|
English 491: History of Literary Criticism Course Goals, Methods, and Policies Al Drake | 520 Hum. Tu/Th 1:30-2:30 | ajdrake@ajdrake.com Required Text: The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. New York: Norton, 2001. ISBN: 0393974294. (Titan Bookstore) Course Particulars: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-3:45, in McCarthy Hall 464. The in-class final exam (see syllabus) will take place on Thursday, 12/18, from 2:30-3:20 at the usual location. Course Objectives: This is not a course in practical, applied criticism;* it is a course that aims to ground you in the history of literary criticism and theory. Studying the broad range of philosophers and critics I have assigned will help you contextualize and understand C17-19 English criticism and will provide you with a good starting point for future engagement with contemporary critical theory. What we call "criticism" has such a rich and complex history in itself that it is worth studying for its own sake, though of course our ultimate goal in studying it is to return with fresh insights to the literature we find most worthwhile. Please read the following guide if time permits: Succeeding in College. *Long Aside: the same is usually true of courses in contemporary criticism and theory -- whatever the school's course catalog may imply, most instructors consider it best to spend the semester coming to terms with the theories that underlie critical practice. This approach can be frustrating if it violates your expectations upon entering the course, and of course the practical value of theory for the reading of literary texts isn't always evident or immediately realizable. But patient study eventually yields results -- one becomes more capable of reading a text from multiple perspectives, more capable of responding to it insightfully and connecting it to other works. Theory is a messy affair -- a mix of philosophy, cultural studies, formalism, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, Marxism, feminism, and so forth -- and while at times current theorists may make rather sweeping claims about the political and social relevance of their ideas, it's fair to say that patient engagement with the best texts and authors can yield much insight into any number of fields and experiences. It can be useful, that is, in surprisingly powerful and unpredictable ways--not only with regard to literature. So if you take a C20 "lit. crit." course, roll up your sleeves and repeat after Friedrich Nietzsche, "Whatever does not kill us makes us stronger!" My Expectations for Students: In difficult endeavors, one learns by "successive approximations." You need not expect to grasp the readings in their entirety the first time your study them, or during this course. Our job as readers is to accommodate our understanding to the texts, respond to them honestly, and thereby learn new ways of thinking. Be patient with yourself and with your assigned authors! Please attend class regularly, be prepared to discuss the texts, and turn in assigned work on time. I will do my best to offer a well-organized synthesis of personal insight and traditional interpretation regarding our texts. I will also suggest appropriate ways to connect our author's concerns, offer study questions that will help you understand those concerns, and respond to your questions and observations. As for lectures, strong students treat them as a springboard for their own ideas, not as ominous final interpretations. Major Study Units: Foundational texts for criticism from ancient times through the Nineteenth Century. Classroom Strategies: Lecture, class discussion, and web study guides / questions. There will be a strong web presence, so the course will be "paperless" except for very important documents. I will hold office hours. Methods of Evaluation: One 5-7 page paper, a journal requirement, attendance, and an in-class final exam. The relevant paper/exam dates will be mentioned on the syllabus page. Due dates are subject to change. A likely grade breakdown would be as follows: 10% for attendance (there are approx. 30 meetings, so the following is fair: 0-3 absences = 90% = A, 4-6 = B, 5-7 = C, 8-10 = D, 11-more = F). 30% for the Paper, which should follow recent MLA guidelines and be carefully edited, precise in its thesis, and specific in its references to supporting quotations from the assigned texts. See Paper Guidelines. 30% for the Journal Requirement. See Journal Guidelines. The point in assigning journals rather than a midterm or a second paper is to keep you responding to and writing about the texts regularly--that kind of activity seems to me an important component of the learning process. 30% for the Final Exam. Make-up Exams: If you run into a scheduling conflict or similar problem, taking the final a day or two before its scheduled date might be possible at our mutual convenience. Please inquire about this well before you make such a request. Rough Drafts: A rough draft will be required for the paper, and I will get it back to you with substantive comments about structure and idea-development in time for you to revise the draft. I reserve the right to downgrade or refuse final papers turned in without a prior rough draft. I won't "correct" drafts; however, near the top of our syllabus page, you will find detailed guides to help you with style and grammar. I'll include them here as well: Sample Essay in MS Word Format | Grammar Guide | Deductive Essay Guide | Citation Gide | Analysis | Editing | Plagiphrasing | Bad English | Links for Writing. Final Drafts: Late final drafts of papers will be marked down 2/3 grade for the first three days of lateness, and one full grade thereafter. I reserve the right not to accept papers more than two weeks late. A paper becomes late when one doesn't get it to me (in person or as an email attachment) by midnight on the day the paper is due in class. If you email your paper, I will respond with a verification; it is your responsibility to call me at 714-434-1612 if you do not receive a timely verification message. Plagiarism: Cheating on papers and tests will result in an "F" for the course and more -- in severe or repeated cases, it can lead to suspension or even expulsion. But since many problems in this area are caused by students not knowing how to deal with sources, please read my guides Proper Citation and Plagiphrasing before writing the first paper. Source Work: While it is acceptable to consult legitimate sources of information -- scholarly articles and books -- the most important thing for undergraduates is to study the assigned texts patiently. Relying on commercial "Notes" may well hinder this process. Additional Requirements: Please maintain internet/email access. Refresh the "Syllabus" page if its date is not very recent; it may have been updated.
|