Intro to Narrative
Instructor: Fay Dacey
Fall 2004
MWF 8:00-8:50, New Science Building 103
Office : McIver 334L
Office Hours : MWF 10:00-12:00
Phone : 256-0484
Email: daceyfay@hotmail.com
Course Description:
In this introductory course in literature we will read a variety of short stories, novellas, and novels and explore strategies for the analysis and interpretation of fiction, paying special attention to both its cultural contents and such basic elements of the genre as point of view, character, plot, setting, and language.
Learning Goals:
Identify and understand varied characteristics of literature
Apply techniques of literary analysis to texts
Use literary study to develop skills in careful reading and clear writing
Demonstrate understanding of the diverse social and historical contexts in
which literary texts have been written and interpreted
Required Texts:
Ann Charters, Ed. The Story and Its Writer, 6th Edition
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Roddy Doyle, The Woman who Walked into Doors
Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Policies and Procedures:
Attendance: Regular attendance and participation is crucial to the success of this course. I take issues of prompt, prepared attendance very seriously. If you aren’t in class, you can’t learn from class discussion nor do we have the chance to learn from you. Miss three classes, you’ll be docked a letter grade. Miss six classes, you’ll be dropped from the course. If you are tardy three times, this counts as a missed class.
Class Participation: Though there will be occasional lectures, this course is primarily discussion based. This means that participation is MANDATORY. A lack of participation will significantly affect your grade. Come to all classes prepared to talk about the reading materials. When a majority of the class has not done the reading, class discussion is curtailed and a quiz results. Class etiquette is extremely important for this course (and all courses!). We will be having several small and large group discussions. It is extremely rude to carry on another conversation while someone else is talking, whether it is me or one of your classmates. If you can’t possibly pay attention, you should leave, and I reserve the right to ask students to leave the class at any time.
Critical Vocabulary: There is a glossary of literary terms in the back of the Charters anthology. Terms need not be memorized all at once, but as they come in relation to the reading. Exams will include questions on these literary terms.
Academic Integrity Policy: All work submitted to the course must abide by the Academic Integrity Policy, which is covered in the UNCG Student Handbook.
The Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 101 McIver, and is open Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-8:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm. You may make an appointment by calling 334-3125, or you can simply drop in, bringing your work-in-progress with you. It is highly encouraged that you utilize this resource.
Grading:
Exams (midterm and final): 25% each
Paper (5-7 pages): 25%
Class Participation: 15%
Quizzes: 10%
Class Schedule:
Week 1:
Aug 16: Introduction to class. Syllabus.
Aug 18: Margaret Atwood, “Happy Endings”
Aug 20: Raymond Carver, “A Small, Good Thing”
Week 2:
Aug 23: Joyce Carol Oates, “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
Aug 25: “The Elements of Fiction,” p. 1003-1015
Aug 27: Ernest Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants”
Week 3:
Aug 30: Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” and p. 892
Sept 1: Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”
Sept 3: Sherman Alexie, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven”
Week 4:
Sept 6: Labor Day. No Classes.
Sept 8: The House on Mango Street
Sept 10: The House on Mango Street
Week 5:
Sept 13: James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”
Sept 15: Story and its Writer, p. 846-850
Sept 17: Jean Toomer, “Blood-Burning Moon”
Week 6:
Sept 20: Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Sept 22: Story and its Writer, p. 910-915
Sept 24: Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
Week 7:
Sept 27: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Sept 29: Story and its Writer, p. 873-879
Oct 1: Literary Terms
Week 8:
Oct 5: James Joyce, “The Dead”
Oct 7: James Joyce, “The Dead”
Oct 9: Midterm Exam
Fall Break!
Week 9:
Oct 13: Rick Moody, “Boys”
Oct 15: Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal”
Week 10:
Oct 18: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Oct 20: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Oct 22: Fiction Handout
Week 11:
Oct 25: Film
Oct 27: Film
Oct 29: The Story and its Writer, p. 1016-1043
Week 12:
Nov 1: Katherine Mansfield, “The Garden Party”
Nov 3: Anton Chekhov, “The Lady with the Little Dog”
Nov 5: Amy Tan, “Two Kinds”
Week 13:
Nov 8: Zora Neale Hurston, “Spunk” and “Sweat”
Nov 10: Story and its Writer, p. 965-979
Nov 12: Papers due
Week 14:
Nov 15: Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis”
Nov 17: Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis”
Nov 19: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
Week 15:
Nov 22: No classes
Thanksgiving Break!
Week 16:
Nov 29: The Woman Who Walked into Doors
Dec 1: The Woman Who Walked into Doors
Dec 3: Literary Terms
Week 17:
Dec 6: Alice Munro, “Family Furnishings”
Dec 8: No classes
Dec 10: Final Exam
End of Semester—Go and Relax!