Lit Analysis 2341.

001
Fall 2008

Instructor: Stacey Donald

MWF 12:30-1:20
MC 2.410
Office: JO 4.134
Office hours: M 12:00-1:00 and by appointment
Email: sad011500@utdallas.edu

Course Description
This class will act as a literary boot camp to initiate you into scholarly modes of
thinking/talking/writing about literature. The purpose and intended outcome of this course is to
prepare you for higher level course work within the major. As such, this class will present an
intensive study of the three primary modes of literature: poetry, drama, and prose (narrative). We
will spend much of the semester covering the vocabulary you will need to succeed in the major as
well as tracing the history and progression of each genre of literature. Midterms and final exams
will help you gauge your progress with the vocabulary; essays in several drafts will help you to
articulate your own critical viewpoints as they develop.

Texts & Supplies

Required:
Edson, Margaret. W;t. New York: Faber and Faber, 1999.
Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair. New York: Penguin, 2001.
Gwynn, R.S., ed. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. 3rd ed. New York: Penguin
Academics, 2006.
Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999.
Strunk, William and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Longman
Press, 2000.
All other literary selections including poetry and short story selections will be made available as
handouts and/or online literature. Please Note: All films and film clips will be shown in class and
will be considered assigned texts.
Recommended:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th edition. New York:
The Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
NOTE: Your MLA books must be the sixth edition. (Also, the sixth edition will be replaced by
the seventh in 2009).

Course Expectations
For happiness and success in this course, you'll want to do the following:
1) First, last, and always, read for pleasure. This is some of the most beautiful, inspiring, and
intriguing literature of the Western world. You'll be happiest if you see your reading not as the
last straw on your pile of homework every night but as a break from all that mundane stuff like
statistics and math (okay, that's an English teacher's prejudice showing through. ☺ )

2) Keep up with your reading (including relevant background and biographical information-take
initiative and dig some of this up on your own) and attend all class sessions. The reading is
 exciting, yes, but also demanding, and catching up if you fall behind will be very difficult.
Class discussions will proceed on the assumption that you have read the material.

3) Participate in class discussions with attention, thoughtfulness, and respect for our classroom
community.

4) Take notes as completely and carefully as possible. Include not only information from
lectures but also connections or ideas that occur to you (or your classmates) during
discussions - these can be interesting seeds for papers.

5) Plan and prepare your papers before the due date and complete them on time.

6) Write competent prose. We will spend little, if any, class time on mechanical issues, so if you
feel unsure about your writing skills, you should make an appointment with the UTD Writing
Center, form a workshop group with your fellow students, or see me in my office.

7) Understand and avoid plagiarism. I will detect and prosecute plagiarists and have done so in
the past. If you are uncertain about quoting or citing, ASK. All written work must be
submitted to turnitin.com before the class period in which it is due.

8) Attend all class sessions on time and let me know well in advance if you must be absent.

9) See me in my office if you have any questions, problems, or issues. I'm glad to talk to you --
that's why I'm here.

10) Take responsibility for your own success. Be professional, prompt, and prepared - every
day.

Grading

Paper 1 20%

Paper 2 (stages I and II) 10%

Paper 2 (stage III and final draft) 20%

Position Papers 10%

Class Participation 10%

Reading Quizzes/Homework 10%

Midterm Exam 10%

Final Exam 10%

Papers
During the semester, you will complete two formal essays. These papers may be on topics of
your choosing. Let your own interests or ideas guide you in planning and writing these papers.
The first essay is a close reading of a text, with a minimum of 5 full pages. You may choose to
analyze a text we have not discussed in class (subject to instructor approval), perform a close
reading/explication of a text, or argue for a totally new interpretation of a familiar work. Your
final research paper is a formal essay of 8-10 pages. You may choose to illuminate a text with
historical or biographical research. For any of the papers you may write about works you may
have read that we have not covered in class, but please discuss your topic with me if you choose
this route. Papers may grow out of class discussions, presentations, or things you've learned in
lectures, but they should not merely recycle those discussions or ideas. Your work will reflect the
amount of thought, revision, and "polish" that has gone into it, which will obviously in turn affect
your grade - so give yourself plenty of time to develop your ideas and prepare your papers. As
always, you are welcome to discuss your ideas or drafts with me. Additionally, two 2-page
position papers will be submitted during the term.

