ENG 215 – LITERARY ANALYSIS

SPRING `10

Instructor: Brinda Charry Office hours: M: 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Office : Parker 203 W: 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Email: bcharry@keene.edu

Tel: 8-2727

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is considered the “threshold” course for the English major and minor. It prepares

you to do the work of literary analysis by introducing you to the vocabulary, strategies, goals

and pleasure of critical inquiry. The work of this course focuses on learning and applying those

tools to the literary genres of fiction, poetry, drama and other kinds of creative prose; on

practicing the skills of citation, documentation, research; on expanding your critical

understanding of the variety of literary forms used by writers; on deepening your appreciation

of how language can connect, alienate, move mediate and shape our human identities.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

As we proceed through the semester, you are expected to demonstrate that you can:

1. Comprehend the elements of a text’s construction.

2. Use the language of literary analysis to talk and write about a text.

3. Ask questions that cover a range of critical approaches

4. Identify, discuss, and integrate questions and other textual evidence

5. Understand how you do research on literary texts

6. Use MLA style of citation and documentation correctly.

READINGS

Most of our readings are from “The Compact Bedford introduction to Literature” (8th edition) by Michael Meyer. The book is available in the college Bookstore. Please purchase it right away.

Some readings for the course will be posted on Blackboard (under Course Documents) or distributed as class handouts.

CREDITING THE WORK OF OTHERS

In the course of writing your papers you might need to go to other people’s work either to

support or illustrate your claims, to provide background information or to develop someone

else’s argument. Using sources can be useful and sometimes even necessary, but it is essential

that you credit the work others have done whenever you use a source. Check out the

guidelines for academic honesty on the website

http://www.keene.edu/policy/academichonesty.cfm. Don’t hesitate to talk to me if you have

any questions about this.

SPECIAL NEEDS

If you need to adapt this course to your needs because of a disability or some other situation,

please discuss this with me as soon as possible.

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH ME

You can always drop in during my office hours or make an appointment with me to discuss

drafts of your papers or problems or questions you might have pertaining to the course. You

can also reach me by e-mail.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Reading assignments, attendance and participation

If you are to get the most out of this course it is essential that you complete reading

assignments and come to class prepared to discuss them. Because your participation in class is

an integral part of this course you need to attend regularly. Any student who misses in excess

of two weeks of class will be considered to have failed the course. Attendance and

Participation : 15%

2. Quizzes, In- Class and Informal writing, Response Papers

Quizzes and in-class writing: I will give unannounced quizzes and in-class writing assignments to

make sure you have done the reading. 10% of final grade.

3.Short papers

Two 5-6 page essays. The first of these will count for 10% of the grade and the second for 15%

. I will give you more information on these papers and their due dates on the first day of class.

4.Mid-term Exam

One take home exam that will count for 10% of the grade. Again, you will get

more information on this on the first day of class.

5.Final exam

In-class examination details of which will be given later in the semester – 20 % of the final

grade

6. Final essay

One 8-10 page final essay details of which will be given later in the semester. The final essay

will count for 20% of the final grade.

COURSE SCHEDULE

(This schedule is subject to change)

WEEK 1

Wed, 1/20

-Topic: Reading Imaginative Literature, Texts as Representation

WEEK 2

Mon, 1/25

Topic: Reading Fiction Responsively

Readings:

Kate Chopin, “The Story of An Hour,”( p.15)

Topic : Explorations and Formulas

Readings:

Karen Van Der Zee, From A Secret Sorrow, (p 31) and Gail Goodwin, “ A Sorrowful Woman ” (p.

39)

Wed, 1/27

Topic: Plot

Readings:

1. Edgar Rice Burroughs, From Tarzan of the Apes (p. 72)

2. Ha Jin, “Love in the Air.” (p. 79)

3. William Faulkner, “ A Rose for Emily” (p. 90)

WEEK 3

Mon, 2/1

Topic – Character

Reading:

1. Herman Melville, “Bartleby the Scrivener” (p.124)

Topic - Setting

Reading:

2. Fay Weldon, “Ind Aff” (p 172)

Wed, 2/3

Topic – Point of View

Readings:

1. Achy Obejas, “We Came All this Way from Cuba So You Could dress Like This?” (p. 194) 2. Anton Chekov, “The Lady With the Pet Dog” (p. 205)

WEEK 4

Mon, 2/8

Topic – Symbolism

Reading - Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal.” (p. 255)

Topic – Theme

Readings -

Dogobert Gilb , “Love in LA” (p.279)

Katherine Mansfield – “Miss Brill” ( p. 275)

Wed, 2/10

Topic - Writing About Fiction

Reading :

1.David Updike, “Summer” (p. 304)

