Syllabus: English 2120-006
Introduction to Fiction: Life and Death in the City
Fall 2011 MW 12:50-2:40pm
114 State Hall
Course Wiki - http://introtofiction2120.pbworks.com/w/page/42274725/Home-Page
Instructor: Abigail Heiniger
Office: Maccabees Building 10304.04 (5750 Woodward)
Office Hours: Monday-Wednesday 12:00-12:30 pm or by appointment
Contact information:
e-mail: ed1911@wayne.edu
phone: (586) 489-0987 (for emergencies only)
The outer door to the 10304 suit is locked and I may not hear you if you knock. Please e-mail ahead to
schedule meetings, even during office hours. The office does not have a phone.
General Education Designation
With a grade of C or better, ENG 2120 fulfills a General Education Intermediate Composition
(IC) graduation requirement. Prereq: grade of C or better in ENG 1020 or equivalent.
Last day to ADD course is 7 September 2011.
Last day to WITHDRAW from course is 12 November 2011.
Course Description
Building upon students’ diverse skills, English 2120 prepares students for critical reading, and
writing about literature in college classes. The main goals of the course are (1) to introduce
students to the four main genres of modern fiction: poetry, drama, the novel, and the short story;
(2) to have students engage in the close reading of fiction; and (3) to teach students to articulate
their analysis of fiction through writing.
To achieve these goals, the course places considerable emphasis upon the relationship between
reading and writing. Literary analysis and close reading skills will be practiced individually in
daily responses, discussed in class weekly, and utilized in a final paper.
This course also attempts to contextualize and connect works of fiction. Exams will be designed
to evaluate students' abilities to make these connections as well as assess basic comprehension of
the materials.
Section Description
More specifically, our class will take up the above objectives on three levels:
1) We will engage the critical and theoretical aspects of fiction in four group projects in
which students will introduce a genre to the class.
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2) The pragmatic process of close reading and literary analysis (how to write about
fiction) will be accomplished through the final paper and through daily responses to
specific reading questions.
• The questions and responses will be discussed in class along with techniques
for close reading and literary analysis. As a college-level course, it is expected
that students will adhere to the mechanics of composition (grammar, sentence
structure, arrangement, etc.).
• The final paper will utilize the close reading and literary analysis skill that
students learn throughout the year along. It will also have a research element students will be expected to consult three or more scholarly secondary sources
for their final paper (which will be revised and edited during the course of the
semester).
3) Finally, overarching comprehension of material will be measured in three exams
throughout the course of the semester.
The bulk of your final grades will be based on the group project, daily responses, the three
exams, and the final paper.
Learning Objectives
There are three primary learning objectives for this course:
1.
to introduce students to the four main genres of fiction: poetry, drama, the novel,
and the short story
2.
to teach students to engage in close reading and literary analysis
3.
to teach students to articulate literary analysis through writing
Texts and Supplies
Required: Bram Stoker Dracula Norton Critical Edition ISBN 0393970124
Required: William Shakespeare The Tempest Folger's Library ISBN 0743482832
Required: Copies of short fiction included on wiki
Required: A Wayne State e-mail address you check regularly
Required: Introduction to Fiction 2120-006 wiki account
All required texts are available at Barnes & Nobles Bookstore on campus.
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Assignments
 Daily Responses (due before class - worth 200 pts)
 Exam I (9/28 - 150 pts)
 Exam II (11/2 - 200 pts)
 Exam III (12/2 - 200 pts)
 Final Paper - (12/4 - 200pts)
 Group Project (individually determined - 50pts)
Percentage of Total Grade:
 Daily Responses and Class Participation - 20% of total grade
 Final Paper (8-10pp) - 20% of total grade
 Exams - 55% of total grade
 Group Project - 5% of total grade
All written work is to adhere to MLA guidelines (available online through the WSU Writing
Center and in ).
All Assignments and Due Dates listed on the Assignments page of the class wiki.
Exams
The majority of the final grade depends upon the three exams and the final comprehensive exam.
Attendance on exam dates is mandatory; exams cannot be made up except in the case of a
university-accepted excused absence.
Daily Reading Responses
Reading responses are worth 20% of the final grade. Responses are due at 12:00pm
before every class; they are to be posted on the class wiki on the READING RESPONSE page.
These papers should respond to the question posted for the reading that day. Reading response
will only receive half-credit on days that students do not also attend class.
