Community College of Rhode Island
Spring 2015
ENGL1200-150, Introduction to Literature
Course Meets: Mon/Thurs. in Room 1555, and Weds. in Room 1156
9 to 9:50 a.m.
Instructor: Beth O’Leary Anish
e-mail: boanish@ccri.edu
Office: 1364, Flanagan Campus
Office Hours: MWR, 8am-9am and noon-1pm
Phone number (during office hours): (401) 333-7139
Course Description:
This course examines a variety of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama) as expressions
of the human desire to communicate philosophy, experience, and attitudes. Examples found in diverse
literary cultures from ancient times to the present are the basis for reading, analyzing, and evaluating
these forms of verbal expression. (Meets Literature elective and English concentration requirements)
Lecture: 3 hours (http://www.ccri.edu/catalog/cd-index.pdf).
Methodology:
In this introductory literature course the instructor will spend some class time delivering lectures on
literary terms and criticism, but the bulk of class time will be spent in discussing fine examples of three
literary genres: fiction, poetry and drama. While the instructor will facilitate these discussions, student
participation is crucial to their success. Students must come to class prepared to discuss readings found
on the syllabus for each course meeting. If it is clear from class discussions that students are not doing
readings, pop quizzes will be instituted as extra incentive. Students will also be asked to interpret
literature in writing, through in-class examinations and take-home essays.
Instructional Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:
- recognize the main literary genres, terms and some modes of criticism
- perform close readings of texts with varying levels of difficulty
- write thoughtfully and critically about literary works
Required Texts:
Mays, Kelly J., Ed. The Norton Introduction to Literature, 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2013.
ISBN#: 978-0-393-91338-5.
(CCRI bookstore: http://bookstore.ccri.edu/store1/Home.aspx)
Expectations for Written Work:
All written assignments completed for homework must be formatted according to MLA style. This
means that papers should be typed and double-spaced, in size 12 font, with 1 inch margins. The
student’s name, instructor’s name, course title and date should appear in top left corner of the first page.
No cover page is necessary. On written assignments where outside sources are used, those sources must
be documented according to MLA style.
Assessment Procedures:
Student papers will be judged according to the four bases for revising essays: unity, support, coherence
and sentence skills. To be judged excellent and earn an “A” grade, student papers must have a clear
focus, supported by plenty of specific details presented in an interesting, organized manner and through
error-free sentences. As papers move away from this standard of excellence, grades will be lowered
accordingly. See grading rubric on page 4 of this syllabus for more details.
Course Requirements:
1) Interpretive Essays: Two take-home essays, 2-3 pages in length each, exploring more deeply a work
or works by one or more authors. One of these essays will be on short fiction and one on poetry.
Students will be asked to choose from topics handed out to them two weeks before each paper is due.
Due 2/27, 4/3 and 4/24.
2) Examinations: Mid-term Exam covering short fiction (2/24) and Final Exam covering poetry and
plays (date to be announced). Both exams will be essay-based and completed in class. Students will
have a choice of topics on each of the exams.
3) Class Participation: To earn class participation credit, students must show evidence that they have
completed readings prior to class by making positive contributions to class discussions. The instructor
will grade class participation on a “check”, “check plus” and “check minus” system. A student who
makes positive contributions to writing workshops and full class discussions will receive a “check plus”
for that day of class. A student who shows up for class but does not get involved will receive a “check”
for attending. A student who misses a significant portion of a class, due to tardiness or leaving early
will receive a “check minus” for the day. Sleeping in class will also count as a “check minus.” Two
“check minus” grades will count as an absence from the class. At the end of the course, the instructor
will tally up the “check plus” grades to determine the students’ class participation grades. Absences and
check minuses will be subtracted from that grade. If necessary, reading quizzes will also be factored
into the Class Participation grade (if students are showing signs of not having completed the readings in
class discussions).
