept 11, 13
Tues: O’Connor “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Thurs: “Death and Transfiguration of a Teacher” (handout). O’Connor “Good Country People”
WEEK 4 Sept 18, 20
Tues: Photo assignment workshop. Email assignment #2
Thurs: PHOTO ASSIGNMENT DUE
WEEK 5 Sept 25, 27
WEEK 6 Oct 2, 4
Tues: Santa Sangre (in class movie).
Tues: Kafka, “Before the Law”; “In the Penal
Colony”; “An Imperial Message.” Review draft (1st
page).
Thurs: O’Connor “A View of the Woods”
Thurs: O’Connor, “The Life You Save May be
Your Own.”
WEEK 7 Oct 9, 11
WEEK 8 Oct 16, 18
Tues: TBA.
Tues: Mieko, Rabbits (handout);Email
Assignment #3
Thurs: Review Draft (3 pages). Kafka, “A Country
Doctor,” “The Bucket Rider”
WEEK 9 Oct 23, 25
Tues: O’ Connor, “The Lame Shall Enter First”
Thurs: REVIEW DUE. Kafka, The Metamorphosis
WEEK 10 Oct 30- Nov 1
Tues: Kafka, “A Hunger Artist” (just the short
story). O’ Connor “Parker’s Back”
Thurs: Kafka. “The Judgment.” Analysis draft (1st page)
Thurs: Analysis draft (2 pages). Presentation
Workshop.
WEEK 11 Nov 6, 8
WEEK 12 Nov 13, 15
Tues: O’ Connor “Revelation”
Tues: Midterm
Thurs: Analysis draft (3 pages). Presentation
Workshop.
Thurs: Analysis draft (4-5 pages). Presentation
Workshop.
WEEK 13 Nov 20, 22
WEEK 14 Nov 27-29
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tues: Workshop
Thurs: Workshop
WEEK 15 Dec 4, 6
LAST WEEK Dec 11, 13
Thurs: Presentations
Tues: Presentations
Fri: Presentations
Thurs: Presentations
.