ENG 111: LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
Section. 000ON Registration Code. 3 hrs. 3 cr.
Dr Carl James Grindley
Meets:
Asynchronously
Email:
cgrindley@hostos.cuny.edu
Office:
Office of Instructional Technology, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College,
The City University of New York, B442, 4th Floor, 500 Grand Concourse, T&TH,
9:00-10:00 am, or by appointment only.
718.319.7907
Phone:
Contact
Policy:
Emails from official CUNY student email accounts will be answered within 24 hours
of receipt between Monday and Thursday. CUNY emails received between Friday
and Sunday will be answered on the following Monday. Emails from non-CUNY
addresses will be deleted unread. Please do not leave messages asking me to call
you. Just try again later, instead. I will not return phone calls under any
circumstance.
DESCRIPTION
English 111, the second semester of freshman composition and a foundational writing course, introduces
students to techniques for close reading of literary texts. This course develops students' critical thinking
skills through the study of literary elements such as plot, character, setting, point of view, symbolism, and
irony. Additionally, students will learn the Modern Language Association (MLA) system of parenthetical
citation and how to incorporate quotations into their analysis of literary texts; they will also complete a
research paper by consulting both print and on-line sources. By the end of the semester, students will be
able to interpret and write critically about each of the three major genres: poetry, fiction, and drama.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, students will:
1. Identify the main elements (narrative, characterization, theme, point of view, setting, image, tone,
word choice, allegory, symbolism, context and allusion), in each genre of literature and explain
their function in the text;
2. Compare and contrast literary texts, and explore related themes, orally, in essays, and on exams;
3. Use literary terminology in their interpretation of texts;
4. Incorporate secondary sources, both print and online, into assignments; and
5. Use the MLA style of parenthetical citation when documenting primary and secondary sources.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. The Literary Experience. Boston: Thompson, 2008.
ISBN 978-1413019179
McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. New York: Vintage, 2006. ISBN 978-0307387899
PRE-REQUISITES AND/OR CO-REQUISITES
•
The successful completion of ENG 110 or its equivalent.
DUE DATES AND REWRITES
Without an official note from a DOCTOR, you may NOT make up missed work.
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ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment
Unit Tests for Units 1,3,4,5,6,7
Schedule code
Point Value
UT
30
B1-3
15
DB1-7
21
Research Paper due at end of term
RP
20
Face to Face Final Exam during Final Exam
Period
Two Library Workshops
T3
14
--
pass/fail course
Blogs for Units 2,3,4
Discussion Boards for all Units
Total
100
GRADING
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
F
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
70-76
60-69
Below 60
ASYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY
This class will be asynchronously delivered. All of the course content and required tasks will be performed
on-line. In addition, all of the research assignments will require the use of the library’s research
databases. Students should:
•
•
•
•
Be familiar with Blackboard, MS Word, and the Internet;
Have access to the internet from home or elsewhere;
Have an active CUNY or Hostos student email account; and
Be comfortable with Academic Search Premier and JSTOR.
It will NOT be possible to complete this course without adequate computer skills.
You are responsible for reading and understanding CUNY policies on the use of the university’s computer
resources and email system. Please see page 164 of the 2008-2010 Hostos Community College
Catalogue.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
See pages 124-128 of the 2008-2010 Hostos Community College Academic Bulletin.
This class may use Blackboard’s SafeAssign to verify assignment originality. The minimum penalty for
plagiarism or cheating is failure of the course.
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ATTENDANCE
See page 40 of the 2008-2010 Hostos Community College Academic Bulletin.
You must log on to the class Blackboard site at least four days per week. Perfect attendance is nonnegotiable without a doctor’s or counselor’s note. If you are late to or miss any 6 mandatory log on days,
you will not pass the course.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
See pages 14-15 of the 2008-2010 Hostos Community College Academic Bulletin.
Without official documentation from the Students with Disabilities Office, no accommodations will be
made to any assignment or to any classroom activity.
ONLINE BEHAVIOR
You must be prepared to participate every learning unit; you must have access to your textbooks; your
online behavior will be civil but your are still expected to engage, challenge, and refute one another’s
opinions.
If you violate these rules, you will be brought before the Dean of Students.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR WRITING?
Hostos Academic Learning Center: http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/asc/
GRINDLEY/4
COURSE OUTLINE
This is a reading- and writing-dependent course. You are expected to read between 50 and 100 pages
per week. If you fall behind in your reading assignments, you will probably fail. If your reading skills do not
meet this minimum standard, please seek tutoring at HALC.
This course is organized into 8, two-week learning units, all of which are based on the chapters of
Beiderwell and Wheeler’s The Literary Experience. The final learning unit, An Orientation to Research,
does not have any assignments in order to give you ample time to finish your term papers. The learning
units are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Narrative
Characterization
Theme
Point of View; Setting
Images; Tone; Word Choice
Allegory; Symbolism
Context; Allusions
An Orientation to Research
1.
