Carleton University Department of English Language and Literature Winter 2011
ENGL 3803A CANADIAN FICTION
Time: Wednesdays and Fridays 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Location: 402 SA [Please confirm location on Carleton Central]
Dr. Eli MacLaren Office: 1903 Dunton Tower Office Hours: Wednesdays after class or by appointment [email protected]
DESCRIPTION The twentieth century witnessed the transformation of English-Canadian fiction from a marginal phenomenon into a substantial category of literature, characterized by international-prize- winning writing, sustained authorial careers, and momentum in local publishing. This course will track this rise through the novels and short stories of a dozen major authors, including Sara Jeannette Duncan, Morley Callaghan, Leonard Cohen, Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Miriam Toews, and Eden Robinson. We will compare and contrast the factors that allowed each to flourish, and consider the ongoing process of forming new authors by examining a contemporary literary magazine. Students will engage in secondary research, write two essays, develop their oral presentation skills, and deepen their knowledge of the writers whom critics have returned to again and again in the shaping of the Canadian canon.
REQUIRED BOOKS Purchase at Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave. (@ Bank St.),
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Online through Carleton University Library catalogue: Charles G.D. Roberts, “The Perdu,” in Earth’s Enigmas (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe, 1896), 18–51 [search Title = “Earth’s Enigmas” and select “E-books” from drop-down menu] Sara Jeannette Duncan, “An Impossible Ideal,” in The Pool in the Desert, ed. Gillian Siddall (Peterborough: Broadview, 2001), 95–150 [search Title = “Pool in the Desert” and select “E-books” from drop-down menu item no. 2] Readings on reserve at MacOdrum Library: Morely Callaghan, “An Autumn Penitent,” in A Native Argosy (New York: Scribner, 1929), 163–259.
EVALUATION Essay 1 (20%) – 1000–1250 words (4–5 pp.). Use at least 3 scholarly secondary sources (academic articles or book chapters). Write a bio-bibliographical account of one of the early writers in the course (Roberts, Duncan, or Callaghan). Describe the progress of his/her career, identifying the chief phases and turning points. Who or what influenced his/her development as a writer? How did s/he begin to publish, and which publication brought him or her to prominence? Why did s/he leave Canada? What were his/her most important works? Essay 2 (25%) – 1500–1750 words (6–7 pp.). Use at least 3 scholarly secondary sources (academic articles or book chapters). Choosing one of the major authors in the course (Cohen, Munro, Toews, or Atwood), write a research paper that critically places the assigned text in the context of the author’s larger achievement. Read at least one other work by your author, and on this basis discuss how the author’s thought or style has changed/remained constant. Review (15%) – 1000–1250 words (4–5 pp.) Choose what in your opinion is an excellent story by a new or emerging writer (Robinson, Paul, or any short story published in a recent issue of Grain [vol. 37 or later]) and review it. Articulate clearly what you interpret the story to mean and explain how it creates this effect. Elucidate as best you can any allusions or specific references in the story. You may also comment on what you judge to be the writer’s strength, discuss the innovative aspects of the piece, or suggest the contemporary trend in which you see the story participating. Discussion point (5%) – Oral, no written component. Sign-up for a day in which you will come to class prepared to lead the discussion for 10 to 15 minutes. Prepare a good point for the class to focus on, e.g. an important passage for us to read together and discuss, a political issue with which the text intersects, or a literary figure or device at work. Your point should consist of a question for the class to consider and an answer that sums up the significance of your point articulately. Be sure to go beyond a first impression of the work (“I liked x”), taking us instead into an analysis of it. Participation (5%) – Based on attendance, active engagement with course material, and informed participation in class discussions. Final Exam (30%) – Covering all lectures and assigned readings.
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SCHEDULE EARLY CANADIAN FICTION WRITERS January 5 Introduction 7 Charles G.D. Roberts, “The Perdu” 12 Roberts 14 Sara Jeannette Duncan, “An Impossible Ideal” 19 Duncan 21 Morely Callaghan, “An Autumn Penitent” 26 class cancelled 28 Callaghan MAJOR AUTHORS OF THE CANADIAN CANON February 2 Leonard Cohen, Beautiful Losers ESSAY 1 DUE Feb. 2 In-class film: Don Owen and Donald Brittain, Ladies & Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen (Montreal: National Film Board of Canada, 1965) 4 Cohen 9 Cohen 11 Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth 16 Munro 18 Munro March 2 Miriam Toews, The Flying Troutmans 4 Toews 9 Toews 11 Margaret Atwood, Year of the Flood ESSAY 2 DUE Mar. 11 16 Atwood 18 Atwood CONTEMPORARY FICTION: THE CUTTING EDGE 23 Eden Robinson, Blood Sports 25 Julie Paul, The Jealousy Bone 30 Grain REVIEW DUE Mar. 30 April 1 Conclusion and review FINAL EXAM – TBA
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EXPECTATIONS
Term Work: Students must complete every assignment. Not handing in an assignment will automatically lead to a grade of “F” for the course.
Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend every class, and to come to each class having read and thought about what is assigned for that day. Be prepared to respond to questions about the readings and to share your ideas with the class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what was covered. No further term work will be accepted from students who miss half or more of the total number of classes in the course without written explanation.
Email and Office Hours: As a first recourse, please use class time for questions relating to lectures, readings, and assignments. I will attempt to respond to emails within 48 hours of receipt. I am available for meetings in my office after class.
Assignments and Late Policy: Assignments are due in class on the dates indicated above. No extensions will be granted for reasons other than illness or emergency. Students who cannot meet a deadline due to illness or emergency must provide a physician’s certificate or other appropriate explanation in writing in order to be eligible for an extension. Assignments may be handed in late, up to a maximum of one week, with a penalty of 5% per business day. You must hand in a printed copy of your work. Late assignments should be handed in to the main office of the English department (1812 Dunton Tower), where they will be date stamped. Do not slip them under my office door.
Writing Tutorial Service: Students seeking to improve their grammar, diction, organization of ideas, or any other aspect of their writing should contact the Writing Tutorial Service (http://www2.carleton.ca/sasc/writing-tutorial-service/).
Plagiarism: Plagiarism, accidental or not, will not be tolerated and will be penalized according to University guidelines. Plagiarism is the representation of words or ideas drawn from other sources as if they were one’s own. Such sources may include published books and articles, online material, and essays written by other students or by professional writing services. It is your responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism. Be sure to keep notes and working drafts of an essay until the work has been graded and returned.
Accommodation: Students with disabilities should contact the Paul Menton Centre (http://www2.carleton.ca/pmc/) in order to obtain a letter of accommodation. Students with a religious conflict should bring it to the attention of the instructor within the first two weeks of classes in order for alternate arrangements to be made. Please consult Equity Services (http://www2.carleton.ca/equity/) for more information on these matters and on concerns related to family/pregnancy.