Academic Ethics:
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work
material that is not one’s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or
more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s
editions, and/or falsifying academic records.
Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own without giving
credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.
Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an
examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or Internet
files, using someone else’s work for assignments as if it were one’s own, or any other dishonest
means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.
Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty,
including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an
inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an
examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy
answers.
MANY CASES OF PLAGIARISM ARE THE RESULT OF CARELESS DOCUMENTATION
OR FAULTY NOTETAKING. Unfortunately, the reader who finds the error, not knowing the
writer's intent, can only assume the plagiarism is intentional. Intentional or not, plagiarism in any
paper will still carry serious penalties.

Many students overreact when they learn what plagiarism means. They either assume that they
should not use any sources (thus avoiding the problem entirely), or they assume they should
document every word they have written. Both reactions are in error, for good writing involves the
synthesis of your own ideas with the ideas of others. Documentation serves the purpose of clearly
indicating which ideas are yours and which are those of other writers. If you are in doubt about
that dividing line, ask your instructor or the Writing Center tutors for guidance.

Plagiarism, because it is a form of theft, burglary, kidnapping, or dishonesty that interferes with
the goals of education, must carry severe penalties. The policy for Lit 2341.001 is that an
assignment containing plagiarized material receives an automatic "F," and may be turned
over to Judicial Affairs.

All final drafts of essays will be submitted electronically to turnitin.com as well as in hard copy to
the instructor.
1. Go to turnitin.com
 2. Create an account (all you need is an email address and a password. Make sure you write
them down.)
3. Enroll in Lit 2341.001 (class ID# 2358385, password: Kipling)
4. Upload final drafts of assignments when appropriate.

Paper Grading Criteria

The characteristics of an "A" paper include the following:

1) A clear, multilayered, and interesting thesis sentence (for example, not just "Mary Shelley
uses references to childbirth in Frankenstein" but "Mary Shelley's references to childbirth in
Frankenstein allow her to express and refigure her own anxieties about pregnancy and
parenthood following the death of her first child.") Thesis sentences should answer the
implicit question, "So what?" Ask yourself not just how an author has made certain choices
but why he or she might have made those choices - what cultural or biographical factors, for
instance, might be at work?

2) Close, thoughtful, and original readings of a text, supported well by quotations from that text.
I want to see that you've really read and thought about the work.

3) Attention to the technical details (structure, meter, sound, imagery, et cetera) that help to
create a work's meaning.

4) Support from reputable scholarly sources when needed.

5) Clearly structured paragraphs with clear topic and concluding sentences.

6) Clear, formal writing (minimal "I") that is free of misspellings, grammatical errors, and
citation errors.

7) Typed and formatted with 1" margins and all citations in MLA style.

A paper-Outstanding, above-average work

B paper-Good work, still a bit above average
C paper-average work, meets expectations
D paper-below average work
F paper-much below average, failed to address the assignment

Papers become late after class ends on the day they are due. If a paper is turned in within the first
24 hours of the late period, its grade will be reduced by one full letter grade. A paper that is
between 24 and 48 hours late will be reduced by two full letter grades. Any paper more than 48
hours late will receive an F. In case of absence, papers can be emailed to me as Microsoft Word
attachments (please format them as .rtf or .doc as my computer will not open .docx). Please
discuss with me any problems or emergencies related to due dates as soon as possible.

Attendance, Participation, and Related Issues

Because each class period will consist of a mixture of lecture, discussion, group work and free
writing, your thoughtful, attentive, and active participation is ESSENTIAL (and will form a
portion of your grade.) If you sleep, engage in non-class-related activities (such as reading the
Cosmo or text messaging on your mobile phone), or interfere with your classmates' ability to
learn, you will be counted absent for that day. Be on time - class will start promptly at 12:30, and
two tardies will count as one absence. Leaving early will count as an absence.

This is a very interactive course, so attendance is crucial to your success. I encourage you to
come to every class meeting; otherwise you will miss a great deal of information and material you
need to succeed in this course. I will take attendance every day. Your attendance, combined with
your discussion questions and your involvement in class discussion will make up your
participation grade, which counts for 10% of your final grade. Students with perfect attendance
will receive two bonus points on their final grade.

*There are no make-up quizzes/reading responses (the lowest quiz/reading response grade will be
dropped to allow for emergencies and/or absences). Make-up exams are not given. If you miss the
midterm, that 10% will shift to the final exam, making the final exam worth 20% of your grade
and vice-versa.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidable missed
and if the student has completed 70% or more of the required course work.

Student Conduct, Discipline, Academic Integrity, Handicap, and Religious Holiday

information
This information is contained in the UTD publication A to Z Guide, the Handbook of Operating
Procedures, and the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System.
All of these publications are available online at utd.edu. Please notify me if you will miss class
due to a religious holiday BEFORE the absence occurs. We will make arrangements for the
missed classes.

Useful Information
Disability Services-SU 1.610 (972-883-2098)
Student Counseling Center-Student Union 1.608 (972-883-2575)

Writing/Research assistance:
UTD writing center: McDermott Library, 2nd floor room 2.402 (972-883-6707)
McDermott Library reference librarian: Linda Snow (972-883-2626)

Material Locations:
E-reserve material can be accessed through the library homepage. Search by the course number or my
name to find our class.

Two articles must be retrieved from the library databases. If you are not using a computer on campus,
you will need your ID number to get into the databases. The databases can be accessed through the
library homepage.

Your syllabus, assignment sheets, some readings, and additional help are available through WebCT.
 Daily Schedule
Literature: A Pocket Anthology will appear as LPA
The Eyre Affair as EA
♠ indicates that the selection is located in the library databases
* indicates that the selection is located on the electronic course reserve for our class (you
can find this by going through the library’s homepage on e-reserve)
• indicates that the selection is available on WebCT
Subject to change at the instructor’s discretion

Introductory Material
August 22 (F): Introduction to the course and the major

25 (M): Becoming an active reader

Discuss selection from Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor (handout)*

Authorial Intention
27 (W): Practicing active reading as a tool to figure out a.i.
Discuss Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” in LPA

29 (F): The techniques authors use to get their point across/elements of fiction
Discuss section from LPA pp. 12-25
Discuss T.C. Boyle’s “Sorry Fugu”*

September 1(M): Labor Day

Mechanics of Writing like a Lit Major

3 (W): What do professors look for in “good” papers?
Discuss “The Basics” (handout)
Discuss The Elements of Style p. 15-26 (rules 12-18)
Discuss thesis handout
Discuss “Writing about Literature”•

5 (F): Learning by example

Discuss sample student response papers and sample of essay #1 (close reading)

Poetry
8 (M): Mechanics of Poetry
Discuss LPA pp. 385-412
Discuss Shelley’s “Ozymandias”
Discuss Browning’s “My Last Duchess”

10 (W): Scansion: What is it?

Discuss LPA pp. 412-422
Position Paper #1 due (Please upload to turnitin.com)
12 (F): The History of Poetry (Part I)
Student presentations
Discuss LPA p. 422-424
Proposal for Essay #1 due

15 (M): Where do these poems fit into the history?

Discuss Sappho’s “Hymn to Aphrodite” (handout)
Discuss Chaucer’s “A Complaint to his Lady”*
Discuss Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” in LPA

17 (W): History of Poetry (Part II)

Student presentations

19 (F): Where do these poems fit into the history?

