Eng
105-11 M, W, F: 12:00-12:50
Margaret
E. DiVito
Introduction
to Narrative
In
this course we will be looking at selected pieces of short fiction to discuss
how current writers present issues of social and cultural importance. We will be focusing on how both character
and subject are portrayed and developed (over a short time) within the text,
and how we as audience respond to it.
We will carefully determine and discuss the “tools” employed by various
writers to hold our attention and make us want to read a story and reflect upon
it later. We will also look at how
different writers may approach similar themes, considering questions of tone,
setting, language, metaphor, etc.
Assignments
to include: journals, group presentation, final paper. These will make up your final grade, as well
as class participation in discussion.
Because this class is very large, classroom discussion will be very
important.
At the end of this class, students should be
able to:
-critically
read and discuss aspects of the short story
-consider
author voice and how she/he speaks to and connects with the
audience
-find
and discuss the “tools” used by authors in texts
-effectively
discuss and write on the significance of a work of short fiction in
various contexts (i.e., historical, cultural,
social, political, etc.)
Books:
The Best American Short Stories 2001
(BASS)
The Scribner Anthology of Short
Fiction (Scrib)
The Short Story: 30 Masterpieces
A Lesson before Dying
Office:
136h McIver
Hours:
M, W: 2:00-3:20; F: 2:00-3:00
See
me to arrange other times as needed
Syllabus
AUGUST
19:
Intro
Read: “The Raft” 201-4 (BASS)
21:
Read: “Think of England” 62-77 (BASS)
23:
Read: “Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta” 167-181 (Scrib)
28:
Read: “Death by Landscape” 31-45 (Scrib)
30:
Read: “The Kind of Light that Shines on Texas” 428-38 (Scrib)
SEPTEMBER
4:
Read: “Boys” 146-51 (BASS)
6:
Read: “Girl” 409-10 (Scrib)
9:
Read: “Nobody Listens when I Talk” 271-4 (BASS)
11:
Read: “Pet Milk” 256-9 (Scrib)
13:
Discuss gender and age
Read: “At the Cemetery where Al Jolson
is Buried” 343-50 (Scrib)
16:
Read: “My Baby” 334-44 (BASS)
18:
Read: Porter, 175-81
Students should be reading A Lesson before Dying
20:
Read: Oates, 360-76
23:
Read: Atwood, 377-87
25:
Read: Walker, 394-402
30:
A Lesson before Dying due
OCTOBER
2-4:
A Lesson before Dying
7:
Read: “Mourning Door” 95-104 (BASS)
9:
Read: “The School” 93-5 (Scrib)
11:
Read: “First, Body” 612-23 (Scrib)
16:
Read: “Ghost Girls” 488-500
18:
Read: “Strays” 542-46
23:
Discuss “oddities” in fiction
Read: Erdrich, 425-38
25:
Read: “Illumination” 241-55 (BASS)
28:
Read: Poe, 17-22
30:
Read: “Doe Season” 384-98 (Scrib)
NOVEMBER
1:
Read: “Silver Water” 159-66 (Scrib)
6:
Read: “Cold Snap” 373-83 (Scrib)
8:
Read: “Brothers and Sisters around the World” 138-45 (BASS)
11:
Read: “Servants of the Map” 1-43 (BASS)
15:
Discuss place/scenery and imagery
18:
Discuss and assign Group projects and presentations
22
– 25: Group work
DECEMBER
2:
Chopin and Joyce
4:
Hemingway and Welty
6:
Ellison and Bradbury
9:
Carver and Williams
Papers due by Dec. 11