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The Art of Fiction
ENGL 273G: Section 5
Fall 2012
Tuesdays/Thursdays
5:30-6:45 P.M.
Wheatley-01-88
Instructor: Bronwen Evans
E-mail: Bronwen.Evans001@umb.edu
Office: Wheatley-06-55
Office Hours: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 P.M. and by appt.
Course Description: This course will provide its participants with an introduction to themes and
forms of fiction and answer two broad but important questions: Why write fiction? Why read
fiction? Close analytical reading of stories and novels with special attention to an artist's
historical and cultural milieu and to an artist's choices of form (including thematic repetition and
variation, narrative point of view, setting, characterization, plot and action, imagery, figurative
language, and representations of speech) will be the focus of this course. Emphasis will be
placed on writing critical and interpretive papers. Please note: Students may receive credit either
for this course or for ENGL C204 (The Nature of Literature: Fiction), but not for both.
Capabilities addressed: Reading, writing, critical thinking, information technology, oral
presentation.
About the Intermediate Seminar Program: Intermediate Seminars offer students with 30 or
more credits the opportunity to work on essential university capabilities in small-sized courses
that are often thematic or problem-oriented and interdisciplinary in nature. Designed in part to
help students prepare for the Writing Proficiency Requirement, Intermediate Seminars put
special emphasis on critical reading, thinking, and writing. They focus on other essential
capabilities as appropriate to the course and might therefore include attention to library research
and information technology, collaborative learning, oral presentation, and academic selfassessment. Students who practiced reading, writing, and critical thinking in a First Year
Seminar at UMass Boston will practice them at a more advanced level in the Intermediate
Seminar.
Note: Only ONE Intermediate Seminar may be taken for credit. If you have taken another
200G-level course in any department at UMB, you cannot receive credit for this one.
Prerequisites: English 101, English 102, First Year Seminar (or waiver), and 30 credits. The
First Year Seminar is automatically waived for students who enter UMB with 30 or more
transfer credits. Because these are intensive reading and writing courses, some students may find
it helpful to enroll in CRW 221 to further develop their skills with college-level writing before
taking an Intermediate Seminar. Discuss your situation with me if you have any questions about
these prerequisites or your readiness for the work in this course.
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The Writing Proficiency Requirement: Except for students in the College of Management, all
UMass Boston undergraduates complete the University’s Writing Proficiency Requirement
through the Writing Proficiency Evaluation (WPE). The Writing Proficiency Requirement is not
the same as the writing placement test you may have taken when you entered UMass Boston.
The WPE can be met through either an examination or a take-home essay submitted along with a
portfolio of papers written for UMB courses. See the WPR website
http://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/undergraduate_studies/writing_proficiency for more
details about the exam and portfolio options and dates. Students who have not already satisfied
the WPR should arrange to take the exam or submit a portfolio shortly after completing this
course.
Support Services for Intermediate Seminar Students: The Academic Support Office offers
both individual tutoring and drop-in workshops for students who need help with the critical
reading, thinking and writing skills necessary for success in General Education courses such as
this one. More information is available online
(http://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/academic_support/tutoring/rwssc) or at their Campus
Center office (CC1-1300). The Ross Center for Disability Services (CCUL-0211) provides
accommodations and educational resources for students with demonstrated needs, as outlined on
their website (http://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/disability/). Should you be eligible for these
services, you should contact the Ross Center right away so that their staff can help you identify
appropriate accommodations in this and other courses. Finally, if it appears that you might not
pass this Intermediate Seminar and if I cannot determine how to support your success in the
course, I might inform one of the University advisers working with the Student Referral
Program. This strictly confidential program is part of an early warning system designed to help
students address personal and academic difficulties that may interfere with their progress in the
University.
Assessment of these Courses: In addition to course evaluation forms that are routinely
administered at the end of each course at UMass Boston, Intermediate Seminar students are
asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire addressing their progress as critical thinkers
and writers. Additionally, each term an assessment committee will look at randomly chosen
student writing from a small sample of Intermediate Seminars. Please save all your writing in
this course so that, if you are chosen, you will have your work available. The purpose of this
evaluation is to improve the program and to improve particular courses as necessary, not to
evaluate individual students. You may remove your name from your papers if you prefer to
submit them anonymously.
