English 215, Section 5: Introduction to English Studies
Fall Semester, 2013
T/Th 11:00 AM-12:15 PM
Curtin 124
__________________________
Instructor: Andrew Kincaid
Office: Curtin 587
Mailbox: 413 Curtin Hall
Phone During Office Hours: 229-4517
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1.00 - 2.00 PM
Introduction to English Studies
What is the relationship between an adventure story like Robinson Crusoe and the discovery of
America? What does Yeats’s poetry – its styles, settings, and themes – reveal about
contemporary attitudes to nature, history, and the individual? What does the staging of Waiting
for Godot tell us about alienation, human cruelty, and power and manipulation in the second half
of the 20th century? How does Anchee Min’s memoir about growing up in China during the
Cultural Revolution help us understand our own lives in America and the limits and possibilities
of personal freedom? How do Alice Munro’s short stories illuminate the plight of those who
don’t belong? What does Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian tell
us about ambition, friendship and race relations in the contemporary United States?
In other words, what is the relationship between literature and the culture in which it is
produced?
In this class, we will explore this above question by tracing the history of an idea – that the use
of reason and the development of technology led to social and cultural progress – through a
series of literary texts. I have chosen to read work that draws from various literary genres and
geographies: Britain, Ireland, China, and North America.
In “Introduction to English Studies,” we will learn about literature via a number of different
approaches: through understanding its social context, by learning about the author, by studying
its formal language, and through reading language in order to decipher what lies beneath the
initially apparent and obvious meaning. The focus of this course will be on close reading and
critical analysis of texts. The aim is to show literature’s ability to shed light on some of the most
important social questions of our time: how does progress get defined; what use is literature in
today’s society; how can the full purpose and quality of our lives be enhanced; what limits our
freedom?
Course Goals
The short answer: Think a lot, discuss a lot, write a lot.
I also expect all of you to write regularly, not only in the official written assignments, but also to
take notes in class and to perform other smaller, nightly assignments.
Required Texts
You must obtain the same editions of the texts that I have ordered. All books are available from
the UWM bookstore.
--Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian (Hachett, 2009. ISBN:
978-0316013697)
-- Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot (Perseus, 2011. ISBN: 978-080-214-442-3)
-- Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe (Dover, 1998. ISBN: 978-048-640-427-1)
-- Graff, Gerald, Birkenstein Cathy, and Durst, Russel. They Say/I Say (Norton, 2009. ISBN:
978-0-393-93361-1)
-- Munro, Alice. Runaway (Random, 2004. ISBN: 978-140-007-791-5)
-- Min, Anchee. Red Azalea (Random, 2006. ISBN: 978-140-009-698-5)
-- Yeats, W. B. Collected Poems (Simon & Schuster, 1989. ISBN: 978-068-480-731-7)
-- Various critical articles, a selection of poetry, and a series of short stories will also be
uploaded to D2L.
Requirements, or, the Schoolmarm Speaks.
If you decide to take this course, you have three responsibilities.
1. The first is to yourself. A semester is a short time to explore the complex themes and issues
raised by the course, “Introduction to English Studies.” You must do your utmost not to fall
behind. If you find yourself falling behind, tell me and we will work to solve the problem,
2. The second responsibility is to your classmates. The class is constructed around discussion.
The success of this format depends on your giving adequate time and attention to the readings.
Come in prepared every class day with questions.
3. Your third responsibility is to me. If at any time you have concerns or questions about the
class, the assignments, or your performance, talk to me. Let me know what if I can help you in
any way. Please come and see me during my office hours, or send me an email.
Some Course Rules.
1) Attendance and participation are absolutely mandatory. You are however allowed to miss two
classes. For every day missed after that, your course grade drops by one letter. Miss five or
more classes and you fail. Any written work you may have missed on a day you were absent
must be made up. When you miss a class it is your responsibility to find out what work you owe.
2) All written work must be word processed, unless otherwise stated, and must be turned in on
time. Include your name and date on everything you hand in for this class. Keep copies.
Participation, Attendance, and Nightly Assignments 50%
Active participation as a group member and class discussant is required and will be one criterion on
which your overall grade will be based. It could be the deciding factor between a B and C.
Participation is essential and will be rewarded. A grade reflecting your participation will account for
20% of your overall final grade for the class.
For each class, there will be three homework assignments. First, read the assigned texts. Second,
answer the questions that I distribute about the reading. Some days I will ask you merely to think about
the questions; other evenings, you will type up a short response to my questions and turn it in. I will
only ask a couple of questions, which are designed to get you thinking about the themes and form of the
text. Third, bring in a comment or question of your own about the material. The purpose of this third
exercise is to initiate class conversation and debate. I may ask you to read your question to the class and
to discuss it. (These nightly homework assignments will consist of 30% of your overall grade.)
(Your question or comment should be substantive, that is, it should reflect on the story’s theme, an
element of its style, or on a recurring word and what the function of that word is. Your question should
not be perfunctory or capable of merely producing a yes or no answer. For example, don’t ask the class
what a word means that you could look up in the dictionary, don’t ask what a symbol means without
having thought about it first.)
As you read, take notes. Aim to bring questions from your reading into class
Always read with a dictionary.
Beginning with week three, each week we will read a section of They Say/I Say. This book is a
guide to how to write research papers. The chapters offer structural and linguistic suggestions
for how to improve your writing. We will discuss the relevant chapter each week at the
beginning of Tuesday’s class.
Assignments 50%
There are two papers of between five and seven pages; each is worth 25% of your final grade.
Each will be a response to a different author, theme or topic on the course. Questions will be
handed out to you. One paper will be due in the middle of the course (your mid-term), the other
at the end (your final).
General Education Requirement
This course meets the criteria for General Education Requirement Humanities credit at
UWM by addressing “questions, issues and concepts basic to the formation of character and the
establishment of values in a human context; … induc[ing] an organic study of letters and
knowledge; [and providing] literary, aesthetic and intellectual experiences which enrich and
enlighten human life,” as specified in UWM Faculty Document No. 1382. The course uses
humanistic means of inquiry, including critical use of sources and evaluation of evidence,
judgment and expression of ideas, and organizing, analyzing and using creatively substantial
bodies of knowledge drawn from both primary and secondary sources. In addition to addressing
other GER Humanities criteria, the course introduces substantial and coherent bodies of
historical, cultural and literary knowledge to illuminate human events in their complexities and
varieties, and enhances appreciation of literary and other arts by thoughtful, systematic analyses
of language and artifacts such as novels, stories and films.
UWM seeks Essential Learning Outcomes throughout the undergraduate curriculum in
four key areas: Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World; Intellectual
and Practical Skills; Personal and Social Responsibility; and Integrative Learning. GER courses
in particular contribute to these learning outcomes. Student work in GER courses is assessed
individually for course-specific outcomes and goals, and holistically as part of departmental selfassessment of learning outcomes throughout the major.
Grading and Assessment
In English 215, students will demonstrate learning outcomes in “Knowledge of Human
Cultures” and in “Intellectual and Practical Skills”: by engagement with key questions in literary
and other cultural artifacts, and by producing written literary or cultural analysis that reflects
thoughtful, informed engagement with source material and standards of evidence and
argumentation in humanistic disciplines. This outcome will be assessed through review of papers
written in the course, a requirement of all English GER courses, via the rubric which appears on
the following page.
A
Content
Organization
Highly original.
Clear thesis and
argument. No
factual or logical
inaccuracies.
Well-organized,
even at
paragraph level.
Minimal summary;
uses evidence, not
opinion; represents
secondary sources
accurately.
B
Less original; may
have minor factual
errors.
May use secondary
sources uncritically
or with mild
inaccuracy.
Reader led
through a
logical
sequence; paper
stays on topic.
Well-organized,
but structure
sometimes
disjointed.
Goes off-topic
on occasion.