Discuss Keats’s “La Belle Dame sans Merci” in LPA
Discuss Pound’s “In the Station of the Metro” in LPA
Discuss Williams’s “This is Just to Say” in LPA

22 (M): Mechanics of poetry continued

Discuss Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” in LPA

24 (W): Writing about poetry

Discuss John Hakac’s “The Yellow Fog of Prufrock” The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern
Language Association. 26.2 (June 1972): 52-54♠ (access through library databases-use JSTOR)

Narrative
26 (F): History of prose (narrative) Part I
Student presentations

29 (M): History of prose Part II

Student presentations

October 1 (W): Mechanics/Elements/Subgenres of the Novel

3 (F): View Jane Eyre

6 (M): View Jane Eyre

8 (W): How does literature argue?

Discuss EA Chapters 1-9

10 (F): Catch up/Review for Midterm Exam

13 (M): Midterm Exam

15 (W): Subgenres: How do they contribute to the development of the novel?

Discuss EA Chapters 10-20
17 (F): Peer Review
Rough draft due for Essay #1 (close reading). Please bring two extra typed, double-spaced
copies to class.

20 (M): Conferences with Ms. Donald

22 (W): Conferences with Ms. Donald

24 (F): What can literature teach us?

Discuss EA Chapters 21-36

Literature as Representation
27 (M): What are representations?
Discuss Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove* (pp. 3-29)
View film clips
Find some cowboy clips, photos, poems, stories, etc…Bring in images of the Marlboro Man, John
Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, clips from City Slickers and Lonesome Dove
Final draft of Essay #1 (close reading) due. (Please don’t forget to upload to turnitin.com.)
Assign research essay

29 (W): Literature: Sometimes it’s uncomfortable

Discuss Prouxl’s “Brokeback Mountain”*
Discuss reader response and resisting reader)

31 (F): Myth and representation

Discuss Prouxl’s “Brokeback Mountain”*
View film clips

Reading and Researching Like a Lit Major

November 3 (M): Library Tour (mandatory)
Position paper #2 due (please upload to turnitin.com)

5 (W): Primary vs. Secondary: What’s the difference?

Discuss Toulmin Method section (p. 45-54) from The Aims of Argument*
Discuss how we look for different things when we read primary and secondary sources.
Review Foster and the chart

7 (F): Evaluating sources

Discuss Joan Elizabeth Easterly’s “Lachrymal Imagery in Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman
Brown’” Studies in Short Fiction. 28.3 (Summer 1991): 339-343♠ (access through library
databases-use MLA International Bibliography)

10 (M): Research: Why must I do it, how do I do it, and what am I supposed to be
looking for?
Discuss A Writer’s Resource p. 213-221 (handout)

Drama
12 (W): Mechanics of Drama
Discuss LPA pp. 779-795
Phases I and II of research project due (proposal and annotated bibliography)

14 (F): History of Drama (Part I)

Student presentations

17 (M): History of Drama (Part II)

Student presentations

19 (W): Mechanics continued/Where does this play fit into the history?
Discuss W;t pp. 3-44

21 (F): Metafiction and the humanity of reading

Discuss W;t pp. 44-85

24 (M): Experiencing Drama

View Wit

26 (W): Peer review

Rough draft of research paper due (please bring two extra copies to class)

28 (F): Happy Thanksgiving!

December 1 (M): Conferences with Ms. Donald

3 (W): Conferences with Ms. Donald

Putting it all together: The students teach class

5 (F): Authorial information/Historical Context/Identifying the subgenre
Student-led discussion of Kipling’s Captains Courageous

8 (M): Using the chart: What kinds of arguments can we identify in this novel?
Student-led discussion of Kipling’s Captains Courageous
Final draft of research paper due (Please don’t forget to upload to turnitin.com)

12 (F): Final Exam 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Please note the change in class time for
the final! Have a wonderful holiday!