Student Plagiarism and Classroom Behavior: Students are expected to abide by the
University’s Code of Student Conduct in all their classes at UMass Boston
(http://www.umb.edu/life_on_campus/policies/code/). Plagiarism is a particularly serious
violation, as outlined in the Academic Honesty section of the code (section VI), and will not be
tolerated in this class. In addition to the specific violations of student conduct itemized in section
VII of the code, we urge all students to be mindful of broad standards of civility. Offensive and
insulting behavior undermines the sense of community that the Intermediate Seminars strive to
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build. Class discussion and group projects can be productive only in a climate of respect for the
opinions and beliefs of all. A healthy exchange about issues may include disagreement about
ideas, but it must not demean the character or background of the individuals holding those ideas.
Required Texts: All books required for this course are available for purchase in our campus
bookstore. For classroom purposes, you must have the exact editions that are in the bookstore. If
you purchase your books online, you must be sure that your copies have the same ISBNs as those
listed below. Additional readings that are not included in the books on the following list will be
posted as PDF files to our course wiki space: http://engl273g-evans.wikispaces.umb.edu/. You
must bring your marked-up print-outs of these texts with you to class on the days for which they
are assigned. Failure to do so will negatively affect your participation grade.
1) Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia, eds. An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Longman, 2010.
[ISBN: 0205687881]
2) Spiegelman, Art. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon,
1986. [ISBN: 0394747232]
3) ---. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began. New York: Pantheon, 1992.
[ISBN: 0679729771]
4) Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel. New York: Random House, 1999.
[ISBN: 0385333846]
Note on Electronic Devices and PDF Files: Unless you require an assisted learning device,
please refrain from using ebooks, kindles, nooks, tablets, laptops, phones, or other electronic
devices in this course. In addition, you MUST print out all PDF files and come to class
having carefully read and taken notes on them (this includes highlighting and underlining
important portions of text, asking questions about the text in the margins, etc.); marginalia
or annotations are a necessity in both books and PDF print-outs because marking up your
texts allows you to develop and document your thinking and learning. That said, I will
periodically ask to look at your books and print-outs in order to check that you are actively
engaging with the course materials. This also allows to me see that you are keeping up with
the assigned reading. This form of note-taking will count toward your participation grade.
Course Grade Determination:
Paper 1: 10%
Paper 2 (including in-class workshop): 20%
Paper 3 (including in-class workshop): 25%
Final presentation: 10%
Weekly Assignments: 25%
Participation: 10% (5% bringing materials to class; 5% note-taking)
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E-mail: I will use WISER to send out class information and documents. Make sure that you
frequently check your UMass Boston e-mail account or that you have your messages forwarded
from your UMB account to one that you use regularly. You are responsible for remaining
apprised of class developments and making sure that you have all necessary course materials. All
class information and documents will also be posted to our course wiki for your convenience
(see below).
Course Wikispace: http://engl273g-evans.wikispaces.umb.edu/
PDF files of required readings not included in the books required for this class will be posted
under the “Assignments” tab of the course wiki. You must print, read, and mark up all assigned
readings by the dates indicated on the class schedule. Class announcements, handouts, and other
resources such as a link to Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) will also be posted to
the wiki, so it is important that you check the wiki at least once a week to stay on top of course
developments.
Attendance: Attending class, bringing the course materials, completing assignments by their due
dates, and arriving on time is crucial to your success in this course and to the success of the
course in general. Although e-mails containing status updates are appreciated if you are running
late or cannot make it to class, they do not result in excused “tardies” or excused absences.
Missing more than four classes will negatively affect your grade; do not expect to pass the course
with more than four absences. Two tardies will count as one absence. Any student who misses
more than four classes by the November 8 withdrawal deadline will be advised to drop the
course.
Note on Punctuality: Class will begin promptly at 5:30 P.M., at which time a sign-in sheet
will be circulated. The classroom door will remain open until 5:40 P.M. If you arrive at 5:40
P.M., you must make sure that you sign the attendance sheet before leaving in order to
receive credit for being in class that day. If you arrive to the classroom later than 5:40 P.M.,
please do not enter the room, as late entrances are disruptive. Instead, please wait outside the
room until the door opens at 6:45, or come to my next session of office hours to learn what
you missed and what is due at our next class meeting. If you choose not to remain after class
or to meet with me, you are responsible for contacting a fellow student to find out what you
missed and what is due at our next class meeting. An arrival after 5:40 P.M. will count as an
absence.
Participation: Literature courses are discussion-heavy and, as such, rely on your sharing your
thoughts, ideas, and interpretations of the course materials. Come to class prepared by reading
the assigned materials, making notes on those materials, and completing any written assignments
by the dates next to which they are listed on the class schedule. Various forms of reading checks
(including the one detailed above in the “Required Texts” section and below in the “Daily
Writing Assignments” section) will be administered regularly to help keep the class on track and
will count toward your participation grade. In addition, you must bring your materials with you
to each class meeting, including all hand-outs provided in previous class meetings as well as
your copies of the text(s) assigned for the day (again, you are required to print out and bring to
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class all assigned PDFs). Failure to bring your materials with you to class will negatively affect
your participation grade.