Mechanics &
Editing
Accurate use
of citation
conventions.
Virtually no
mechanical or
formatting
errors.
Some
awkwardly
worded
passages.
Some errors,
but not
enough to
Other
Precise word choices;
vivid, fresh language.
Avoids wordiness.
Informal language only
when clearly appropriate.
Establishes ethos strongly
through knowledge of
subject.
Entertains, educates, and
makes reader want to
know more.
Language sometime too
general or less precise
than the A writing.
Enough errors to suggest
the paper needs more
polish and thought.
distract the
reader.
C
D
F
Relies more on
summary than
original
interpretation or
argument. Restates
common or familiar
arguments or
interpretations
uncritically.
Secondary sources
do not clearly
contribute to or
support the
argument, or may
be presented
inaccurately.
No original
contribution;
restatement or
misstatement of the
ideas of others.
Doesn’t interpret,
but just repeats or
reports.
Lacks clear thesis
or point.
Basically well
organized,
though
individual
paragraphs may
be disunified or
misplaced.
Logical and
apparent plan
overall.
More frequent Language is competent
awkwardness, but wordy, general,
with
imprecise, or trite.
distracting
errors,
although
meaning is
clear.
Citations
improperly
formatted or
absent.
Poor
organization;
reader has little
sense of a plan
even though a
thesis or main
point is
recognizable.
Some
sentences may
be so
confused that
their meaning
does not
clearly
emerge.
Words may be imprecise,
incorrect, trite, or vague.
In general, however, the
paper is understandable.
Language
muddled and
unclear in
several spots.
Highly
distracting
mechanical
errors.
Shows little care or
attention to detail on the
part of the author.
GER Course Assessment
All GER courses in the Department require significant student writing, including papers of
varying length. The Department samples GER courses in each semester, including primarily
papers from the required ENG 215 course, evaluating them on a holistic scale, according to the
following rubric:
1. Work does not meet disciplinary standards for critical analysis, evidence-based argument,
and interpretation of literary or cultural artifacts. Work does not meet expectations for clarity
of thought and language, and for edited academic prose. Work does not show student
awareness of conventions for analysis and expression.
2. [Work quality falls between 1 and 3]
3. Work shows some awareness of conventions for analysis and expression but may contain
distracting errors. Work meets some disciplinary standards for critical analysis, evidencebased argument, and interpretation of literary or cultural artifacts, but inconsistent in doing
so. Work meets some expectations for clarity of thought and language, and for edited
academic prose, but is inconsistent in doing so.
4. [Work quality falls between 3 and 5]
5. Work meets most or all expectations for analysis and interpretation, argues from evidence,
and is written clearly and without significant mechanical errors, showing student awareness
and achievement the learning outcomes for the course.
Numeric scores are used to generate snapshots of how well GER courses meet the department’s
stated learning outcomes and what, if anything, needs to be altered when the course is next
offered.
Course Schedule
This is a general schedule for our course. It is not set in stone. It will likely change as we go
through the semester, depending on our conversations and pace. More important that this
schedule are the worksheets that I distribute each class period. These daily handouts have the
homework at the bottom of the sheet.
Week One:
September, Tuesday 3rd:
In class: Syllabus, introductions, themes of the course.
Homework:
1. Read Crusoe, pages 1-28.
2. Read Hawthorne's, "The Birthmark."
3. Go the library and consult an encyclopedia, or find a reputable source online, and look up the
term “Enlightenment.” Come in with some notes on this movement. When was it? Who were
some of its key figures? What are some of the central ideas covered by the phrase? You can
also read the entry that I included on D2L.
September, Thursday 5th
In class: Discuss Enlightenment, "The Birthmark," and Crusoe.
Homework:
1. Read pages 28-72 of Robinson Crusoe.
2. Select a paragraph or passage from the first seventy-two pages. Write a paragraph in which
you discuss why you found a particular passage interesting, curious or provocative.
3. Read the timeline of the 18th Century (D2L).
4. Read John Locke's "Of Property."
5. Supplemental Reading: Immanuel Kant, "What is Enlightenment?"
Week Two:
September, Tuesday 10th
In Class: Discuss Crusoe, 18th Century timeline and work ethic.
Homework:
1. Read up to page 126 of Robinson Crusoe.
2. Read Ian Ousby’s, “Daniel Defoe,” a biographical entry taken from The Cambridge Guide to
Literature in English.
3. Read Daniel Defoe’s, “On the Wealthy Trading Class in England.”
September, Thursday 12th
In Class: Discuss Crusoe, Trade and Religion.
Homework:
1. Read up to page 160 of Crusoe.
2. Look up the word ideology in a dictionary or encyclopedia. Then write your own definition
of the word, providing one example from Crusoe and another example of your own to support
your explanation. 3. Read Raymond Williams’, “Enclosures, Commons, and Communities,"
from The Country and the City.
4. Read Jean Jacques Rousseau, from A Treatise on Natural Education.
5. They Say/I Say. Introduction, p.xvi -15
Week Three:
September, Tuesday 17th
In Class: Discuss Crusoe, ideology and land enclosure.
Discuss They Say/I Say
Homework:
1. Finish Crusoe.
2. Read Ian Watt, "Realism and the Novel Form."
September 19th
In Class: Discuss Crusoe, Watt, Genre and Class.
Homework:
1. Read "Noah and the Ark," "Aesop Fables" and "Snow White."
2. Read Sigmund Freud, From The Interpretation of Dreams
3. Read Part 1, "They Say" of They Say/I Say (p. 19-51)
Week Four:
September 24th.
In Class: Introduction to the short story. Discuss “They Say.”
Homework:
1. Read "Misery," by Anthon Chekhov; "The Tell-Tale Heart," by Edgar Allan Poe; "Araby,"
by James Joyce.
2. Read "The Romance of 'Araby,'" by Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet.
September 26th
In class: Discuss formalist criticism and Joyce, Poe and Chekhov.
Homework:
1. Read "The Garden Party," by Katherine Mansfield; "The Horse-Dealer's Daughter," by D. H.
Lawrence;
2. Read. "The Lonely Voice: A Study in the Short Story," by Frank O'Connor.
3. Read They Say/I Say, Chapter Two, "I Say, "Sections 4 ("Yes/No/Okay, But") and 5 ("And
Yet"). (Pages 55-77)
Week Five:
October 1st.
In Class: Discuss Lawrence and Mansfield. Discuss “I Say.”
Homework:
1. Read "The Prophet's Hair," by Salman Rushdie; "Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid; "Happy
Endings," by Margaret Atwood
2. Read "On Some Aspects of the Historiography of Colonial India," by Ranajit Guha.
October 3rd
In Class: Discuss Rushdie, Kincaid, and Atwood
Homework:
1. Alice Munro. Runaway
2. Read They Say/I Say, Chapter Two, Section Six ("Skeptics May Object) and Seven ("So
What? Who Cares?") (78-101)
Week Six:
October 8th
In Class: Discuss Munro. Discuss “I Say.”
Homework: Alice Munro. Runaway plus selection of book reviews.
October 10th
In Class: Discuss Munro
Homework:
1. Alice Munro. Runaway
2. Read They Say/I Say, Chapter Three, "Tying it All Together." (103-138)
DISTRIBUTE MIDTERM QUESTIONS:
Week Seven:
October 15th
In Class: Discuss Munro. Discuss “Tying it All Together.”
Homework:
Selection of Poetry from the following and "The Formalist Critics," by Cleanth Brooks:
“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," Randall Jarrell
“The Virgins," Derek Walcott
“London," William Blake.
“Chess," Rosario Castellanos
"You Fit into Me," Margaret Atwood
“Blackberry Eating,” Galway Kinnell
“A Late Aubade," Richard Wilbur.
“In the Station of the Metro," Ezra Pound.