Final Paper
For the final paper, students will do a close reading of a long work of fiction (novel or play) or
three short works of fiction of their choice with the approval of the instructor (not texts read in
this class). Students must develop a thesis guide their analysis and close reading. This thesis will
also be supported with research from at least three scholarly sources. Students will work on and
revise this paper throughout the year. Specific guidelines and due dates can be found on
Assignments and the Final Paper Guidelines pages (on the course wiki).
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Grading Papers
Although some questions on exams are simply objective, the general rubric for written responses
and for the final paper in our course is as follows:
The "A" Paper
• The "A" paper has an excellent sense of purpose. Its aim is clear and consistent throughout
the paper. It attends to the needs of its audience and the topic itself is effectively narrowed
and clearly defined.
• The content is appropriately developed for the assignment and the text it is analyzing. The
supporting details or evidence are convincingly presented. The reasoning is valid and
shows an awareness of the complexities of the subject. If secondary sources are used, they
are appropriately selected and cited.
• The organization demonstrates a clear and effective strategy. The introduction establishes
the writer's credibility and the conclusion effectively completes the essay: paragraphs are
coherent, developed, and show effective structural principles.
• The expression is very clear, accessible, concrete. It displays ease with idiom and a broad
range of diction. It shows facility with a great variety of sentence options and the
punctuation and subordinate structures that these require. It has few errors, none of which
seriously undermines the effectiveness of the paper for educated readers.
The "B" Paper
• The "B" paper has a good sense of purpose. It shows awareness of purpose and focuses on
a clearly defined topic.
• The content is well developed and the reasoning usually valid and convincing. Evidence
and supporting details are adequate.
• The organization is clear and easy to follow: the introduction and conclusion are effective,
and transitions within and between paragraphs are finessed reasonably well.
• The paper has few errors, especially serious sentence errors. Sentences show some variety
in length, structure, and complexity. Punctuation, grammar, and spelling conform to the
conventions of edited Standard American English.
The "C" Paper
• The "C" paper has an adequate sense of purpose. Its purpose is clear and it is focused on
an appropriate central idea. The topic and analysis may be unoriginal, but the assignment
has been followed, if not fulfilled.
• The content is adequately developed. The major points are supported, and paragraphs are
appropriately divided, with enough specific details to make the ideas clear. The reasoning
is valid.
• The organization is clear and fairly easy to follow. The introduction and conclusion are
adequate; transitions are mechanical but appropriate.
• The expression is generally correct, although it shows little competence with sentence
variety (in length and structure) and emphasis. The paper is generally free of major
sentence and grammar errors and indicates mastery of most conventions of edited
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Standard American English.
The "D" Paper
• The "D" paper has a limited sense of purpose. Its purpose may not be clear, its topic may
not be interesting to or appropriate for its audience.
• The content is inadequately developed. The evidence is insufficient, and supporting details
or examples are absent or irrelevant.
• Organization is deficient. Introductions or conclusions are not clearly marked or
functional. Paragraphs are not coherently developed or linked to each other. The
arrangement of material within paragraphs may be confusing.
• Expression demonstrates an awareness of a very limited range of stylistic options. It is
marred by numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that detract from a
reader’s comprehension of the text.
The "F" Paper
• There is no sense of purpose or of the objectives of the assignment as described in the
syllabus.
• The content is insufficiently developed and does not go beyond the obvious. The
reasoning is deeply flawed.
• The organization is very difficult to follow. Sentences may not be appropriately grouped
into paragraphs, or paragraphs may not be arranged logically. Transitions are not present
or are inappropriate.
• The number and seriousness of errors—in grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.—
significantly obstruct comprehension.
Late Work
I do not accept late work - for your writing to receive credit it must be posted in the
appropriate space on the wiki by the deadline, otherwise I will comment on it, but it will not
receive credit.
Attendance
As this is a discussion-driven class, attendance of all participants is particularly important. In
accordance with English department attendance policies, enrolled students in this class must
attend one of the first two class sessions; otherwise, they may be required to drop the class. Daily
reading responses will only receive half-credit on days that students do not attend class.
Attendance on exams dates is mandatory; exams cannot be made up except in the case of
university-accepted excuse.
Sharing Student Work
English 2120 is a collaborative course, as such we will be sharing our writing throughout the
semester as a means to helping each other become better writers and thinkers. To better facilitate
this process, I will be using selections of your work during class as examples. If you would
prefer that I not use your work, please let me know by the end of the first week of the semester.