Daily Writing Assignments (“Notes and Quotes”): “Notes and Quotes” are written responses
to the readings that you will complete in preparation for and bring with you to each class as
indicated on the class schedule. From each assigned reading, you will pick a quote that stands out
to you and write at least 200-250 words discussing its singular importance to the text. Often, I
will prompt you to look for a quote that best exemplifies a particular element of fiction. These
“topics” will be announced in class, and more detailed instructions will be provided during the
second class meeting of the semester.
The purpose of these assignments is twofold; the assignments aim, first, to ensure that students
keep up with the course readings and, second, to stimulate class discussion. These miniassignments, therefore, will be tied in to your Weekly Assignments grade (worth 25 percent of
your final course grade). I will monitor your participation in this course in part by checking that
you come to class with your Notes and Quotes typed and ready to be shared with the class, as
well as by collecting them for grading. These assignments will be graded as exemplary (check
plus), satisfactory (check), or unsatisfactory (check minus). Please save all of your Notes and
Quotes when they are returned to you, as they might help you to formulate ideas for formal
papers.
Submission of Assignments: All assignments are due at the beginning of class unless otherwise
noted. An assignment received after class (at 6:45 P.M. on the day it is due or later) is considered
late and will be marked down one full letter grade. For each day an assignment is past its due
date, your grade for that assignment will be lowered by one full letter grade. If you know in
advance that you are going to be absent when an assignment or formal paper is due, you may
submit your work to me either in person or by dropping it in my departmental mailbox (located
in W-06-52) before the due date. Electronic copies of assignments and papers will not be
accepted at any time.
Formal Papers: In addition to daily writing assignments, your formal papers are the best way to
demonstrate what you have learned about literature and to showcase your ability to express your
thoughts clearly and cohesively through written language. You will be required to complete three
papers and a final project and presentation, and all of these assignments, combined, make up
more than one half of your final course grade.
Final Project and Presentation: The final project and presentation will allow you to creatively
demonstrate your individual understanding of literature and literary studies and will be worth 10
percent of your final course grade. As we approach the end of the semester, I will provide you
with a handout that discusses in detail the project and presentation requirements.
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Note on Written Assignments and Formal Papers: All written work, unless otherwise
noted, must be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font and double spaced. Assignments
that are longer than one page must be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. I will not accept
assignments that are not stapled. In addition, all typed work must contain a heading in the
upper left-hand corner of the first page. This heading should list your name, the course
number and section, the type of assignment, and the due date. A title should appear centered
at the top of the first page just below the heading, and all pages should be numbered.
Margins should be set at one inch, all around. Finally, a works cited page must accompany
each formal paper that you hand in. See Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) for
information on how to properly use MLA formatting and citations:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/. Failure to adhere to these technical
requirements will result in your grade for the assignment in question dropping by one full
letter grade.
Disabilities: If you have a disability and need accommodations in order to complete course
requirements, please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services at 617.287.7430 (CC-22010).
How to succeed in this course: Be inquisitive; complete all assigned work on time; come to
class ready to actively participate; refer to this syllabus often to remind yourself of course
policies, procedures, and requirements; and, of course, have fun!
A final note on the Intermediate Seminar: Dr. Cheryl Nixon, English Department Chair,
supervises the Intermediate Seminars. Please expect occasional visits from Dr. Nixon, as well as
from other Intermediate Seminar instructors.
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Class Schedule
(Subject to change at instructor’s discretion)
UNIT ONE
The SHORT STORY and the ELEMENTS OF FICTION
How do you tell a story?
*All Unit One readings, unless otherwise noted, are from our fiction anthology. Supplemental PDFs, noted below as
(PDF), are posted to the course wiki under the “Assignments” tab.
