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LITERARY ANALYSIS LIT 2341-001

Spring 2006
Instructor: Terje Saar-Hambazaza
MWF 10-10:50am CBW1.203

Website for the announcements: www.utdallas.edu/~terje

Required essays, handouts, etc on WebCT: http://webct.utdallas.edu

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10am and by an appointment

Office: JO 4.134
Phone: 972-883-2713
Email: txs018600@utdallas.edu

Course Description
“There are books so alive that you’re always afraid that while you weren’t reading, the book has
gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like
a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone
ever step twice into the same book?” -- Marina Tsvetaeva

Literature mirrors the culture and human life, the meaning of a text depends on the readers and
on the transformation of times. Literary Analysis introduces students to reading, thinking, and
writing about literature and its various genres through an examination of a number of texts,
including fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. We will read a wide selection of short stories
and poems, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, James
Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, medieval and modern plays, and various critical
essays. The goal for this class is to develop the vocabulary and interpretation skills necessary to
analyze different elements of literature. Students will also learn to apply different critical
strategies to discussing and writing about literature.

Course Texts:
Required:

o R. S. Gwynn, Literature: A Pocket Anthology (Penguin Academics Series), 2nd ed. ISBN:
0321244435
o Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays (Penguin Classics),
ISBN: 0140436065
o James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (Penguin Classics), ISBN:
0140390243
o Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Norton Critical
Edition), W. W. Norton & Company; New edition, 2002; ISBN: 0393974650
o Lewis Turco, The Book of Literary Terms: The Genres of Fiction, Drama, Nonfiction,
Literary Criticism, and Scholarship. University Press of New England. ISBN:
0874519551
o Lewis Turco, The Book of Forms. 3rd ed. University Press of New England, ISBN:
1584650222
o Required articles (all available on WebCT):
§ Roland Barthes, “The Death of the Author”
§ Nina Baym, “Melodramas of Beset Manhood”
§ Harold Bloom, “Ernest Hemingway”
§ Wayne C. Booth, “Who Is Responsible in Ethical Criticism, and for What?”
§ Pierre Bourdieu, “Introduction to Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment
of Taste”
§ Jonathan Culler, “Theoretical Schools and Movements”
§ Umberto Eco, “On Some Functions of Literature”
§ William Faulkner, “The Meaning of ‘A Rose for Emily’”
§ John Guillory, “Canonical and Noncanonical: The Current Debate”
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§ Rust Hills, “The Short Story, as against the Novel and the Sketch,” “Techniques of
Foreshadowing,” “Foreshadowing and Suspense”
§ Shirley Jackson, “The Morning of June 28, 1948, and ‘The Lottery’”
§ David Lodge, “Introducing a Character,” “A Sense of the Past,” “Time-Shift,”
“Repetition”
§ Guy de Maupassant, “The Writer’s Goal”
§ Herman Melville, “Blackness in Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown’”
§ Toni Morrison, “Black Matter(s)”
§ Vladimir Nabokov, “Good Readers and Good Writers”
§ Marion D. Perret, “Not Just Condensation: How Comic Books Interpret
Shakespeare”
§ Edgar Allan Poe, “The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale”
§ Marjorie Pryse, “Lust for Audience: An Interpretation of Othello”
§ Peter Rabinowitz, “Actual Reader and Authorial Reader”
§ Jean-Paul Sartre, “Why Write?”
§ Susan Sontag, “Against Interpretation,” “A Note on Novels and Films”
§ Jane Tompkins, “Masterpiece Theater: The Politics of Hawthorne’s Literary
Reputation”
§ Mark Twain, “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses”
§ Casebook on Zora Neale Hurston
§ Casebook on Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Recommended:

o Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th Ed. Modern
Language Association, 2003. ISBN: 0873529863

Course requirements:
• Weekly reading responses (~1 page): writing short response papers on particular texts
from the weekly reading list. Total: 10 short responses.
• Three critical analysis essays on fiction, poetry, and drama (minimum 1100 words each,
excluding quotations): write a focused critical analysis using the strategies discussed in
class. The papers must be formatted according to the MLA guidelines, and they must
follow the conventions of the academic writing.
• Oral presentation (5-10 minutes) with questions for in-class discussion.
• Quizzes: the grades of unannounced quizzes count toward the participation grade.

NB! In addition to hardcopies, all 3 major papers must be submitted electronically

via email as attachments sent to txs018600@utdallas.edu

Grading Policy:
Weekly reading response papers – 10 %
Three critical analysis papers – 60% (20% each)
One oral presentation – 10%
Attendance – 10%
Participation in class discussions, quizzes – 10%

Your midterm and final grades are based on the various assignments given throughout the
semester, your participation in class discussions, and attendance. Remember, more than three
missed classes will negatively affect your grade.

