Fall 2013
St. Jerome’s University
Department of English
English 251A
Criticism 1
MW, 10:00-11:20, STJ 2011
Instructor: Sylvia Terzian
Office Location: St. Jerome’s 1026
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30-12:30 or by appointment
Email: sterzian@uwaterloo.ca
COURSE DESCRIPTION
What we read, why we read, and how we read has enormous implications for our sense of self
and our understanding of others’ identities. This course is designed to provide students with the
fundamental tools for close reading and critical analysis. With an emphasis on close reading,
students will read and interpret an eclectic assortment of literary works including classic short
stories, a nineteenth-century novel, Romantic poetry, Renaissance drama, and a contemporary
postcolonial novel. Critical reading is an active, purposeful, and productive engagement with
different texts, genres, traditions, and viewpoints in ways that can develop and transform the way
we think. You will be given an overview of various theories that have influenced literary
criticism, including Freudian, Lacanian, Feminist, Postcolonial, (Post)structural, and Marxist, and
apply them through our own interpretations of literary texts. By engaging with various theoretical
perspectives, students will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between literature and
human experience, and more fully appreciate a text by being able to interpret the space “inbetween the lines.”
This course will also focus on the practice and process of critical writing about literature. I use
the term “process” here in order to emphasize that thinking and writing about literature is a
process—a very rewarding one if you are prepared, engaged, and invested. I ask that students
keep in mind that good reading is rereading and good writing is rewriting. There must be, as T.S.
Eliot says, “a hundred visions and revisions, before the taking of a toast and tea.”
REQUIRED TEXTS
Guerin, Wilfred. et al. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 6th Edition. Oxford
University Press, 2011.
Gwynn, R.S. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Second Canadian Edition. Pearson, 2008.
Charles Dickens. Hard Times. Dover, 2001.
J.M Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians. Vintage, 2004.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Abrahms, M.H & Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 10th Edition. Boston:
Thompson/Wadsworth, 2011. ISBN- 978-0495898023.
A good dictionary!
COURSE EVALUATION
Attendance & Participation
Essay# 1: Poetry Analysis
In-Class Test
Essay#2: Research Essay
Final Exam
15%
10%
20%
30%
25%
(on-line & in-class)
(4-5pages)
(6-8 pages)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:
 Identify and differentiate between the conventions and characteristics of the following
genres: fiction, poetry, and drama.
 Develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
 Improve research skills.
 Demonstrate through written work and in-class discussion their ability to apply theoretical
perspectives to works of literature and aspects of culture.
 Learn how to close read and apply the elements of close reading to the interpretation of
literature
 Demonstrate the ability to craft a concise argument based on their close reading of the
text.
 Demonstrate an understanding of the tools and vocabulary used to analyze fiction, poetry,
drama, film, and other cultural texts.
 Increase the ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate the larger meanings of a text and
how meanings are created by the text.
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT AND VALUES:
Attendance & In-class Participation 5%
The participation grade is based on a combination of your contributions to in-class discussions
and an on-line weekly discussion forum via LEARN. One-third (5%) of the participation grade
will be based on your attendance and the quality of your class discussion. I expect you to make
thoughtful and constructive contributions to class discussion, and overall, to contribute positively
to class dynamics (taking part in group discussions, thoughtful and respectful responses to or
critiques of other’s comments).
Online Discussion Responses (10%)
The other two-thirds (10%) of the grade is constituted by an on-line discussion forum, which is
designed to encourage you to read and reflect on the material, help prepare for class discussion,
and generate ideas for your essays. Throughout the term, I will post six IMPROMPTU
discussion questions on LEARN. During in-class time, I will announce which week is a
discussion week (i.e., the week I post); however, you will not know the exact date I will post.
You are required to post a comment in response to FIVE discussions prompts and will have
ONE WEEK from the date that I post to do so. It is you responsibility to regularly check the
course postings on LEARN. I expect the length of each post to constitute a solid paragraph or
two, which means that one or two sentences is insufficient, and I strongly encourage you to post a
response to a classmate’s post.
Each response is worth 2%.
I will grade your on-line responses according to the following criteria:
2% = demonstrates critical engagement; make thoughtful contributions, raise intelligent
questions; make interesting connections
1%= demonstrates that you have read it and followed the guidelines of the prompt
0% = indicates that you have not read the reading material, or demonstrates that you have read
but have not followed the guidelines of the prompt.