2. Karen Van Der Zee , From A Secret Sorrow (p. 31)

3. Gail Godwin, “A Sorrowful Woman” (p. 39) (we have read #s 2 and 3 before, please re-

read them for this class)

WEEK 5

Mon,2/15

Topic: Approaches to Fiction – A Critical Case Study of William Fauklner’s “Barn

Burning”

Readings:

1. William Faulkner, “Barn Burning” (p. 418)

2. Perspectives on Faulkner (divided) ( p. 431- 437)

Wed, 2/17

Topic : Finding Sources

Topic : Documenting Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

WEEK 6

Mon, 2/22

Topic : Approaches to Fiction – A Study of Flannery O ‘Connor

Readings:

1.A Brief Biography and Introduction (p. 362)

2.“A Good Man is hard to Find” 9p. 367)

3. “Good Country People” (p. 378)

4.”Revelation” (p. 392)

5. Perspectives on O’Connor – (Divided) (p. 407- 412)

Wed, 2/24

Topic - Reading Poetry

Readings: “The Secretary Chant” ( p. 570), “Those Winter Sundays (p. 571), “Dog’s death, “ (p.

572), “Oh, Oh” ( (p. 574), “ Catch” (p. 576), “ L (A 585

PAPER ONE DUE

WEEK 7

Mon, 3/1

Topic: Word Choice, Word Order, Tone

Readings: “ The death of the Ball Turret Gunner,” ( p. 625), “She being brand” ( p. 627),

“Common Ground,” ( p. 629), “ Back when All… “( p. 630), “Hazel Tells Laverne,” ( p. 631), “ To

The Virgin’s To Make much of Time,” ( p. 635), “Marvell Noir” ( p. 639) , “Last Night,” ( p.640).

Wed, 3/3

Topic - Images

Readings – “Poem” (p. 660), “Cavalry Crossing a Ford,” ( p. 661), “Windsurfing, “(p. 661), “Root

Cellar,” ( p. 663), “Dover Beach,” ( p. 664), “ Green Chile, “ (p. 665), William Blake, “London” ( p.

669).

WEEK 8

Mon, 3/8

Topic: Figures of Speech

Readings - From Macbeth (p. 682), “You Fit into me,” ( p. 683), “Presentiment” ( p. 684), “The

author to her book,” ( p. 685), “Pragmatist,” (p. 686), “The hand that signed the paper,” ( p.

687), “To a wasp,” ( p. 688), “The Unkindest Cut,” ( p. 690).

Wed, 3/10

MID-TERM EXAM

WEEK 9

Mon, 3/15 and Wed 3/17 -NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK

THE SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINING WEEKS OF THE SEMESTER WILL BE DISTRIBUTED JUST

BEFORE SPRING BREAK

WEEK 10

Mon, 3/22

Topic: Symbol, Allegory, Irony

Readings: “ Acquainted with the Night,” (p. 703), “The Haunted Place,” (p. 705), “Richard

Cory,” (p. 707), “Ad” (p. 710), “Next to of course God America I,” (p. 711),

“A Man Said to the Universe,” ( p. 724)

Wed, 3/24

Topic - The Sounds of Poetry – Rhyme, Sound and meaning

Readings: In-class – Please bring the textbook to class

WEEK 11

Mon, 3/29

Topic - The Sounds of Poetry (contd) – Rhythm and Meter , Poetic Forms

Readings – In class – please bring textbook to class.

Wed, 3/31

Topic – Combining the Elements of Poetry.

Reading: “Death be not Proud,” ( p. 820)

WEEK 12

Mon, 4/5

Topic -Approaches to Poetry – A Study of Langston Hughes

Readings: p. 915 – 931; Perspectives on Langston Hughes (p. 932- 935 - divided)

PAPER 2 DUE

Wed, 4/7

Topic – Approaches to Poetry – a Thematic Case study – Love and Longing

Readings – p. 966- 971

WEEK 13

Mon, 4/12

Topic – Reading Drama responsively

Readings – Susan Glaspell, “Trifles” (p. 1048)

Michael Hollinger,” Naked Lunch,” ( p. 1064)

Wed, 4/14

Topic - Writing about Drama

Reading – In -class (please bring textbook to class)

WEEK 14

Mon, 4/19

Topic: Approaches to Drama – A Critical Case Study of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House (1257)

Wed, 4/21

Topic – Critical Strategies for Reading

Reading – pg. 1536- 1554 (divided)

WEEK 15

Mon, 4/26

Topic - The Literary Research Paper

Wed, 4/28

Topic - The Literary Research Paper

Final Comments

FINAL EXAM AND FINAL PAPER - DUE DATE TBA