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Instructor:
Jacob Agatucci,
Dept. of Humanities, Office: Jefferson 110
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Cheever
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Required Textbooks:
An
Introduction to Fiction.
Eds. Kennedy and Gioia, New York: Pearson, 9th edition
The
Fellowship of the Ring (FOTR), being the first part of The Lord of the Rings.
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994.
NOTE: Any edition of this text will work. So, if
you already own the trilogy, please feel free to bring your own copy of FOTR.
Course Overview:
English 104 is one of three courses in the Introduction to Literature humanities sequence. (NOTE: Taking all three courses--English 104, 105, and 106--satisfies the “A” list Humanities sequence requirement for the Oregon transfer Associate of Arts degree.) English 104 will introduce the study of imaginative fiction, focusing on the genres of the short story, the novella (or short novel), and the novel. As we sample works representing the rich diversity of fiction, students will be guided in analyzing fiction’s major elements, such as plot, character, theme, point of view, setting, style, and symbol. Comparative analysis of these elements will help students understand their functions and contribution to the impact of the literary works. Biographies and critical commentaries by and about fiction writers and their literary works will acquaint students further with the contexts which have shaped the creation and reception of fiction. A Film adaptation of the one novel we will read this term--The Fellowship of the Ring (FOTR)--will be viewed to examine the possibilities and limitations of these different forms of narrative fiction.
Course Assignments:
10% Weekly Reader Comprehension/Reader Response Quizzes: You will take 10 quizzes (5 questions each) that cover questions meant to test your comprehension of each week's selected readings. Aside from basic reading comprehension, these quizzes will also ask you to respond critically to the fictional elements (e.g., point-of-view, character, setting, etc.) we cover each week. These quizzes occur frequently throughout the course of the term (sometimes as much as 3 times a week, though usually only twice a week). Quizzes are graded in-class by fellow students and can only be taken in class on their designated day. Again, quizzes cannot be made up (i.e., if you're not in class on the day a particular quiz is given, you cannot retake it at a later time).
15% Critical Review of Sources: You will be responsible for turning in an annotated bibliographical entry and an evaluative review of 3 sources associated with one of the fiction readings assigned on your syllabus. This is a research project that will take you outside our text. You can use credible websites, our library, or any other credible collection of critical articles on narrative fiction to gather your information. The goal of this assignment is to (1) familiarize you with the research process and accepted documentation systems (e.g., MLA), (2) enhance your understanding of the authors we'll be covering in Eng 104, and (3) introduce you to the range of critical perspectives one can encounter when exploring source material on a literary subject. You will provide clear coverage of all the major points developed in the articles you review as well as your own evaluation covering the source's strength(s) to justify why you might recommend this source to another reader--e.g. why is it valuable on this topic? Any significant weakness or drawback of this source should also be mentioned. Detailed instructions and an example of this assignment will be handed out during Week 1.
25%
Writing Responses: Every other week (over the
course of the whole term), you will be responsible for turning in a writing
response to one of the readings on your syllabus. Over the course of Weeks 1-5
we'll be studying the elements of fiction--theme, plot, point-of-view,
character, setting, symbol, tone and style--and your responses will consider and
discuss assigned readings in relation to one of the above elements. For example,
you might respond to Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" with a detailed
discussion of the author's use of point-of-view. During Weeks 6-10, we'll be
discussing Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring based on the author's use of
the same fictional elements studied earlier in the term. Your last two Writing
Responses will focus on specific fictional elements and how they play out in
selected chapters of Tolkien's novel. For example, you might respond to
the "A Knife in the Dark" chapter with a detailed discussion of setting.
The goal of this assignment is (1) to define and engage the literary
principles we'll be studying in class, (2) demonstrate the ability to
closely read and interpret literary texts and (3) demonstrate effective
writing skills. You'll
begin your Writing Responses in class as a stimulus for that day's class
discussion and then turn in a revised version at a later date. Over the course
of the term, you'll turn in a total of six Writing Responses (the response with
the lowest grade will be dropped at the end of the term. NOTE: This does
not, however, authorize you to simply fail to turn in one of the six responses. If
you fail to turn in any of the six writing responses you'll receive an
incomplete in the course until it is turned in). Detailed
instructions for this assignment will be handed out in class during Week 1.
Assignment Instructions and Examples for your Critical
Reviews and Writing Responses can be downloaded by
clicking
here.
25%
Mid-Term: There
is a Take-home mid-term exam that is due Thursday of Week 5 (Note: Class is
cancelled on this day; you need only show up to turn in your mid-term). This
take-home exam will ask you to focus on a reading from the Stories for
Further Reading section of AITF and discuss how the elements of
fiction (e.g., character, plot, etc.) discussed during Weeks 1-4 are
represented.
25% Final Group Presentation
Project: By the end of Week 6, you will be assigned to a group of 6
students. Your group will corroborate on a presentation covering an assigned
section of The Fellowship of the Ring (the last piece of narrative
fiction we will read, and the only novel, to conclude the term). Your group will
be responsible for (1) illustrating and discussing
how the author employs the six fictional elements, and (2)
providing an evaluation of the section of the story you're assigned based on the
criteria we established for evaluating narrative fiction earlier in the term. Your group will present its
project to the class sometime during Week 8.
In conjunction with your presentation, your group will put
together an essay that discusses each fictional element covered in your
presentation. Each member of the group will be responsible for writing on one of
the fictional elements. As a group, you'll put together each member's write-up
into a larger collaborative essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion. This essay will be turned in at the
beginning of the class date on
which you present. I cannot stress enough that this is a joint project and will
only be as strong as the commitment of the group towards the aforementioned
objectives. Please get started early, figure out your group dynamic, and consult
with me on your project prior to your presentation. A separate hand-out covering
this project in more depth will be passed out in class during Week 6.
The presentation aspect of this project is worth a total of
100 pts and the essay is worth 150 pts.
A. Build a Knowledge Base of a Major Literary Genres
1. Situate works of fiction within their contexts (e.g. literary historical periods and influences, cultural and biographical background of authors, authorial intentions and critical reception).
2. Explain and illustrate how works of fiction reflect and shape significant aspects of their contexts.
3. Define and explicate key literary elements of narrative fiction, such as plot, character, theme, point of view, setting, symbol, and style.
B. Develop Skills in Literary Analysis & Evaluation
4. Apply close reading, contextual background information, literary concepts and approaches, and multiple perspectives to the analysis and interpretation of works of fiction.
5. Use comparative analysis to demonstrate significant differences and similarities among works of narrative fiction (e.g., between short stories by the same or different authors; between short story and novel or film; between works of fiction from different literary-historical periods).
6. Formulate and apply persuasive criteria to the evaluation of works of fiction-- appropriate to the context and genre of the literary text, and distinguishing between personal responses and literary-critical judgment.
C. Exercise Effective Communication Skills
7. Use effective oral and written communication to express literary interpretations and evaluations--developed both independently and collaboratively.
8. Use well-selected evidence from the literary text(s) to support one’s literary interpretations, analyses, and evaluations.
By the way, one of Jake's own major course goals is to enhance students’ personal, critical, and creative enjoyment of fiction as serious imaginative play.
Students will be encouraged to be active learners, close readers, and critical thinkers. Active engagement in course learning experiences will be stimulated through open class discussion, small group seminars, and individual writing. Students will be given ample opportunity to respond to the literary works, consider varied critical perspectives, exchange ideas with other students and Jake, and formulate their own oral and written interpretations and evaluations of fiction. (Diversity of opinion is, to me, one of the most interesting aspects of the course!)