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Media Policy
I encourage you to use your laptops, computers and Internet connections to search out
information relevant to class during class. However, browsing unrelated to the class (as well as
other media use - texting, IMing, etc.) will be grounds for expulsion from the course.
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of ideas and information from sources without proper
citation and documentation (e.g., copying from texts or pasting from websites without quoting,
and not providing a complete list of Works Cited).
The English Department adheres to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policy on
plagiarism. Instructors are required to report all instances of plagiarism to the Department of
English. According to the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policy on plagiarism,
instructors may give a failing grade on the assignment or for the course.
In English 2120-006, the first instance of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the entire
assignment. Any subsequent infringements will result in a failure of the course.
See the Policy on Academic Dishonesty for more information.
Incomplete Policy
As detailed in the WSU Undergraduate Bulletin, the mark of “I” (Incomplete) is given to a
student when he/she has not completed all of the course work as planned for the term and when
there is, in the judgment of the instructor, a reasonable probability that the student can complete
the course successfully without again attending regular class sessions. The student should be
passing at the time the grade of ‘I’ is given. A written contract specifying the work to be
completed should be signed by the student and instructor. Responsibility for completing all
course work rests with the student.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center (2nd floor, UGL) provides tutoring consultations free of charge for students
at Wayne State University. Undergraduate students in General Education courses, including
composition courses, receive priority for tutoring appointments. The Writing Center serves as a
resource for writers, providing tutoring sessions on the range of activities in the writing process –
considering the audience, analyzing the assignment or genre, brainstorming, researching, writing
drafts, revising, editing, and preparing documentation. The Writing Center is not an editing or
proofreading service; rather students are guided as they engage collaboratively in the process of
academic writing, from developing an idea to correctly citing sources. To make an appointment,
consult the Writing Center website. To submit material for online tutoring, consult the Writing
Center HOOT (Hypertext One-on-One Tutoring) website.
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Technology Services
This course is heavily technology and web based. Much of the course content will be covered on
this wiki and all of your work will be submitted on the appropriate wiki page or via "Safe
Assign" on Blackboard. As such, competency and comfort with these technologies is absolutely
vital to success in this course. If you need help with this, ask for it. You can also utilize
the Student Technology Studio located next to the Writing Center on the second floor of the
Undergraduate Library.
The Office of Educational Accessibility Services
If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please feel
free to contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Additionally,
the Office of Educational Accessibility Services (EAS) coordinates reasonable accommodations
for students with documented disabilities. The Office is located in 1600 David Adamany
Undergraduate Library, phone: 313-577-1851/577-3335 (TTD).
Syllabus Contract
After reading this syllabus, please go to the Syllabus Contract Page. If you agree to the terms
and conditions of this syllabus, print out and sign the text from the Syllabus Contract Page and
bring it into class on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.
Disclaimer
The instructor reserves the right to revise the syllabus and assignments during the course of the
semester.
Revised 31 August 2011
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Department of English
GENERAL SYLLABUS
for all
LITERATURE-AND-WRITING COURSES
(English 2050, 2100, 2110, 2120, 2210, 2310, 2390, 2570)
This syllabus establishes certain policies governing all sections of all Literature-and-Writing
courses taught by the English Department. The instructor of your section will provide further
particulars and a list of specific assignments in fulfillment of the following aims and
requirements.
Aims
All Literature and Writing courses have the following aims:
1. to develop your skill in reading and understanding literary texts;
2. to enhance your ability to compose and revise analytical, interpretive, and critical
essays about literature; and
3. to deepen your understanding of the nature and function of language, and to use
that understanding to enhance your own writing.
In these courses, reading and writing go hand-in-hand; they are of equal importance. Refining
your ability to read and understand various kinds of texts will increase your ability to write clear,
accurate, coherent, and persuasive essays.
Requirements
In addition to whatever reading assignments the instructor gives, you must write altogether
at least 8,000 words for this course (approximately thirty-two typewritten double-spaced pages
with one-inch margins). At least one graded revision is required. You will be given instruction in
composing and revising skills, but since you have already demonstrated competency in basic
composition, you will be expected to enter the course with a reasonably good command of
English grammar, punctuation, principles of organization, and rules for documentation. If you
have any doubts about such matters—particularly about rules for handling secondary sources—
you should consult your instructor at the beginning of the term.