Essay#1: Poetry Analysis (4-5 pages; due)
The first essay is a close interpretation of one OR two poems listed on the course syllabus. This
analysis does NOT require secondary sources, however, you may use up to a maximum of two
secondary sources, published after 1980. If you choose to use secondary sources, they should be
cited in the essay and documented in accordance with MLA guidelines. The basis for this paper
should be a textual analysis of the poetic form (lyric, sonnet, dramatic monologue, free verse,
etc.), paying special attention to such poetic elements as imagery, diction, structure, and its
relationship to content, narrative point of view, and tone. The purpose of this assignment is to
assess your ability to interpret a poetic work, to come up with a cogent, thoughtful, and
interesting account of what a poem (or relationship between two poems) means, what it is trying
to do to/for the reader, what technical choices are being made by the author in order to achieve
the effect he/she wants, and the larger function of the poem(s) on a social, cultural level, etc.
In-Class Test (October 16)
This test is based on the short stories we read in Unit One, and is written in class during week 6.
The instructor will provide more detailed instructions.
Essay#2: Essay (6-8pages; due)
For this essay, you are required to use a 3-4 secondary sources—no less than three and no more
than four please. You will be required to choose a topic from a selection of topics to be provided
by the instructor. You are welcome to formulate your own topic, but must get the approval of the
instructor well in advance. Please see section, “assignment guidelines” for information about
formatting, presentation, and submission of written assignments.
Final Exam
TBA
COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Course Format
This class is a mixture of both lecture and class discussion. The first unit of this course,
“Reading Short Fiction” is reading intensive as it introduces most of the theoretical perspectives
we will learn and use to enrich our interpretations of the primary texts throughout the term. Unit
Two, “Reading Poetry,” is lighter in terms of reading material—it might be wise to think about
those weeks as an opportunity to begin reading the novels for the following unit, and to start
thinking about your final essay due in week 12 (Wednesday November 27).
The end of each class will include a “practicum” or “workshop” component, which aims
to develop research, essay writing, and close reading skills. Examples include learning how to
use the OED Online or other research resources, peer reviewing exercises, essay writing, group
work, etc. Therefore, the framework of each class generally will include the primary readings, the
theoretical readings, and the practicum component.
Important Dates
Add period ends:
Deadline to drop or withdraw
With 100% tuition refund
Thanksgiving Day—NO classes
In-Class Test
Essay#1: Poetry Analysis
Essay#2: Research Essay
Lectures/class end
September 20
September 27
October 14
October 16
(Week 6)
October 30
(Week 8)
November 27 (Week 12)
December 2
Attendance
Attendance at each class meeting is required. Absences will be excused only if negotiated in
advance with your instructor or with the provision of medical or other official documentation,
family emergencies, and religious holidays. Working or vacations are not valid reasons for
missing class or exams. Punctuality is a must—late arrivals and early departures will count as an
absence.
Contact Policy
Please feel free to make contact with me during my office hours, by appointment, or via email. I
will try to respond to all emails within 24 hours. Students using email to contact me must include
their first and last names, student number, and course in which they are enrolled in the email
subject line.
Classroom Etiquette:
You are expected to show respect and consideration towards your instructor and fellow
classmates. Respect and consideration involves NOT talking while others are talking, actively
listening, and NOT using any electronic devices (excluding lap-tops for note-taking) during class
time. This means, cell-phones are turned off, NO text-messaging, NO internet browsing, and NO
social networking.
***PLEASE NOTE*** The use of any electronic devices or any type of behaviour that is
distracting or disrespectful to others (i.e., chatting, writing, notes, texting, facebook, etc.,) will be
noted and will detract from your participation grade. In other words, I will be keeping track of
each incident that takes away from the others’ engagement in class and will evaluate the degree
to which your participation grade will be penalized.
Guidelines for Written Assignments
i. Submission guidelines
All assignments are to be handed in to me in class or my essay box by the end of day
(4pm) on the due date in hard copy form. I will not mark emailed assignments, only hard
copies. Please make sure to keep an extra hard copy of your assignments and please keep
the graded copy of your assignment until after the term’s end.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Late Policy
All late assignments are subject to late penalties of 2% per day including weekends
unless medical or other official documentation is provided. Assignment extensions will
be granted in the case of extenuating circumstances or with the provision of official
documentation—please try to arrange extensions with me as early as possible. I will not
grant or discuss extensions on or after the due date. Essays submitted on time will receive
full commentary and a grade. Late essays for which extensions have not been granted
will receive a grade but NO COMMENTS, and late penalties of 2% per day (including
weekends) will apply.
Form & Presentation
All typewritten assignments must be stapled in the upper-left corner and must have page
numbers in the upper-right corner (this includes page numbers for works cited). Each
page must have one-inch margins all around, be double-spaced throughout, and use
Times New Roman, 12-point font. Assignments must include unnumbered title pages
with your name, the course code, the date, the instructor’s name, and your essay’s title.
Please see MLA guidelines for title page formatting.
Essays should be well-written, thoughtful, concise, and well-argued. Please format and
cite in accordance with the MLA style. Academic writing is formal writing so please
express your ideas clearly, formally, and as convincingly as possible. Above all, please
make it evident that you have taken some “care” of your work prior to submission. That
is to say, take time to proofread and edit your essay for obvious typos, misspellings, and
basic errors in grammar and punctuation.
Research
You may choose to do research for your first essay (up to max. of 2 secondary sources),
but your second essay requires research (3-4 secondary sources). Using critical sources
and theory are beneficial because they can help support and develop your own
interpretations. Please be careful to NOT become over-reliant on secondary sources.
They can help hone rather than overwhelm or replace your own argument. If you are
researching the Internet for critical sources, please make sure that you use scholarly
websites—if you are unsure about the credibility of the website, ask your instructor. Note
that “Wikipedia,” “sparknotes.com,” “gradesaver.com,” etc. will not be counted as
scholarly sources.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious intellectual offense. To present someone else’s ideas or work
(either a published author’s book or article, a friend’s essay, a classmate’s notes, or
Internet materials) as your own is plagiarizing. Please read the section on plagiarism in
the most recent edition (7th) of The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (page
51-61), and UW Policy sections on “Academic Integrity” and “Discipline” below.
UW POLICY REGARDING ILLNESS AND MISSED TESTS
The University of Waterloo Examination Regulations state that:
 A medical certificate presented in support of an official petition for relief from normal
academic requirements must provide all of the information requested on the “University of
Waterloo Verification of Illness” form or it will not be accepted. This form can be
obtained from Health Services or on the link provided above. If a student has a
test/examination deferred due to acceptable medical evidence, he/she normally will write


the test/examination at a mutually convenient time, to be determined by the course
instructor.
The University acknowledges that, due to the pluralistic nature of the University
community, some students may on religious grounds require alternative times to write tests
and examinations.
Elective arrangements (such as travel plans) are not considered acceptable grounds for
granting an alternative examination time.
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the
University of Waterloo and its Federated University and Affiliated Colleges are expected to
promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid
committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is
unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid
offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek
guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Associate Dean. When misconduct
has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under St. Jerome’s
University Academic Discipline Policy and UW Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information
on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student
Discipline.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university
life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. For students
who decide to file a grievance, students should refer to Policy 70 – Student Petitions and
Grievances. In such a case, contact Dr. Scott Kline (scott.kline@uwaterloo.ca), Associate Dean
of St. Jerome’s University.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 71 –
Student Discipline or Policy 70 – Student Petitions and Grievances if a ground for an appeal can
be established. In such a case, contact Dr. John Rempel (jrempel@uwaterloo.ca), Appeals Officer
of St. Jerome’s University.
Academic Integrity website (Arts):
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity website (Math): https://math.uwaterloo.ca/math/currentundergraduates/regulations-and-procedures/cheating-and-student-academic-discipline
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services (AS) Office, located in Needles
Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate
accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of
the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability,
please register with the AS Office at the beginning of each academic term.
READING SCHEDULE
Please note: This schedule may be subject to revision throughout the term.