Attendance Policy:
Since this is a discussion-oriented course, participation and attendance are crucial to successful
completion of the class. If you miss more than three classes during the semester, your grade will
be negatively affected and you may be encouraged to drop the class. Absences can be excused for
medical reasons and/or family emergences only and require sufficient documentation (note from
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a doctor, receipt with the date and time, etc.). Alternative assignments are not given; missed
papers and presentations are considered against the final grade. Tardiness is unacceptable, as are
coming to class unprepared, not paying attention during class, or sleeping in class. Also,
electronic devices for personal messaging, or entertainment cannot be used during class. Please
turn off cellular/mobile phones, pagers, and other personal electronic devices before the class.

Office Hours:
Office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 9-10am. You can arrange additional appointments to
see me at other times. The best way to communicate with me is by email
(txs018600@utdallas.edu).

Plagiarism Policy:
Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty when a person represents someone else’s work intentionally or
unintentionally as his or her own, and it is considered a serious offense. Students should be
familiar with how to avoid plagiarism by citing the sources properly when quoting someone or
paraphrasing another writer’s words. In addition to missing quotations, plagiarism occurs when
using someone else’s writing and submitting it as your own, allowing the other person to write
any part of your essay, and copying or purchasing a piece of writing from any source. Plagiarism is
very easy to detect, and your professors can easily locate the plagiarized sources and texts. The
university has implemented serious consequences for individuals who plagiarize; they range from
failing the assignment to failing the course, or being expelled from the university. Also, in the case
of using someone else’s work, both parties involved in plagiarism (including the student who
makes his or her work available to another student) are equally guilty; so students should not
share their work with other students unless their instructor has explicitly permitted it. Each
incident of plagiarism at UTD will be reported to the administration that makes a
final decision for the appropriate penalty.
Additional information on plagiarism: The Undergraduate Catalog of UTD:
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html

COURSE CALENDAR
The following is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor

Monday, January 9:
Introduction

Wednesday, January 11:

Fiction: Introduction (Literature, pp. 7-12);
Elements of Fiction: plot (Literature, pp. 12-17; The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 40-47),
characterization (Literature, pp. 17-18; The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 47-50);
William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily” (Literature, pp. 171-179);
Faulkner, “The Meaning of ‘A Rose for Emily’” [WebCT]
Rust Hills, “The Short Story, as against the Novel and the Sketch” [WebCT]

Friday, January 13:

Elements of Fiction: setting (Literature, pp. 22-23; The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 50-53);
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher” (Literature, pp. 38-54);
Poe, “The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale” [WebCT]

Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr Day – NO CLASS

Wednesday, January 18:

Elements of Fiction: point of view (Literature, pp. 19-20; The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 53-54);
Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” (Literature, pp. 235-243);
Jackson, “The Morning of June 28, 1948, and ‘The Lottery’” [WebCT]
PRESENTATION: Umberto Eco, “On Some Functions of Literature” [WebCT]
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Friday, January 20:

Elements of Fiction: style and symbol (Literature, pp. 23-25);
John Updike, “A & P” (Literature, pp. 288-294)
D. Lodge, “Introducing a Character,” “A Sense of the Past,” “Time-Shift,” “Repetition” [WebCT]

Monday, January 23:

Elements of Fiction: theme and allegory (Literature, pp. 21-22; The Book of Literary Terms, p.
53);
Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” (Literature, pp. 26-37)
Herman Melville, “Blackness in Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown’” [WebCT]
PRESENTATION: Jane Tompkins, “Masterpiece Theater: The Politics of Hawthorne’s Literary
Reputation” [WebCT]

Wednesday, January 25:

Elements of Fiction: tone (The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 55-57), motivation (The Book of
Literary Terms, pp. 57-58);
Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever” (Literature, pp. 107-118);
Gabriel García Márquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (Literature, pp. 262-268)
PRESENTATION: R. Hills, “Techniques of Foreshadowing,” “Foreshadowing and Suspense”
[WebCT]

Friday, January 27:

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Literature, pp. 92-106);
Ernest Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants” (Literature, pp. 187-191);
Casebook on Charlotte Perkins Gilman [WebCT]
Harold Bloom, “Ernest Hemingway” [WebCT]
PRESENTATION: Nina Baym, “Melodramas of Beset Manhood” [WebCT]

Monday, January 30:

Ralph Ellison, “A Party Down at the Square” (Literature, pp. 229-235);
Richard Wright, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” (Literature, pp. 202-213)
PRESENTATION: Toni Morrison, “Black Matter(s)” [WebCT]