NARRATIVE
WK:
1-2
Read: pp. 1-114
SCENE, EPISODE, AND PLOT: WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY DO WE CARE?
In this learning unit, you will consider how short stories, poems and plays use incident, scene, and
sequence to tell their narratives. You will think about how episodes, impressions, and fragments
contribute to story telling, and learn about tension, release, and resolution. You will encounter multiple
and reflexive plots and look at how to model a critical analysis for Jamaica Kincaid's “Girl.”
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
2.
CHARACTERIZATION
WK:
3-4
Read: pp. 115-194
CHARACTER: WHO IS INVOLVED AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
In this learning unit, you will consider the ways that writers build and present characters. You will study
not only the function of characters and character types, but you will think about how their stories affect
you the reader. You will continue to look at a critical analysis of Jamaica Kincaid's “Girl,” before you begin
characterizing relationships in texts for yourself.
ASSESSMENT: Blog on characterization in selected poems
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
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3.
THEME
WK:
5-6
Read: pp. 195-281
THEME: WHAT IS THE NATURE OF MEANING IN A WORK OF ART?
In this learning unit, you will encounter the important issues of theme and thesis. You will learn the
differences between themes and morals, and consider the presence of multiple themes in a single work.
You will also ponder what happens to a text when its message is unwanted. You will continue to examine
a critical analysis of Jamaica Kincaid's “Girl,” before working to explore your own boundaries and begin
interpreting literary themes for yourself.
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
4.
POINT OF VIEW; SETTING
WK:
7-8
Read: pp. 282-339; 399-455
POINT OF VIEW: HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED? SETTING:
WHERE AND WHEN DOES THE ACTION TAKE PLACE? WHY DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
In this fourth learning unit, you are going to read selections from two separate chapters in your textbooks
and consider a variety of topics. You will take a look at perspective, the so-called narrative eye, reliable
and unreliable narrators. You will consider the importance of place and time, the role of physical objects
and imaginary places. To help you through these topics, you will follow along as the textbook presents a
critical analysis of Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess."
ASSESSMENT: Blog on setting in selected short stories
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
5.
IMAGES; TONE; WORD CHOICE
WK:
9-10
Read: pp. 630-699; 1006-1023; 1070-1076; 1077-1193
IMAGES: CAN WE TRADE A PICTURE FOR A THOUSAND WORDS? TONE: DID I HEAR THAT
RIGHT? WORD CHOICE: WHY THIS WORD AND NOT ANOTHER?
In this fifth learning unit, you are going to read selections from three separate chapters in your textbooks
and consider a large number of topics. First, you will examine how writers create pictures with words and
work to create the illusion of taste and smell. After you consider the interaction of the senses, you will see
how writers personalize images to create balancing and opposing tones. Finally, you will explore the ways
that writers choose their words, and work to express the exact emotion.
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
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6.
ALLEGORY; SYMBOLISM
WK:
11-12
Read: pp. 1194-1245; 1252-1314
ALLEGORY: HOW DO CONCRETE ACTIONS SUGGEST ABSTRACT MEANINGS? SYMBOLISM:
WHAT MAKES US "READ INTO" AN EVENT OR AN IMAGE?
In this sixth learning unit, you are going to read selections from two separate chapters in your textbooks
and consider a variety of topics. You will explore the concept of allegory through discussions of how we
associate through likeness, and how we are attracted to things that embody timeless qualities. You will
also consider figurative language and symbols. In order to learn how to read for allegory and symbolism,
you will follow a critical analysis of João Guimarães Rosa's, "The Third Bank of the River," before taking
part in a discussion of the allegories and symbols in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
ASSESSMENT: Blog on symbolism in selected short stories
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
7.
CONTEXT; ALLUSIONS
WK:
13-14
Read: pp. 1392-1466; 896-1004; 1474-1498
CONTEXT: WHAT FACTORS OUTSIDE THE TEXT INFLUENCE OUR EXPERIENCE OF THE TEXTS?
WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW?
In this seventh learning unit, you are going to read selections from two separate chapters in your
textbooks and consider a variety of topics. First, you are going to ask how new knowledge influences your
experience of old texts? You will determine if knowledge "outside" the text is helpful, and ask yourself
whether you really need to know everything in order to understand? To help you along in your journey,
you will continue to follow a critical analysis of João Guimarães Rosa's, "The Third Bank of the River, "
and then move on to following a critical analysis of Tom Stoppard's The Fifteen Minute Hamlet.
ASSESSMENT: Short answer test based on the full reading list for the unit
ASSESSMENT: Participation in Discussion Board
8.
