Engl 105: READINGS IN PROSE
Autumn Term 2004, TR 9:30-10:50. HC 2-11
David S. Miall (David.Miall@Ualberta.Ca; HC 4.27; 492-0538)
Office hours: Mon 13:00-13:45; Thur 11:00-12:00A close study of novels, short stories, essays, and other forms, both modern and traditional, to introduce the student to ways of approaching prose, and to assist the student in reading critically. A minimum of 30% of class time will be devoted to writing instruction. This may take many forms, including graded written assignments, informal writing exercises, writing workshops, etc. Students are required to write three essays which will be marked and formally graded. Throughout the course students will write at least 3500 words.
Texts required:
Jane Austen. Northanger Abbey. Oxford
Henry James. The Turn of the Screw. Oxford
Gary Geddes. The Art of the Short Story: Brief Edition. Addison Wesley.
Kay L. Stewart, Chris J. Bullock, and Marian E. Allen. Essay Writing for Canadian Students with readings, 5th Ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Schedule
week reading assignments Sept 9 introductions; Chopin, "The Story of an Hour" Art 73 Sept 14 Gopnik, "Kiddy Thinks" Essay 247
Bierce, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Art 24. Notes on style.
Essay Chapters 1 & 2; Essay format, 375Sept 21 Austen, Northanger Abbey
Essay Chapter 3; Documentation, MLA System, 476Sept 28 Northanger Abbey, cont.
Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily" Art 140
Essay Chapter 4Oct 5 Fetterley, "A Rose for 'A Rose for Emily'" Essay 229
Hogan, "The Voyagers" Essay 263. What is literary?
Essay Chapter 5Essay 1, due Oct 7 Oct 12 Oct 12: student-led discussion
Davis, "The Ticking Bomb" Essay 215
Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado" Art 271
Oct 19 James, "The Friends of the Friends"
-- "The Turn of the Screw"; the uncanny
Essay Chapter 6Oct 26 "The Turn of the Screw," cont.
Essay Chapter 7Nov 2 Woolf, "Moments of Being ..." Art 324
Gallant, "Rue de Lille" Art 149Essay 2, due Nov 4 Nov 9 Johnston, "A Lament for Quality" Essay 274
Hemingway, "Hills Like White Elephants" Art 168
Nov 11: no class
Nov 16 Laurence, "The Loons" Art 195
O'Connor, "Good Country People" Art 246
Essay Chapter 11Nov 23 Munro, "The Shining Houses" Art 232
Forster, "My Wood" Essay 238
Suzuki, "It Always Costs" Essay 313Essay 3, due Nov 25 Nov 30 Macleod, "As Birds Bring Forth the Sun" Art 218
King, "Borders" Art 185
Course evaluationDec 7 Conclusions Dec 15 9.00 Examination (2 hours) Essay topics
Essay 1. Consider the image of the house or abbey in Austen and Faulkner. Discuss its implications for your understanding of these narratives. (750 words)
Essay 2. Consider the character of the governess in "The Turn of the Screw." What technical means are employed to present her, and what dramatic effects do these have? (1200 words)
Essay 3. Choose one of the following (1500 words):
- Topic A. Choose one of the issues raised by the essays you have read during the course and write your own considered (evaluative) response.
- Topic B. Discuss the role of the limited or unreliable narrator in two or more of the fiction texts you have read during the course and evaluate its effectiveness.
References:
Van Peer, Willie, and Ewout van der Knap. "(In)Compatible Interpretations? Contested Readings of The Turn of the Screw." Modern Language Notes 110 (1995): 692-710.
Miall, David S. "Designed Horror: James's Vision of Evil in The Turn of the Screw." Nineteenth-Century Fiction 39 (1984): 305-327.
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: 25%
Essay 3: 30%
Examination: 30%
Course Policies:
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 (e.g., a B will become a B-), including weekends. 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 entire 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. Students should consult the provided Regulations Pertaining to First-year Courses for information about appeals, reassessments, plagiarism, and external help with assignments. If, after reading the handout, you have any questions, please see me. A student in whose work plagiarism is detected will face serious penalties, as outlined in these regulations.
Document created August 15th 2004 / Updated October 23rd 2004