Grade Breakdown:
Short essays: 40% (2 essays at 20 % each)
Midterm Exam: 15%
Class Participation: 25%
Final Exam: 20%
Attendance policy:
Students should make every attempt to attend and participate in every class. In the case of a brief illness
or other unforeseen circumstances, however, the instructor understands if a student has to miss a class.
Too many absences will detract from the student’s ability to participate in class and should be avoided.
Absences should be used only for serious illnesses or other emergencies.
The first three absences will not affect the student’s grade. For the 4th, 5th and 6th absence, the
student’s final grade will be dropped ½ letter grade each. After six absences the student should
officially withdraw or a final grade of “F” will be given. Two late arrivals or early departures will
be considered equivalent to one absence. This policy is in accordance with the CCRI English
Department’s attendance policy, and will be strictly enforced.
You are expected to complete homework assignments even if you are absent; all reading assignments
are listed here on this syllabus, and writing assignments not obtained in class can be found on our course
Blackboard site or by e-mailing the instructor.
Late paper policy:
All written assignments should be handed in on the day they are due according to the syllabus. In the
event that a paper cannot be turned in on time because of an emergency or other problem, you must alert
me in advance and e-mail me the assignment as soon as possible. For each day a paper is late, ½ a letter
grade will be taken off the paper grade. This means a “B” paper turned in one day late will be a “B-”;
the same paper turned in two days late would be a “C+”, etc. After 10 days, even an “A” paper would
be an “F,” so no papers will be accepted more than 10 days late. There will be no extensions given
for any reason for the FINAL EXAM.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is passing someone else’s words and ideas off as one’s own. Whether that involves taking a
whole paper off the internet, borrowing from a source without acknowledging it, or having a friend or
family member give a little too much input into an assignment, plagiarism is not an accepted academic
practice. Students only learn if they do their own work. It is within the rights of the instructor to fail
a student for an assignment or the course, if he or she has been caught plagiarizing.
Clearly having someone else write a paper or borrowing a paper from the internet is wrong. More subtle
cases of plagiarism happen when students are not clear how to cite sources properly in a research paper.
Know that any time you borrow words or ideas from an outside source you must give credit to the
author of that source. You are not asked to conduct outside research for any of the written work in this
course. Still, if you do choose to consult outside sources for your papers, you must cite them properly
following MLA citation style. For more information on CCRI’s academic dishonesty policy, see the
Student Handbook:
http://www.ccri.edu/Advising/Student_Services/handbook.shtml#POLICY_ON_ACADEMIC_DISHONESTY
Classroom Etiquette:
All students have a right to learn in this classroom without being distracted by their peers. Please be
considerate of both your instructor and fellow students to maintain a positive learning environment. To
this end, students are not permitted to engage in the following activities during class time:
- text messaging, answering phones or otherwise using phones for games, internet, etc.
- listening to head phones
- holding side conversations or chatting about non-course related topics
- using computer for any purpose other than note-taking or in-class writing assignments
- sleeping!
Students engaged in any of the above activities may be asked to leave the classroom.
Class discussions and peer review of essay drafts should be conducted with civility and respect for all
voices and opinions. It is by being open to diverse opinions that we best learn. In this classroom you are
considered an adult. If you need to excuse yourself to use the bathroom or take an urgent phone call you
can do so without my permission, and with as little disruption to the class as possible.
Grading Rubric for Literary papers:
Unity
Support
Coherence
Sentence Skills
A (Excellent)
Essay has clear
main point
(thesis), often
stated at end of
introduction.
Thesis points
paper in one
direction, and is
easily defensible
in a short essay
(not too broad or
too narrow). All
supporting details
in the essay fit
with thesis.
Essay includes
plenty of specific
details and
examples from
text(s), including
quotations, to
back up thesis
statement.
B (Good)
Essay has clear
main point (thesis)
in introduction,
though perhaps not
as interesting,
unique or insightful
as that of an “A”
paper. Supporting
details back up
thesis.
C (Fair)
Essay’s point
(thesis) may be
vague and
difficult to defend
in a short paper,
but writer does
attempt to have a
point or direction.
The paper may
wander off of this
point
occasionally.
