ENGLISH 224. THE LITERARY INSTITUTION
Instructor: David S. Miall. Winter 2005. TR 12:30-13:50. Business
B-05
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dmiall/Institution/
Office hours, HC 4-27: Tue 11:00-11:50, Fri 13:00-13:50
Email: David.Miall(at)Ualberta.Ca
Schedule | Assignments | Information | Projects
This course will treat literary studies as an object of theoretical and historical
analysis. Our considerations will question what makes literature literary and
explore the concepts of discourse, disciplinarity, author, canon, genre, the
construction of the literary field and literary value. The course will include
two case histories, Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" (1798) and Conrad's Heart of Darkness (1899): we will situate these texts at
the intersection of several conflicting accounts of the institutions of reading,
criticism, and literary theory.
Books required:
David H. Richter, Ed., Falling into Theory: Conflicting Views on Reading Literature, 2nd edition. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.
Ross C. Murfin, Ed. Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism, 2nd edition. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1996.
Other required reading will be made available online or via photocopy.
Schedule (tentative)
| Week | Reading | Notes |
| Jan 11/13 | Introductions. Literariness. | Institution notes |
| Jan 18/20 | Richter, Introduction (1); Vendler (31) | Richter/Vendler notes |
| Jan 25/27 | Graff (41); Eagleton (49); Ohmann (89) | Graff/Eagleton/Ohmann notes |
| Feb 1/3 | Case History, I: "Tintern Abbey" | "Tintern Abbey" (print this); "Tintern" annotated; Tintern commentary: see Contentions; Critical extracts (print this); Tintern bibliography |
| Feb 8/10 | Levine (378) vs. Bérubé (391) | Levine vs. Bérubé notes |
| Feb 15/17 | Herrnstein Smith (147) & Fish (268) vs. Dasenbrock (278) | Project 1: Tintern Abbey Rose, working class readers Essay 1, due Feb 17 Smith/Fish/Dasenbrock notes |
| Feb 22/24 | Reading Week | |
| Mar 1/3 | Case History, II: Heart of Darkness | Conrad, intro.; History, Racism; Conrad and Modernism 1; Conrad and Modernism 2; Eagleton; |
| Mar 8/10 | Achebe (323); Harris (334) | Postcolonialism and Heart;
Harris notes Project 2: What is Poetry? Project 3: Conrad and Achebe |
| Mar 15/17 | Rabinowitz in Murfin (131); Brantlinger in Murfin (277) | Project 4: Barthes "Death of the Author" (253) Project 5: Rabinowitz (in Murfin) Questions for March 22 |
| Mar 22/24 | Gilbert & Gubar (290) vs. Moi (295) | Feminist history Gilbert, Gubar & Moi, notes |
| Mar 29/31 | During (96); Menand (103) | Project 6: During "Teaching Culture" (96) Institution overview During, Menand, notes |
| Apr 5/7 | Radway (199); Booth (349) | Radway/Booth notes Essay 2, due Apr 7 |
| Apr 12/14 | Nussbaum (356); Conclusions | Nussbaum, notes |
| Apr 26 | Exam, 14:00-16:00 |
Assignments
Essay 1, due Feb 17. Consider the institutional frameworks within which "Tintern Abbey" can be read. What are their advantages and disadvantages? (1200 words)
Essay 2, due Apr 7. Choose your own topic, based on the work that has most interested you during the term. (1500 words)
Projects. Students will work in small groups of 3-4, and be assigned one of the project presentation dates noted in the schedule. You will consider the readings undertaken in the week or two prior to the presentation and choose one or more topics on which to present points for analysis or debate. For example, you might follow up two or three of the references provided in a chapter that appear interesting. A presentation will, preferably, be accompanied by visual aids (Powerpoint, OHP, etc.). At the class session following the presentation, each student in a group will hand in a short report informally explaining something about why you pursued that topic and evaluating the presentation (500 words). You will receive a grade for the project overall and a grade for the short report.
Assignment grades. Assignments will be marked on the university standard 4-point letter grade scale, where A = excellent, B = good, C = satisfactory, and D = poor/minimal pass.
The marks will be weighted as follows:
Essay 1: 15%
Essay 2: 30%
Project: 25%
(15% project, 10% short report)
Examination: 30%
Information
Attendance: If you miss a class, please contact a classmate (not the instructor) before the next class to find out what you missed. Classes will begin promptly at the scheduled time.
Late Policy: Essays must be handed to the instructor at the beginning of the class session at which they are due. They must not be a) given to another student to submit, b) put under the instructor's office door, or c) faxed, or otherwise attempted to be submitted through the English Department office, or d) emailed to the instructor (unless arrangements to do so have been made ahead of time). An essay submitted in this or any other unauthorized way will be considered as having not been submitted and will receive no grade.
The penalty for late papers is a half-grade point per day, including weekends (e.g., a B will become a B-). Late papers may be accepted without penalty if the student has compelling grounds and speaks to or emails the instructor about an extension at least one day before the assignment is due.
Final Exam: The final examination will take two hours and cover the whole course. You will not be able to make up a missed exam unless you provide a medical certificate or some other compelling personal reason for absence. Term work will not be reconsidered after the final examination has been written.
Plagiarism: Note that essay writing must be your own work. A student in whose work plagiarism is detected will face serious penalties, as outlined in the student code.