Week 1:
September 9 (M)
Introduction to course: What is Literary Theory? Why does
Literature matter? Basic principles of literary analysis
Read: Chapter 1: “Getting Started: The Precritical Response,” 1-16
(Handbook)
UNIT ONE:
READING SHORT FICTION
September 11 (W)
Theoretical Overview: Traditional Approaches; Poe’s “Unity of Effect”
Read: “A Note on Traditional Approaches,” 17-21 (Handbook)
Read: “Matters of Genre,” 30-33 (Handbook)
Read: Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” (Literature)
Week 2:
September 16 (M)
Theoretical Overview: Formalism
Read: “Formalist Approaches,” 74-95, 121-122 (Handbook)
Read: Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily” (Reserve / Online)
Webpage:
http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/creating/downloads/A_Rose_for_Emily.pdf
September 18 (W)
Week 3:
September 23 (M)
September 25 (W)
Week 4:
September 30 (M)
Theoretical Overview: Feminism & Gender Studies
Read: “Feminisms and Gender Studies,” 253-272 (Handbook)
Read: Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants” (Literature); Gilman,
“The Yellow Wallpaper” (Literature)
Feminism & Gender Studies cont.
Read: Hawthorne, “The Birthmark” (Literature); Chopin, “The Story of an
Hour” (Literature)
Myths, Fables, and Fairytales
Read: “Mythological and Archetypal Approaches” 225-231 (Handbook)
Read: Carter, “The Company of Wolves” from The Bloody Chamber
(Reserve)
Theoretical Overview: Psychoanalytic Criticism
Read: “The Psychological Approach,” 201-210 (Handbook)
Read: Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” (Handbook)
October 2
(W)
Theoretical Overview: Postmodernism & Cultural Studies
Read: “Postmodernism and Popular Culture” 319-324 (Handbook)
Read: King, “Coyote Columbus Story” (Literature); Atwood, “Happy
Endings” (Literature)
Week 5:
October 7
(M)
Theoretical Overview: Postcolonial Studies
Read: “Postcolonial Studies” 361-371 (Handbook)
Read: Achebe, “Dead Man’s Path” (Literature); Kincaid, “Girl”
(Literature)
UNIT TWO:
READING POETRY
All poems are from the Literature Anthology unless otherwise stated
October 9
(W)
Formalism: Introduction to Lyric Poetry and the Sonnet
Read: Shakespeare, Sonnets 18, 73, and 130; John Donne, Holy Sonnet 14;
Cultural Studies: Sonnets from WWI
Read: Wilfred Owen, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” “Disabled”; Selected
sonnets from WWI (Sigfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooks) to be provided by
instructor.
Week 6:
October 14
(M)
THANKSGIVING; *****NO CLASS*****
October 16
(W)
In-Class Test: Short Stories
Week 7:
October 21
(M)
Other Lyric Poetry
William Blake, “The Sick Rose”; “The Tyger”; “London” (Instructor will
provide); William Wordsworth, “The World is Too Much With Us”; T.S.
Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
October 23
(W)
Feminism, Gender, & Psychoanalysis: Lyric Poetry cont.
Read: Christina Rosetti, “Goblin Market”; Anne Sexton, “Cinderella”;
Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess”; Sylvia Plath, “Daddy”; “Lady
Lazarus” (Instructor will provide)
Week 8:
October 28
(M)
Postcolonialism, Diaspora, and History
Read: Adrienne Rich, “Power”; Naomi Shihab Nye, “The Travelling
Onion” (Instructor will provide); Derek Walcott, “Central America”;
Jeanette Armstrong, “History Lesson”; Rudyard Kipling, “The White
Man’s Burden”; (Instructor will provide)
UNIT THREE:
READING THE NOVEL (Part One)
Part One: The Nineteenth Century Industrial Novel
October 30
(W)
Theoretical Overview: Marxism
Read “Marxism” 125-130 (Handbook)
Read: Dickens, Hard Times (Book I, “Sowing”)
Short Essay: Poetry Analysis Due
Week 9:
November 4
(M)
Read: Dickens, Hard Times (Book 2, “Reaping”)
November 6
(W)
Read: Dickens, Hard Times (Book 3, “Garnering”)
Week 10:
November 11 (M)
UNIT THREE:
Finish Hard Times
Library visit by Lorna
READING THE NOVEL (Part II)
Part Two: The Postcolonial Novel
November 13 (W):
Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians
Week 11:
November 18 (M)
Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians
November 20 (W)
Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians
PART FOUR:
READING DRAMA
Week 12:
November 25 (M)
Aristotle, Poetics: Elements of Tragedy
Read: Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
(Literature)
November 27 (W)
Read: Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
(Literature)
Research Essays Due
Week 13:
December 2
(M)
Course Conclusions