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Eng 220: The Political Novel (WI)

Days/Time: MWF 9:00am-9:50am


Room: Corbly Hall 465
Instructor Information:
Instructor: Catherine Staley
Office: Corbly Hall, 405A

Phone:

E-mail: staley@marshall.edu or cat.staley@marshall.edu


Office hours: Monday/Wednesday 11am-12pm and 3pm-4pm ; Tuesday/Thursday 4pm-5pm
E-mail office hours: Friday 10am-2pm
Course Description from Catalog: Studies in English and American novels relating significantly
to political themes. (PR: Completion of Core II composition requirement)

Course Philosophy and Overview:

What distinguishes a political novel from just a novel? The answers to that question are
varied and complicated because our personal feelings toward novel and political are varied
and complicated. For some, novels are boring obligations for school. For others, novels are
portals to new worlds, new perspectives. Similarly, some spend their time avoiding politics,
whether on TV or at the dinner table; others find entertainment in following the latest
legislation and national debates. My goal for this course is that each student can develop or
change his/her attitude towards what literature offers us as readers, particularly when it comes
to the politics of public and self.
The two novels well study, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Meridian by
Alice Walker, intersect and diverge in their interpretations of explicitly political themes war,
human rights, democracy, nationalism and implicit political themes race, gender, violence.
Thus, Mitchell and Walker offer us, no matter your interests or ideologies, a profound
foundation for studying literature as a political tool.

Contacting Me
My email is staley@marshall.edu or cat.staley@marshall.edu (both go to the same account). I
answer e-mails during my electronic office hours (see above), and I regularly check it MondayFriday between 8am-5pm. After 5pm M-F and on the weekends, I dont check my e-mail often
and will only respond if its an emergency. I will only correspond with you via your issued MU
address (ending with @marshall.edu/@live.marshall.edu).

Required Texts and Materials:


1.

A standard b&w composition notebook for journal entries. This should be brought to
class every day.

2. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Ed: May 2011. ISBN: 9781451635621
3. Meridian by Alice Walker. ISBN: 9780156028349
4. Reading and Writing About Literature by Janet Gardner, 3rd ed. ISBN: 9781457606496
Outcomes Chart:
Course Student Learning
Outcome

How Students Will


Practice Each Outcome in
this Course

How Student
Achievement of Each
Outcome Will Be
Assessed in this Course

Closely read, analyze, and


interpret texts

Students will complete reflective


journals for each assigned
reading and participate in class
discussions

Students will complete three


close reading analyses and one
longer research paper; each will
be assessed according to a formal
rubric

Integrate appropriate core


domains in responding to a
variety of texts, which may
include written, visual, hybrid
and other texts

In addition to reading two


novels, students will analyze
visual texts, such as movie clips
and book covers, associated with
those novels

Students will complete two short


visual analyses and assessed
according to a formal rubric

Apply basic critical and rhetorical


terms, devices, and/or strategies
in close reading

Recognize multiple perspectives

Convey a focused understanding


of purpose and audience in
written and oral work

Students will participate in class


discussions, complete free writes,
and reflect on small passages of
the texts in weekly journals
Students will complete free
writes that ask them to consider
multiple perspectives in the texts,
which will then be shared in class
discussions
Free writes, class discussions,
and journal entries will focus on
connections between the
assigned texts purposes and
audiences. Furthermore,
students will be required to write
for an academic audience for the
purpose of assessing visual and
written work

Use research tools, appropriate


databases and journals

Students will find 2 scholarly


sources for their research paper

Develop information literacy to


discover historical and cultural
contexts pertinent to textual
interpretation

Journal entries encourage


students to make connections
between current events/other
classes and the texts; class

Students will complete three


close reading analyses and one
longer research paper, plus a
reflection defending the novel as
a political text; each will be
assessed according to a formal
rubric
Students will compare/contrast
two texts, and the multiple
perspectives therein, in a
research paper assessed
according to a formal rubric
Students will complete three
close reading analyses, two visual
analyses, and one longer research
paper for academic audiences;
each will be assessed according
to a formal rubric
Students will complete a research
paper using two scholarly source,
assessed according to a formal
rubric
Students will compare/contrast
two texts, focusing extensively on
their cultural/historical context,
and will be assessed according to

Incorporate researched material


into interpretive responses

Articulate texts strengths and


weaknesses

Develop an understanding of
implicit and explicit political
themes in literature

discussions will heavily focus on


cultural and historical contexts of
texts
Students will be required to find
2 scholarly sources and
incorporate those into a research
paper comparing/contrast two
texts
Journal entries, free writes, and
class discussions will allow
students to consider a texts
strengths and weaknesses
Free writes, class discussions,
and journal entries will
encourage students to focus on
the political themes in two texts

a formal rubric

The research paper will be


assessed according to a formal
rubric
Students will complete a
reflective essay defending the
novel as a political text
Students will complete multiple
assignments analyzing or
comparing/contrasting the
multiple political themes found
in a text

Writing-Intensive Outcomes
Students will enhance their
writing skills and strategies.

