Page 1 of 3 Course title: Philippine Literary Masterpieces Course code: PHILMAS Course duration: 3 hrs/week, 14 weeks Pre-­‐requisite: HUMALIT I. Course Description and Objectives PHILMAS exposes the learner to canonical and contemporary fiction written in English by Filipinos. Thorough readings and discussions on the assigned texts will help facilitate the understanding of the “Filipino condition” as constructed in literature, and how meanings can be derived from careful analysis of literary elements, devices, techniques and styles. The regular writing assignments (via blogs) will help the student to reconcile the texts with actual personal experiences and social realities. This course entails discussions around literary texts by Filipino authors in English in accordance to two general aims: (1) to acquire a perspective of local fiction and understand its development in the light of the country’s history; and (2) to gain insight into our personal experiences as we get to know how Filipino writers imagine their country, their community and their own selves. An ensuing but equally important aim of the course is to develop the literary student’s skills in researching, reading and synthesizing information by using various web/digital tools. By keeping abreast of current events and following notable writers/content producers of their choice, the student is given a venue to think critically and creatively about the literary texts and assist his/her own learning by relating the text to aspects of contemporary society. This reader-­‐response approach to literature provides a venue for the student to not only exercise critical thinking and have an enlightened understanding of Philippine literature, but also to develop an awareness of one’s social reality—an awareness that the student will find valuable and relevant no matter what academic field he/she may belong to. Members of the class will also be tasked to facilitate discussions on the selected readings. II. Course Outline and Readings I.
II.
Introduction to the course (3 meetings) a. Syllabus (requirements, policies, grading system, etc.) b. The use of the Edu2.0 online classroom c. Overview of Philippine Literature in English d. Assignment of discussion facilitators The Canon (9 meetings) a. “My Father Goes to Court” – Carlos Bulosan b. “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” – Manuel Arguilla c. “The Mats” – Francisco Arcellana d. “Divide by Two” – Francisco Arcellana III.
IV.
e. “Bread of Salt” – N.V.M. Gonzalez f. “The Summer Solstice” – Nick Joaquin g. “Love in the Cornhusks” Aida Rivera-­‐Ford h. “The Corral” Edith L. Tiempo i. “Magnificence” Estrella D. Alfon Contemporary (4 meetings) a. “Games” – Noelle Q. De Jesus b. “Document” – Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak c. “The Tale of the Spinster and Peter Pan” – Cristina Pantoja-­‐Hidalgo d. “Generations” -­‐ Ninotchka Rosca Novella (4 meetings) a. A Wilderness of Sweets – Gilda Cordero Fernando Reference: 1) Abad, G. (ed). (1998) The Likhaan anthology of Philippine literature in Enlgish. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press 2) Dimalanta, O. & Mata, V. (Eds.) (1993). Philippine contemporary literature in English: Tradition and change (from the 20s to the present). Manila: UST 3) Hidalgo, CP (ed.)(2004). Filipino fiction in English: A reader (unpublished) 4) De Jesus, N.Q. (ed.)(2003). Fast food fiction. Paig: Anvil 5) Hidalgo, C.P. (2005). Sky blue after the rain: Selected stories and tales. Q.C.: University of the Philippines Press Course Requirements The minimum requirements for the course are grammatical competence, basic research writing, composition and oral communication skills. The basis of the final grade shall be the following: • Regular reading responses (via Edu2.0 forums) (30%) • Discussion facilitation (20%) • Participation in class discussions (30%) • Final Creative Project (20%) An incentive of 0.5 points will be added to the final grades of students who do not incur absences (excused or not) during the term. Class Policies A maximum of five (5) absences (or 20% of meetings) will be allowed for PHILMAS. In case your absences go beyond this, you will either be advised to drop the course if your absences are incurred before the deadline for dropping, or be given a failing mark. More than 30 minutes of the class time late will be regarded as non-­‐attendance for that particular meeting. Early or prolonged departure from class will also be considered as absence especially if reasons for departure are deemed by the instructor to be irrelevant or inconsequential. Policies on attendance, tardiness, proper conduct, plagiarism/academic honesty, etc. will be based on relevant guidelines in the DLSU student handbook. You will be required to participate in class discussions (online and in class) and activities, as well as to submit the final project. These submissions will gauge your understanding of the lessons and encourage participation. All requirements must be submitted through the prescribed, specified medium. They shall not be left or posted anywhere else unless instructed otherwise. The instructor will not be responsible for lost or misplaced (including online) materials and reserves the right to disqualify submissions that do not comply with given guidelines. Late submissions will not be considered. Official consultation hours will be announced in class. Please feel free to inform your instructor in advance if you wish to consult about course-­‐related matters. Prepared by:
Dianne Siriban
Literature Department
3rd trimester 2013-2014
Contact:
Email: dianne.siriban@dlsu.edu.ph
Twitter: @rubydlsc