Week One
Tues, Sept 4:
Thurs, Sept 6:
Week Two
Tues, Sept 11:
Thurs, Sept 13:
Week Three
Tues, Sept 18:
Thurs, Sept 20:
Syllabus and Course Overview
Student Introductions
Close Reading Exercise
Literary Element: Plot
Ch. 1 “Reading a Story” (pp. 5-16)
Updike, “A & P” (pp. 16-20)
Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
(pp. 584-595)
Paper #1 Assigned
*Notes and Quotes #1 and #2 Due (one entry per story)*
Intermediate Seminar Questionnaire Due
Literary Element: Character
Ch. 3 “Character” (pp. 77-79)
Carver, “Cathedral” (pp. 93-104)
Faulkner, “Dry September” (PDF)
ADD/DROP ENDS
*Notes and Quotes #3 and #4 Due (one entry per story)*
O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (pp. 369-379)
Walker, “Everyday Use” (pp. 455-461)
PAPER #1 DUE
Literary Element: Point of View
Ch. 2 “Point of View” (pp. 25-29)
Kincaid, “Girl” (in class)
*Notes and Quotes #5 and #6 Due (one entry per story)*
Literary Elements: Tone and Style
Ch. 5 “Tone and Style” (pp. 148-151)
Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily” (pp. 29-36)
Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants” (PDF)
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Week Four:
Tues, Sept 25:
Thurs, Sept 27:
Week Five
Tues, Oct 2:
Thurs, Oct 4:
Paper #2 Assigned
*Notes and Quotes #7 Due*
Literary Element: Theme
Ch. 6. “Theme” (pp. 183-185)
Munro, “How I Met My Husband” (pp. 202-214)
“The Prodigal Son” (in class)
*Notes and Quotes #8 and #9 Due (one entry per story)*
Literary Element: Setting
Ch. 4 “Setting” (pp. 107-110)
Boyle, “Greasy Lake” (pp. 125-132)
London, “To Build a Fire” (pp. 114-124)
*Notes and Quotes #10 and #11 Due (one entry per story)*
Literary Element: Symbol
Ch. 7 “Symbol” (pp. 223-225)
Jackson, “The Lottery” (pp. 247-255)
Faulkner, “The Brooch” (PDF)
Paper #2 Workshop
UNIT TWO
The NOVEL and CRITICISM
How can we debate the meaning of a story?
Week Six
Tues, Oct 9:
Thurs, Oct 11:
Week Seven
Tues, Oct 16:
Thurs, Oct 18:
PAPER #2 DUE
O’Brien, How to Tell a True War Story (in class)
Background of the Bombing of Dresden, WWII
*Notes and Quotes #12 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Ch. 1 (pp. 1-28)
*Notes and Quotes #13 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Chs. 2-3 (pp. 29-90)
*Notes and Quotes #14 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Ch. 4 (pp. 91-109)
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Week Eight
Tues, Oct 23:
Thurs, Oct 25:
Week Nine
Tues, Oct 30:
Thurs, Nov 1:
Week Ten
Tues, Nov 6:
Thurs, Nov 8:
Week Eleven
Tues, Nov 13:
Thurs, Nov 15:
*Notes and Quotes #15 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Ch. 5 (pp. 110-172)
Paper #3 Assigned
*Notes and Quotes #16 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Chs. 6-7 (pp. 173-205)
*Notes and Quotes #17 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Ch. 8 (pp. 206-232)
*Notes and Quotes #18 Due*
Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Chs. 9-10 (pp. 233-275)
Matheson, “‘This Lousy Little Book’: The Genesis and
Development of Slaughterhouse-Five as Revealed in Chapter One”
(PDF)
Rigney, “All This Happened, More or Less: What a Novelist Made
of the Bombing of Dresden” (PDF)
COURSE WITHDRAWAL;
PASS/FAIL DEADLINE
Plato, “Phaedrus” (PDF)
Paper #3 Workshop
Paper #3 Workshop
UNIT THREE
VISUAL/GRAPHIC TEXT and CREATIVITY
What are some of today’s alternative forms of storytelling?
Week Twelve
Tues, Nov 20:
Thurs, Nov 22:
PAPER #3 DUE
Final Project and Presentation Assigned
McCloud, Understanding Comics, Chs. 2 & 6 (PDF)
Graphic Text Close Reading Exercise
THANKSGIVING (No Class)
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Week Thirteen
Tues, Nov 27:
Thurs, Nov 29:
Week Fourteen
Tues, Dec 4:
Thurs, Dec 6:
Week Fifteen
Tues, Dec 11:
Spiegelman, Maus I, Chs. 1-5 (pp. 5-127)
Spiegelman, Maus I, Ch. 6 (pp. 129-159)
Spiegelman, Maus II, Chs. 1-2 (pp.1-74)
Final Projects/Presentations
Spiegelman, Maus II, Chs. 3-5 (pp. 75-136)
Final Projects/Presentations
Final Projects/Presentations
Course Evaluations
Last day of class
(Dec. 14-20: Final Exam Period)