AN ORIENTATION TO RESEARCH
WK:
15-16
Read: pp. 1695-1740
AN ORIENTATION TO RESEARCH: WHY DO WE USE SOURCES? HOW DO WE FIND THEM? WHAT
MATERIAL DO WE DOCUMENT?
In this final learning you will learn why we use sources. You will explore ways to shape a topic and find
sources You will learn the need to give appropriate credit and be informed about the dangers of
plagiarism. You will be brief on how to document and cite your sources using MLA style. This is the last
unit of the course, and you will have to submit your research papers to Blackboard’s SafeAssign for
originality testing and grading.
Your research paper is due.
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ASSIGNMENTS
* Six (6) Unit Tests [30% of final grade]
UNIT TESTS:
The unit tests take the form of multiple-choice, matching,
multiple answer, or short answer questions that must be
completed in 30 minutes or less. These tests will be
graded from 1-10. The unit tests assess learning
objectives 1 and 3.
* Three (3) Blogs [15% of final grade]
Blogs:
The writing assignments take the form of short essaysapproximately 750 words or two MLA format pages
each. The topics are assigned at the beginning of the
learning unit, and you must address all of the points of
the prompt. The Blogs will be graded from 0-5. The inclass essays assess learning objectives 1, 2, 3 and 5.
* One (1) Research Paper [20% of final grade]
Your Research Paper must be at least 7 standard MLA formatted pages and use a minimum of 3 refereed
scholarly sources. Please prepare your work in MLA format using parenthetical citations. The Research
Paper is worth a maximum of 20 points. Late papers will be immediately failed. Papers that do not meet
the minimum criteria will receive an automatic 0/20. The Research Paper helps to assess all learning
objectives. You ARE required to submit your Research Papers to Blackboard’s SafeAssign for originality
testing. If you do not wish to have your Research Paper scrutinized for originality—WITHDRAW FROM
THE CLASS NOW. The Research paper assesses all of the course’s learning objectives.
* One (1) Final Exam [14% of final grade]
The Final Exam will be an in-person, in-class traditional final exam held during the college’s official exam
period. The final exam is worth a maximum of 14 points. The final exam assesses learning objectives 1,
2, 3 and 5.
* Seven (7) Discussion Boards [21% of final grade]
Your participation in the class will be evaluated through the depth, complexity and frequency of your posts
to the class Discussion Boards. The more that you post, the better that you will do. I would expect at least
12 posts per Learning Unit in order to secure a 1/3. If you do not post a lot, you will get a 0.
Library Workshops
You must attend two library workshops during the term. One MUST be Plagiarism: How to Cite Using
MLA and the other MUST be Finding Articles. If you do not take these workshops, you will fail the course
regardless of your grade.
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Course schedule and Reading List:
UNIT
1
TOPIC
2
Class
Introduction,
Scene,
Episode and
Plot, MLA
Character
3
Theme
4
Point of View
and Setting
5
Images, Tone
and Word
Choice
6
Allegory and
Symbolism
7
Context and
Allusions
8
Research
READ
pp. 1-114
pp. 115-194
TEXTS ON THE TEST
Hart Crane, “An Episode of War”
Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl”
Sophocles, Oedipus the King
Michael Chabon, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay”
Cathy Song, “Picture Bride”
Seamus Heaney, “Mid-Term Break”
Judith Ortiz Cofer, “My Father in the Navy”
Sylvia Plath, “Daddy”
Billy Collins, “Lanyard”
Michael Lassell, “How to Watch Your Brother Die”
pp. 195-281
Charles Perrault, “Little Red Riding Hood”
James Thurber, “The Girl and the Wolf”
Ted Hughes, “Lovesong“
Carolyn Forche, “The Colonel”
D.H. Lawrence, “Snake”
Christopher Marlowe,
Doctor Faustus
pp. 282-339;
William Carlos Williams, “This is Just to Say”
399-455
Erica-Lynn Gambino, “This is Just to Say”
Dorothy Parker, “Penelope”
Philip Levine, “Photography 2”
Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess”
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”
James Joyce, “Araby”
pp. 630-699;
John Milton, from Paradise Lost
1006-1023;
William Wordsworth, “London, 1802”
1070-1133
Wallace Stevens, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”
Wendy Wasserstein, “Medea”
Chinua Achebe, “Dead Men’s Path”
William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 18”
Haruki Murakami, “UFO in Kushiro”
e.e. cummings, “Spring is like a perhaps hand”
pp. 1194-1245; Aesop, “The Crow and the Pitcher”
1252-1314
Billy Collins, “The Death of Allegory”
Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave”
John Donne, “Death be Not Proud”
João Guimarães Rosa, “The Third Bank of the River”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous
Wings”
pp. 1392-1466; Tennyson, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”
896-1004;
Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried.”
1474-1498
Shakespeare, Hamlet
Tom Stoppard, “The Fifteen Minute Hamlet”
pp. 1695-1740