Students will engage actively


with the subject matter through
various forms of writing: low,
medium, and high stakes.

Students will enhance their


critical thinking skills through
various forms of writing: low,
medium, and high stakes

Students will write in a variety of


genres journal entries, free
writes, analyses, and
compare/contrast research
papers; drafts for medium stakes
assignments are encouraged and
required for high stakes
assignments
Journals and free writes, plus
drafts, are low stakes; close
reading analyses, final reflection,
and visual analyses are medium
stakes; final research paper is
high stakes
Journals and free writes, plus
drafts, are low stakes; close
reading analyses, final reflection,
and visual analyses are medium
stakes; final research paper is
high stakes

Low stakes assignments will be


assessed for completion and
thoughtfulness; medium and
high stakes assignments will be
assessed according to formal
rubrics
Low stakes assignments will be
assessed for completion and
thoughtfulness; medium and
high stakes assignments will be
assessed according to formal
rubrics
Low stakes assignments will be
assessed for completion and
thoughtfulness; medium and
high stakes assignments will be
assessed according to formal
rubrics

Assignments: *dates are subject to change; Ill notify you in writing


Low-Stakes:
1.

Reading Journals (10%) : in a composition journal each week, students will respond to the
assigned reading of either GWTW or M. Thus, typically, students will complete 3 entries per week
one per class session. Entries should be labeled with the date and assigned readings. Students
should use these journals to thoughtfully reflect on noticeable or surprising moments in the text,
connections to other course discussions/materials or current events, or general responses to the
text that can be used in class discussion. Personal connections are acceptable but should be kept

to a minimum. Ideally, these journals will allow students to explore ideas for the larger
assignments and class discussions. Journals will be collected every other Friday and graded
according to completion and thoughtfulness on a 5pt. scale with 5=100%, etc. You can find more
information about keeping a reading journal on pg. 12 of RWL.
2. Free Writes (10%) : most days, students will respond to a writing prompt concerning the
reading assigned for that class. Free writes are graded according to completion and
thoughtfulness. If you write nothing, very little, or are absence, youll receive 0 credit.
Medium Stakes:
1.

Close Reading analysis (3 total worth 10% each):


a. Three times throughout the semester, students will complete a close reading, in 2-3
pages, of a brief passage from GWTW or Meridian. An assignment sheet with detailed
instructions and grading criteria will be distributed early in the semester. One analysis
can be revised for a new grade. If a student receives a B, he/she can complete the
revision using my feedback only. If a student receives a C or lower, he/she is required to
make an appointment with me to discuss the revision at length. Revision is optional.
i. GWTW #1: Friday, January 31 by class time
ii. GWTW #2: Friday, February 21 by class time
iii. Meridian: Friday, April 4 by class time
iv. Revision: Monday, April 28 by class time

2. Book Cover/Movie Clip analysis (2 total worth 10% each 1 for each book): For each
novel, students will complete a brief 2-3 page analysis of a visual component associated with the
novel. Students will compare/contrast how the visual component interprets a specific political
theme (i.e. gender) to the original texts interpretation. An assignment sheet with detailed
instructions and grading criteria will be distributed.
a. GWTW analysis: Wednesday, March 26 by class time
b. Meridian analysis: TBA (leaving flexibility for reading schedule changes)
3. Reflection final (5%): in a 2-3 page essay, students will defend the novel as a vessel for
political themes by reflecting on what literature offers that other genres cannot, such as film,
poetry, or non-fiction memoirs. An assignment sheet with detailed instructions and grading
criteria will be distributed.
a. Due: Friday, May 2 by class time
High Stakes:
1.

Research Paper (25%) : students will choose a political theme from each novel and
compare/contrast each authors representation of and conclusions about that theme. The essay
should be driven by a thesis statement that specifically outlines the writers argument in 4-5
pages. Students should find a minimum of 2 scholarly sources to support their argument. Well
complete drafts leading up to the final. An assignment sheet with detailed instructions and
grading criteria will be distributed.
a. Due: Friday, May 9 by 10am (our official exam time)
b. Because this course is designated WI, youre required to upload your assignment to
GEAR for assessment purposes. Failure to do so will result in a 0 grade for this paper.
Detailed instructions for completing this requirement will be on the assignment sheet.

