 Week 1, Thurs. Aug. 27
In Class
- Course introduction.
- Exchange email addresses and phone numbers with 3 people.
- Getting around Blackboard. We'll be going back and forth FREQUENTLY between "Course Documents" and "Weekly Work."
- Write diagnostic critical essays. Instructions are in Blackboard "Weekly Work": go to the Forum titled, "First-Day Diagnostic Essay," and then the Thread titled, "CLICK HERE FOR DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS AND POEMS."
- White Oleander DVD checkout.
- Early dismissal to begin ample reading due next week.
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Freud's couch! |
Week 2, Sept. 3
Before Class
- Read all of The Great Gatsby.
- Watch White Oleander. (Use checked-out instructor copy or rent on your own.)
- Read CTT, Chapter 1, pp. 1-10 and Chap. 2, "Psychoanalytic Criticism," pp. 11-49.
In Class
- Informal discussion of Gatsby (bring book to class).
- Review critical lenses again and look at student diagnostics.
- Quiz and/or freewriting on Tyson.
- Freudian psycho crit. PP presentation.
- Workshopping the theory: in-class activities such as online research, small group discussion, brief projects, micro essays. For an explanation of the micro essay, CLICK HERE. Apply Freudian psycho crit to film.
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"they f*** you up, your mum and dad" —Philip Larken |
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Week 3, Sept. 10
Before Class
In Class
- Lacanian and Jungian psycho crit PP presentation.
- Apply psycho lenses to film and O'Connor story.
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Week 4, Sept. 17
 Before Class
- Read Hawthorne's "The Birthmark."
- Read Tyson, Chap. 3, "Marxist Criticism," pp. 53-79.
In Class
- Finish psycho crit., if necessary.
- Begin Marxist criticism.
- Questions in Tyson, p. 68 assigned for viewing Modern Times, 1 hr. 23 min.
- Responses to questions, time permitting.
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Week 5, Sept. 24
Before Class
- Complete response to Tyson questions, p. 68, on Chaplin film, if necessary. Post in Blackboard.
- CTT, Chap. 4, "Feminist Criticism," pp. 83-131.
- CTT, Chap. 12, "Postcolonial Criticism," pp. 417-448.
In Class
- Finish work with Marxism.
- Feminist and Poco crit PP presentations.
- Working with notions of "Other."
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Week 6, Oct. 1
In Class
- Complete Fem. crit exercise.
- Cmplete work with Poco crit. Presentations and/or PPT group exercise.
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Week 7, Oct. 8
Before Class
- Review all Tyson readings and Power Point presentations.
- Formulate 3 good and real questions you have about literary theory generally or any one theory specifically.
In Class
- Come with your 3 questions—just jot them down in your notebook.
- Finish work with Power Point projects.
- Mid-semester review and prep. for midterm exam.
- Explication of exam poems.
- Practice identifications and summaries.
- Take-home mid-term exam assigned.
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Week 8, Oct. 15
Before Class
In Class
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Week 9, Oct. 22
Before Class
- Carefully study: Elements of Poetry, Elements of Fiction, and Critical Approaches (a summary).
- Read CTT, "New Criticism," pp. 135-164.
- Finish and post "Boot Camp Worksheet."
Note: I do NOT think that the Bedford St. Martin definition of "theme" (at the Elements of Fiction link above) is a very good one. Please see our PowerPoint presentation titled "Literature Bootcamp" in Blackboard "Course Documents" for an alternate definition. Much of the Bedford St. Martin material, however, is very good. Please study it carefully.)
In Class
- Complete worksheet and discuss.
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Week 10, Oct. 29
In Class
- Complete "Boot Camp Worksheet II" and discuss.
- Bedford-St. Martin's poetry exercises: click here.
- Identifying elements in selected passages from literary works.
- Discuss formalism/New Crit.
- Look at key Oleander segments.
- New Critical reading of "The Poet's Husband"
- Alternate readings of Chaplin, Hawthorne, et al.
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Week 11, Nov. 5
Before Class
- Read CTT, Chap. 7 ("Structuralist Criticism") and Chap. 8 ("Deconstructive Criticism,") pp. 209-279. Pay attention especially to deconstruction chapter.
In Class
- Finish work with New Crit.
- Structuralism-deconstruction presentation.
- Groups apply deconstruction to one or more course readings.
- Write class histories.
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Week 12, Nov. 12
Before Class
In Class
- Examine class histories, perspectives wheel, and begin work with New Historicism.
- Apply New Hist. to O'Connor.
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 Week 13, Nov. 19 
Before Class
- Start reading Fight Club, if you like.
In Class
- Continue work with Culturalist/New Historicist crit.
- Springsteen songs.
- Working with the notion of "discourse."
- Begin discussion of essay assignment and strategies.
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| Week 14, Nov. 26
Before Class
- Click here for excellent review material.
- Work on questions for class review.
- Finish reading all of Fight Club.
In Class
- Finish work with culturalist theory.
- Open discussion of novel.
- Question-answer session.
- Intensive theory review. Apply multiple lenses to novel.
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Week 15, Dec. 3
Before Class
- Skim-review theories from first half of semester.
- Review the elements of literature.
- Study and review New Criticism, Structuralism-Deconstruction, and Culturalism.
In Class
- Draft #1 of critical essay due. Bring 2 copies.
- Take-home final exam assigned.
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Week 16, Dec. 10
Before Class
- Work on draft of major essay.
- Work on take-home exam.
In Class
- Completed exams are due in instructor's hands at our classroom door at the beginning of class. All materials must be stapled ; they won't be accepted otherwise.
- Include a self-addressed and stamped envelope with your exam if you want it returned to you.
- Go over exam answers.
- Basic conventions in critical writing. Plagiarism and documentation review.
- Draft #2 due; bring 2 copies.
- Course evaluation.
- Final extra credit opportunity. (You must be present in class to receive this credit.)
- Conferences.
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Dec. 14th, 12AM: Completed essays due in Blackboard "Discussion Board," Forum titled, "FINISHED ESSAYS."
No coursework accepted after midnight on this date, except with documented evidence of serious hardship or illness
Early hand-ins welcome. |
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