English 4CS3: Winter 2011
Instructor: Dr. R. Hyman.
Chester New Hall Room 302; Ext. 23732; E-mail: hymanr@mcmaster.ca
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-2:00; Thursdays 11:00-12:00
Lectures: Tuesdays 2:30 – 4:30 pm, CNH 332
Note 1: In the event of class cancellations, students will be notified on Avenue and the English Department Website. It is your
responsibility to check these sites regularly for any such announcements.
Link: http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~english/ (Department)
Link: http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/ (avenue to learn)
Note 2: E-mail Policy
All e-mail communication sent must originate from the student's own McMaster University email account. This policy protects
confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student.
Note 3: Students will be requested to complete a online course evaluation at the end of the course.
Course Description:
This course will examine selected Canadian short stories from the early twentieth century to the present, and will include
French-Canadian stories in translation and aboriginal stories. Issues raised in the stories such as gender, race, class and power
will be discussed.
Reading List: Available at Titles, the university bookstore, as a Coursepack.
Stephen Leacock, “The Marine Excursion of the Knights Pythias.”
Sinclair Ross, “The Lamp at Noon.”
Emily Carr, “Ucluelet.”
Morely Callaghan, “Ancient Lineage.”
Yves Thériault, “Akua Nuten.”
Mavis Gallant, “Baum, Gabriel, I935- ( ),” “My Heart is Broken.”
Alice Munro. “Open Secrets,” “Runaway.”
André Major, “The Thief of Bonsecours Market.”
Hugh Hood, “Flying a Red Kite.”
Margaret Atwood, “Death by Landscape.”
Thomas King, “The One About Coyote Going West.”
Clarke Blaise, “How I Became A Jew.”
Basil Johnston, “Cowboys and Indians.”
Shyam Selvadurai, “Pigs Can’t Fly.”
Eden Robinson, “Traplines.”
Madeleine Thien, “Simple Recipes.”
Beth Brant, “A Long Story.”
Schedule of readings and Lectures:
January 4:
Introduction
January 11
:
“Marine Excursion”; “The Lamp at Noon”
January 18:
“Ucluelet”; AAkua Nuten @
Feb. 1:
“Ancient Lineage”; “Flying a Red Kite”
February 8:
“Baum Gabriel”; “My Heart is Broken”
February 15
“Open Secrets”; “Runaway”
February 21-26
Mid-term break
March 1:
“The Thief of Bonsecours Market”; “Death by Landscape”
March 8:
“How I Became a Jew”; “Cowboys and Indians”
March 15:
“ A Long Story”; “The One About Coyote Going West”
March 22:
“Traplines”
March 29
“Pigs Can’t Fly”
April 5:
“Simple Recipes”
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Assignments and Evaluations:
Presentation:
Participation:
First Essay:
Second essay:
15%
20%
30% (8 pages; assigned January 11, due February 15.)
35% (12 pages assigned February 15, due March 22.)
Each class will begin with an informal round-the-table discussion of your impressions of the day’s story; each student is
expected to contribute.
Essays: Students are expected to design their own essay topics, and to let me know what they are planning to do. I will, of
course, be more than happy to assist in the process.
Late Assignment Policy:
Essays are due in class on the noted due date. In the event of illness or other issues that might necessitate an extension, please
consult Dr. Hyman
Class Presentations: Each student is expected to do one class presentation, and to hand in his or her notes for that presentation.
The notes may be in point form and should be about two typed pages in length. The presentations may be formal or informal,
and should be between 15 and 20 minutes in length. Biographies of authors are not desirable. Close attention should be paid to
the specifics of the text, or to the way the text relates to other materials on the course. It is essential that the presentation
involve the seminar in discussing and questioning the text. To that end, it is expected that room for questions is designed
into the presentation, and that a “heads-up” to the key points of the presentation’s subject matter be distributed to all
seminar members a couple of days prior to the presentation. Presentations may be used as the basis for essays. Sign-up
sheets for presentations will be posted on my office door on the first day of class.
Grading Scale:
Grade
Equivalent Grade Point
Equivalent Percentages
A+
12
90-100
A
11
85-89
A-
10
80-84
B+
9
77-79
B
8
73-76
B-
7
70-72
C+
6
67-69
C
5
63-66
C-
4
60-62
D+
3
57-59
D
2
53-56
D-
1
50-52
F
0
0-49 -- Failure
.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can
result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation
reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. It is your
responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic
dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at
http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.
2. Improper collaboration in group work. (Receiving a group grade for a presentation without having done an equal amount of
work on the project.)
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
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