Grading: all assignments and the final course grade will adhere to the following scale:
100%-90% : A
89%-80%: B
79%-70%: C
69%- 60%: D

59% - 0% : F

Policies:
1. Submitting Work: unless otherwise specified, all assignments should be submitted
electronically to MuOnline. There will be a submission button under Course Content. Do
not copy and paste your assignment into the submission form. You should write the
assignment in a Word document and attach that to the submission form. Failure to do so
will result in a late penalty on the assignment.
2. Formatting Work: Except for journal entries, all assignments should be formatted
according to MLA guidelines.
3. Late Work: the only work that cannot be submitted late are free writes. If you have an
excused absence, Ill award you the points for the day you missed without makeup work.
Other assignments can be turned in late for a 5pt./day penalty beginning immediately
after class starts. If you have an excused absence, you can turn in major assignments late
(on the first day you return to class) for no penalty. Ill collect journals every other Friday
to grade the previous 2 weeks entries, so entries cannot be submitted late. If you have an
excused absence, Ill award you the entry points for that day without makeup work.
4. Missing Class: I have no formal attendance policy but missing too many classes will
result in loss of journal points and important instruction time. It is your
responsibility to find out what you missed in class not mine.
5. Academic Dishonesty:
a. All of your work is expected to be your own and written specifically for this class.
Plagiarism is a complicated issue, and as such a few specific rules should be
defined:
i. Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries of sources should be clearly marked
and cited according to MLA guidelines. Even if its an honest mistake,
failure to do so is technically plagiarism. It is your responsibilitynot
mineto make sure that the final draft of a paper contains proper
citations. If you dont, youll receive an assignment grade of 0 or a grade
deduction based on the severity of the plagiarism.
ii. Although it may not technically be plagiarism, copying and pasting large
amounts of text (more than a fifth of the length of your paper) from a
source with proper quotation cannot be considered original work, and will
therefore result in an assignment grade of 0.
iii. If you blatantly cheati.e., copy and paste large amounts of text from a
source without clear introduction/quotation, submit work that was not
originally written for this class, or submit work that was not written by
you, the studentyou will automatically fail the course and be reported to

the Office of Student Affairs, which could lead to suspension or even


expulsion from the university.
b. If you plagiarize, Ill notify you via e-mail of the violation and sanction; after that,
its your responsibility to make an appointment with me to discuss your concerns.
6. Grade Updates: Your grades are recorded and calculated using MuOnline. Ill post
updates once Ive finished grading the assignment for the entire class. If you notice a
discrepancy between the grade posted and the grade on your assignment, alert me asap.
Classroom Conduct:
This class involves some group discussion, some of which may focus on controversial subject
matter, and you will be expected to handle such issues with seriousness and professionalism.
Furthermore, we will frequently exchange our writing, so everyone deserves to be shown
respect. Keep an open mind to the opinions of classmates.
Discriminatory remarks based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation will
not be tolerated. If you say something I deem offensive, I will give you a warning. After that, I
reserve the right to dismiss you from the classroom. If you write something that I find
unacceptable for an academic audience because of bigoted language, I will ask you to rewrite it.
You signed the Marshall University Students Code of Rights and Responsibilities, and youre
expected to follow that code in this classroom in regards to class discussion and individual
assignments.
Cellphones, tablets, laptops and other electronics need to be silenced and stowed during class,
unless they are being used to access coursework.

The Writing Center: The Writing Center is a free resource provided by the English
department to assist you in any phase of the writing process brainstorming ideas/clarifying
assignments/making outlines/beginning a draft/revising a draft, etc. The friendly tutors there
will be happy to listen to your concerns about a paper and then create a game plan with you for
success. You should take all assignment materials to each session so the tutor has a clear idea of
your professors expectations. I highly recommend you use this resource, but you are not
required to do so. To make an appointment with The Writing Center, go to:
www.rich16.com/mu and sign-up using your MU e-mail address.

University Policies, in addition to those outlined above:


By enrolling in this course, you agree to the University Policies listed below. Please read the
full text of each policy by going to www.marshall.edu/academic-affairs and clicking on
Marshall University Policies. Or, you can access the policies directly by going to
http://www.marshall.edu/academic-affairs/?page_id=802
Academic Dishonesty/ Excused Absence Policy for Undergraduates/ Computing Services
Acceptable Use/ Inclement Weather/ Dead Week/ Students with Disabilities/ Academic
Forgiveness/ Academic Probation and Suspension/ Academic Rights and Responsibilities of
Students/ Affirmative Action/ Sexual Harassment

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