D (Poor)
Essay is lacking a
clear direction or
point (thesis),
therefore
supporting details
are scattered to
support various
points.
F (Failing)
There is no point
to the essay.
Essay includes
some specific
details and
examples from
text(s) to support
thesis, but perhaps
not as many as an
“A” paper.
There is not one
clear direction so
support is
increasingly
vague. Essay
may include more
clichés than
specific details.
Support is vague,
if there at all. No
specific details or
examples to
illustrate what
writer is trying to
say.
Essay flows
smoothly from
start to finish.
There are
transitions
between ideas and
paragraphs. Ideas
are arranged in
logical order, and
new paragraphs
started when topic
shifts. Essay
includes
introduction,
body paragraphs
and conclusion.
Essay includes
clear, error-free
sentences. Few,
if any, fragments,
run-ons, point of
view shifts, etc.
Essay is organized
well overall, but
may include some
places where a new
paragraph should
have been started
and wasn’t, or
where writer jumps
to next topic
without a
transition. Essay
has introduction,
body paragraphs
and conclusion.
Support for thesis
is vague, not
specific. Few
details and
examples are
given as evidence.
Writer may bring
up a point but not
support it.
Essay may jump
around, not flow
smoothly from
start to finish. It
may lack some
transitions.
Paragraphs could
perhaps be
ordered
differently. It
does attempt a
separate
introduction, body
paragraphs and
conclusion.
Essay tries to
cover too many
topics so it
cannot be neatly
organized. It
may lack a
conclusion and
not have enough
body paragraphs.
It may introduce
a point at the end
of the essay that
should have been
developed earlier
in the essay.
Essay has no plan
of organization, no
logical order.
Essay may include
a few grammatical
errors, but not
enough to get in
the way of
communicating
writer’s ideas.
At this level paper
Sentence-level
Sentence-level
grammatical
errors are found
errors throughout
mistakes become
throughout the
essay. Writer has
a problem; there
essay. It
not communicated
are more run-ons, becomes difficult
ideas clearly.
fragments, point
to understand
of view shifts and
writer’s ideas
misused words
because they are
than in “A” and
not expressed
“B” papers.
clearly.
Source for the “Four Bases for Revising Essays”: Langan, John. College Writing Skills with Readings, 7 th ed. New York:
McGraw Hill, 2008.
Course Topics/Assignment Schedule:
Week 1
1/21 and 1/22
Introduction to course on 1/21; ENGL1200 pre-test (not graded) on 1/22.
Week 2
1/26, 28, 29
Read Fiction: Reading, Responding, Writing, p. 12-19 and 29-32; Chapter 1: Plot, p. 82-89;
and Maupassant, “The Jewelry,” p. 90 for 1/26; Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues,” p. 95 for 1/28;
and Munro, “Boys and Girls,” p. 144 and Updike, “A&P,” p. 155 for 1/29.
Topics: Elements of a Short Story. Plot.
Week 3
2/2, 4, 5
Read Chapter 2: Narration and Point of View, p. 161-165 and Poe, “The Cask of
Amontillado,” p. 165 for 2/2; Kincaid, “Girl,” p. 171; Hemingway, “Hills Like White
Elephants,” p. 788; and Lawrence, “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” p. 792 for 2/4.
Topics: Narration and Point of View; Introducing Literary Criticism; Reader Response
Theory (handout).
Week 4
2/9, 11, 12
Read Chapter 5, Symbol and Figurative Language, p. 335-340 and Writing About Literature,
p. 2269-2283 and Hawthorne, “The Birth-Mark,” p. 340 for 2/9; Danticat, “A Wall of Fire
Rising,” p. 367 and Chopin, “The Story of an Hour,” p. 652 for 2/11; and Gilman, “The
Yellow Wallpaper,” p. 655 for 2/12.
Topics: Symbolism and Figurative Language; Writing About Literature; Feminist Criticism
(handout); Assign Essay #1: Short Fiction (handout).
Week 5
2/16, 18, 19
Read Chapter 4, Setting, p. 253-259, Chapter 6, Theme, p. 384-388 and Garcia Marquez, “A
Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” p. 406 for 2/16; Mukherjee, “The Management of
Grief,” p. 434 and Lahiri, “Interpreter of Maladies,” p. 448 for 2/18; and Morrison,
“Recitatif,” p. 201 for 2/19.
Topics: Setting; Theme; Psychoanalytic Criticism (handout).
Week 6
2/23, 25, 26
Read Chapter 3, Character, p. 181-188; Faulkner, “Barn Burning,” p. 188 and “A Rose for
Emily,” p. 730 for 2/23; O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” p. 543 and “Everything
that Rises Must Converge,” p. 568 for 2/25.
Topics: Character; Southern American literature; Marxist Criticism (handout). Review for
Midterm.
Essay #1: Short Fiction, due 2/26.
Week 7
3/2, 4, 5
Midterm Exam (in class), 3/2. Review Midterm results, 3/4. Introduce Poetry, 3/5.
Week 8
3/9, 11, 12
Read Poetry: Reading, Responding, Writing, p. 846-850 and 860-867 for 3/9; Chapter 26,
Cultural and Historical Contexts: The Harlem Renaissance, 1265-1282 (includes Cullen,
“Yet Do I Marvel,” p. 1275; Hughes, “Harlem,” p. 1277 and “I, Too,” p. 1279; McKay, “The
White House,” p. 1282) for 3/11.
Topics: Reading and Responding to Poetry; The Harlem Renaissance.
SPRING BREAK, 3/16-22
Week 9
3/23 (**Prof. Anish is away at a conference 3/25-3/26; there will be no classes those
days**. Alternate activity will be a discussion of some of the feminist poems below on
Blackboard.)
Read Chapter 13, Speaker: Whose Voice Do We Hear?,” p. 884-891 and Chapter 15, Theme
and Tone, p. 947-952; Marge Piercy, “Barbie Doll,” p. 952; Rita Dove, “Daystar,” p. 916;
Linda Pastan, “Marks,” p. 994, and Sylvia Plath, “Daddy,” p. 1307, all for 3/23.
Topics: Speaker, Theme, and Tone; Feminist Poetry.
Week 10 3/30, 4/1, 2
Read Chapter 16, Language: Word Choice and Order, p. 975-982 and Chapter 18, Symbol, p
1003-1009 for 3/20; Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken,” p. 1344 and “Stopping by Woods
on a Snowy Evening,” p. 1345 for 4/1; Seamus Heaney, “Digging,” p. 1347 and “Mid-Term
Break,” p. 1348 for 4/2.
Topics: Language and Symbol; Finish Feminist Poetry discussion from last week; Frost and
Heaney; Assign Essay #2 (handout).
Week 11 4/6, 8, 9
Read Chapter 17, Visual Imagery and Figures of Speech, p. 990-998 and Chapter 21,
External Form, p. 1075-1078 and The Sonnet, p. 1089-1092; Shakespeare, “That time of year
thou mayst in me behold,” p. 993, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?,” p. 998, “My
mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” p. 1091, “Not marbel, nor the gilded monuments,” p.
1092, and “Let me not to the marriage of true minds,” p. 1092, all for 4/6.
Topics: Imagery and Figurative Language; Poetic forms; Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Week 12 4/13, 15, 16
Read Drama: Reading, Responding, Writing, p. 1380-1393 (includes Glaspell’s Trifles, p.
1383) and Chapter 28, Elements of Drama, p. 1438-1447 for 4/13; Glaspell, “A Jury of Her
Peers,” p. 666 for 4/15.
Topics: Reading Plays.
Essay #2: Poetry, due 4/16.
Week 13 4/20, 22, 23
Read Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, p. 2108-2176 for 4/20.
4/23, ENGL1200 post-test (not graded).
Week 14 4/27, 29, 30
View film version of Death of a Salesman.
Week 15 Final Exam (date to be announced; no make ups/extensions for final exam will be allowed).