“Cavalry Crossing A Ford," Walt Whitman.
“Short-order Cook," Jim Daniels.
“First Party at Ken Kesey’s with Hell’s Angels," Allen Ginsburg
“Ode on a Grecian Urn," John Keats.
”The Negro Speaks of Rivers," Langston Hughes
“The Weary Blues," Langston Hughes.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?" William Shakespeare.
“Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802," William Wordsworth.
"Sestina," Elizabeth Bishop
Critical Articles:
Cleanth Brooks. "The Formalist Critics"; "Wordsworth and the Paradox of the Imagination";
"Keats' Sylvan Historian."
Roland Barthes: "Death of the Author"
October 17th
In Class: Discuss General Poetry.
Homework: Selection of Poetry and "Wordsworth and the Paradox of the Imagination," by
Cleanth Brooks.
Read They Say/I Say, Chapter 4, "Entering the Conversation," Sections 11 ("I Take Your Point")
and 12 ("What's Motivating This Writer?") (141-155)
Week Eight:
October 22nd
In class: General Poetry. They Say/I Say
Homework: General Poetry and "Death of the Author," by Roland Barthes.
October 24th
COLLECT MIDTERM PAPERS
In class: Discuss general poetry
Homework: Selected poems by W. B. Yeats and "Introduction" to the Cambridge Companion to
W. B. Yeats, by Marjorie Howes.
- W. B. Yeats. Selected Poems.
- Critical Articles:
1. Marjorie Howes. "Introduction" to the Cambridge Companion to W. B. Yeats.
2. Wolfgang Iser. "Interaction between Text and Reader"
3. David Harvey. "Modernity and Modernism."
4. John Unterecker. “The Major Themes.” From A Reader’s Guide to William Butler Yeats
Week Nine
October 29th
In Class: Discuss early Yeats and Howes
Homework: Selected Poems by Yeats and "Interaction between Text and Reader," by Wolfgang
Iser.
October 31st
In class: Discuss Yeats
Homework: W. B. Yeats. Selected Poems.
Read They Say/I Say, "The Data Suggest" and “Analyze This.” (156-192)
Week 10
November 5th
In Class: W. B. Yeats
Homework: W. B. Yeats. Selected Poems and "Modernity and Modernism," by David Harvey.
November 7th:
In class: Discuss Yeats and Modernism
Homework: Anchee Min. Red Azalea
Read They Say/I Say, "Hidden Intellectualism," by Gerald Graff.
Week 11
November 12th
In Class: Anchee Min. Red Azalea. “Hidden Intellectualism.”
Homework: Red Azalea and James Scott, "Taming Nature," from Seeing Like a State.
November 14th
In Class: Anchee Min. Red Azalea and James Scott.
Homework: Red Azalea and Michel De Certeau, "Story Time," from The Practice of Everyday
Life.
Read They Say/I Say, "Agonism in the Academy," by Deborah Tannen
Week 12
November 19th
In Class: Discuss Red Azalea and Michel De Certeau. “Agonism in the Academy.”
Homework: Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot.
Look up Samuel Beckett on the internet or at the library. Bring in five facts about his life, work,
or historical context.
November 21st
In Class: Discuss Beckett. Waiting for Godot.
Homework: Read "Waiting for Godot" from The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Beckett.
Locate a critical article about Waiting for Godot in the library or via an academic search. Print
out the article or bring the book to class. Share the thesis of the article with the class.
Week 13
November 26th
In class: Discuss Waiting for Godot.
Homework: Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian.
Week 14
December 3rd
In class: Discuss Sherman Alexie.
Homework: Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian.
December 5th
In Class: Discuss Sherman Alexie.
Homework. Finish The Absolutely True Story.
HAND OUT FINAL ESSAY QUESTIONS
Week 15
December 10th
In Class: Evaluations. Discuss Alexie.
December 12th
In Class: Study/Research Day
DECEMBER 20th: TURN IN FINAL ESSAY QUESTIONS BY 1.00 PM.