Wednesday, February 1:
Zora Neale Hurston, “Sweat” (Literature, pp. 160-171)
Louise Erdrich, “The Red Convertible” (Literature, pp. 386-395)
Casebook on Zora Neale Hurston [WebCT]

Friday, February 3:
Paper #1 due at 11am in my office

Monday, February 6:
Poetry: Introduction (Literature, pp. 421-422); Speaker, Listener, and Context (Literature, pp.
422-428); Introduction (in The Book of Forms)
Poems in Literature: Anne Bradstreet, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Thomas
Hardy
PRESENTATION: W. Booth, “Who Is Responsible in Ethical Criticism, and for What?” [WebCT]

Wednesday, February 8:
Poetry: Lyric, Narrative, Dramatic (Literature, pp. 428-431);
Poems in Literature: Marilyn Nelson, Christina Rossetti, William Blake

Friday, February 10:

Poetry: The Language of Poetry (Literature, pp. 431-437); Figurative Language (Literature, pp.
437-441); The Sensory Level (in The Book of Forms)
Poems in Literature: Walt Whitman
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Monday, February 13:

Poems in Literature: Robert Lowell, Robert Creeley, Denise Levertov
The Ideational Level (in The Book of Forms)
PRESENTATION: Jean-Paul Sartre, “Why Write?” [WebCT]

Wednesday, February 15:

Poetry: Allegory and Symbol (Literature, pp. 441-443); Tone of Voice (Literature, pp. 444-446)
Poems in Literature: Wallace Stevens, Margaret Atwood, Theodore Roethke

Friday, February 17:

Poetry: Sounds and Schemes (Literature, pp. 446-448); Meter and Rhythm (Literature, pp. 448-
453); The Sonic Level (in The Book of Forms)
Poems in Literature: Gwendolyn Brooks, Jean Toomer, Richard Wilbur

Monday, February 20:

Poems in Literature: Stephen Crane, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Ezra Pound
Jonathan Culler, “Theoretical Schools and Movements” [WebCT]

Wednesday, February 22:

Poetry: Free Verse, Open Form, Closed Form (Literature, pp. 453-455), Stanza Forms
(Literature, pp. 455-457), Fixed Forms (Literature, pp. 457-459); Specific Forms, General Forms
(in The Book of Forms)
Poems in Literature: Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, Sylvia Plath

Friday, February 24:

Poems in Literature: T.S. Eliot, ee cummings, Seamus Heaney
PRESENTATION: Roland Barthes, “The Death of the Author” [WebCT]

Monday, February 27:

Poems in Literature: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Hart Crane
PRESENTATION: Peter Rabinowitz, “Actual Reader and Authorial Reader” [WebCT]

Wednesday, March 1:
Poems in Literature: William Carlos Williams, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill

Friday, March 3:
Paper #2 due at 11am in my office

March 6-11:
Spring Break – NO CLASS

Monday, March 13:

Drama: Introduction (Literature, pp. 839-861; The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 70-72); Dialogue
(The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 78-81)
David Ives, Sure Thing (Literature, pp. 1362-1372)
PRESENTATION: Vladimir Nabokov, “Good Readers and Good Writers” [WebCT]

Wednesday, March 15:

Tragedy: The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 72-75;
William Shakespeare, Othello (Literature, pp. 909-1020)
PRESENTATION: Guy de Maupassant, “The Writer’s Goal” [WebCT]

Friday, March 17:

Shakespeare, Othello
Marion D. Perret, “Not Just Condensation: How Comic Books Interpret Shakespeare” [WebCT]
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Monday, March 20:

Shakespeare, Othello
PRESENTATION: Marjorie Pryse, “Lust for Audience: An Interpretation of Othello” [WebCT]

Wednesday, March 22:

Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House (Literature, pp. 1021-1084)

Friday, March 24:

Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House

Monday, March 27:

Henrik Ibsen, A Doll House
PRESENTATION: John Guillory, “Canonical and Noncanonical: The Current Debate” [WebCT]

Wednesday, March 29:

Comedy: The Book of Literary Terms, pp. 76-78;
Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan

Friday, March 31:

Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan
PRESENTATION: Pierre Bourdieu, “Introduction to Distinction” [WebCT]

Monday, April 3:
Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Wednesday, April 5:
Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Friday, April 7:
Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
PRESENTATION: S. Sontag, “Against Interpretation,” “A Note on Novels and Films” [WebCT]

Monday, April 10:

Literature and Film: James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

Wednesday, April 12:

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

Friday, April 14:

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

Monday, April 17:

James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans
PRESENTATION: Mark Twain, “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses” [WebCT]

Wednesday, April 19:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Friday, April 21:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Monday, April 24:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Paper topics and summing up;

Friday, April 28: