105 Schedule We Have 5

Winter 2011-12 University of North Carolina, Greensboro Department of English

Instructor: Gary Lim EN 105.81-D Email: [email protected]

ENG 105.81-D: Introduction to Narrative: The Pursuit of Meaning

Course Description In this course, we will study four novels that, in their own way, not only tell a compelling story but also reflect the promise, dangers, seductions, and ethics of story-telling. We begin with Frankenstein, a text that is a strange blend of science-fiction, fantasy, adventure, and philosophy. The next book, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, is a short narrative that reads almost as a parable about the potent brew of politics, art, and budding sexuality. Our next book, Atonement, dramatizes how a single event, filtered through the distorting lens of adolescent misperception, leaves its uneraseable mark on lives in a time of political turmoil. Finally, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close takes us through the imagined experience of mourning and grief after a traumatic event to explore the healing power of making up and pursuing stories. Thoughout the course, we will explore various techniques that these writers use to create their narratives, always paying attention to how narrative conventions and styles contribute to a story's meaning.

At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:  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  Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Mariner Book Edition, 2005. ISBN 978-0618711659  McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor Books, 2003. ISBN 0-385-72179- X  Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Broadview Edition. ISBN 9781551113081  Sijie, Dai. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Anchor Books, 2002. ISBN 978-0385722209

I have put in orders for these books at the UNCG bookstore. They are also easily available online. Getting the editions listed here is important so that you can follow the page references in the course material with minimal frustration.

Course Policies Email Policy Since our primary mode of communication is email, please check your UNCG email account very regularly. I will make every effort to respond to your email within 24 hours. Please keep this in mind when you email about course material, tests, and exams. If you email me the night before an assignment is due or the night before a test, I may not be able to answer your question. Thus, it is in your best interest to prepare for assignments with enough time to ask questions if needed.

Course Etiquette Because we are not meeting "face to face," some of the assignments require you to participate in an online discussion with your peers by commenting on each others' work. We will always use the formal channels that I set up on Blackboard for these purposes. Further, when commenting on another person's ideas, bear in mind that respectful and generous engagement of the ideas presented is the best way to participate in a conversation. It may be tempting to be less than polite when writing an online response but we should hold ourselves to the same standards of courtesy as if we were having a "face to face" conversation

Technical Make sure that your login and password information are up-to-date as there may be limited techical support from ITS during the Winter Intersession.

All reading guides and assignments will be on our course Blackboard site. Be familiar with the recommended requirements for using all of Blackboard's features your internet browser. Submission of work must be done through the various quiz, journal, and blog interfaces that have been set-up. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with these functions well before you have to make a submission.

Technical breakdowns—computers not working, no internet access—cannot be used as a reason for non-submission of work. No consideration will be given for "technical glitches." It would be wise to have a back-up plan such as a computer you can borrow on short notice or an alternate site for internet access in the event of a technical problem.

Academic Integrity "Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at . I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. Exams and assignments that violate the Academic Integrity Policy will receive an F. Guidelines for Testing in an Online Environment: You are expected to do your own work on all quizzes, tests, and papers and you should not seek assistance from any one else or have anyone else take your test for you. All assignments are open book and open note; however, you must write and post your own work and not the work of anyone else. Plagiarized posts will receive zeroes.

Disabilities Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliott University Center (EUC) in Suite 215, and the office is open 8am to 5pm, Monday - Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail: [email protected].

Assessment and Grading

A+ 97-100 A 93-96 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62 F < 60

Overview

Quizzes 15% Journal entries 25% Blog discussions 15% Exam one 20% Exam two 25% ______Total 100%

Quizzes 10 x 3 MCQs

Quizzes are due every time you finish an assigned reading. For example, once you finish reading Part 1 of Frankenstein, you should complete the online quiz by 11.59 pm Dec 21. In general, there will be a quiz to complete every Wednesday and Saturday at 11.59 pm.

At the beginning of the course there is a quiz on the syllabus to make sure that you have read the syllabus carefully (and to familiarize yourselves with the quiz interface). This quiz must be completed but carries no grade.

Journal entries 10 x 250 words

Journals are 250 word responses due every Wednesday and Saturday at 11.59 pm. These journals should be responses to a few of the reading questions from the text guides on Blackboard. (See Study Procedure document for more details). You may choose to focus on any set (or sets) of questions to respond from the text guides on Blackboard. These questions are found in the "Questions to Ponder" sections of text guides. Even though the questions are listed in point form, you should write your journal entires in coherent prose and not answer in point form.

Rubric for journal entry grades

Excellent ("A" range)  These answers are thoughtful, insightful, thorough, and may even offer an original point of view.  These answers examine a range of textual evidence.  These answers will often pay close attention to the way language is used in the text.  While these answers use the question sets as a starting point, they bring up broader and deeper issues as well.  The writing for these answers is well-crafted and communicates the ideas with some eloquence and flair.

Good ("B" range)  These answers are thoughtful, thorough, and occasionally insightful.  These answers may focus on a more limited range of textual evidence.  While these answers may discuss how language is used, these comments may be vague or impressionistic rather than systematic and precise.  These answers will work systematically through the question sets, seldom deviating from the questions at hand.  The writing for these answers is accurate and communicates the ideas clearly.

Average ("C" range)  These answers are generally correct though there may be some erroneous interpretations, digression, and more summary and paraphrase than analysis.  The range of textual evidence used is often limited to two or three episodes.  These answers seldom discuss language use in a meaningful manner.  These answers will work methodically through the question sets.  The writing for these answers is generally clear but may be marked with generaliy and repetition.

Below Average ("D" range)  These answers are impressionistic and vague, often showing little attention to the the text and literary analysis.  Re-telling the story rather than analyzing the features of the narrative is a hallmark of these responses. Entries that do not meet the 250-word requirement will receive a percentage of the projected grade. So, if the post was going very well and might have made a 90 but is only 200 words long, the grade will be 200/250 x 90 = 72.

Collaborative Blog Discussions

1 x 300 word Blog discussion leader post 5% 3 x 100 word Blog discussion post 10%

You will be put into groups to discuss the readings. For each reading, at least two (sometimes three) of you will be assigned as discussion leaders. When you are a discussion leader, you will make a 300-word blog-post about a thematic or narrative element in the text. This post need not be confined to any portion of the text and can take any part of the text into consideration. Note that this post is always due before the text is "finished" in the reading schedule.

The rest of your group members will respond with follow-up posts (at least 100 words) centering on what the discussion leaders have posted.

While this assignment has you in groups, your grades are individually determined.

Rubric for Blog Discussions

Excellent ("A" range) Discussion leaders' posts  These posts have a clear analytical focus. They will pick out a theme, narrative, or stylistic element for discussion and offer an insightful analysis and interpretation of this element.  These posts will use the text to support the post in specific and meaningful ways.  These posts have the ability to inspire engaged discussion from the group. Blog discussion post  These posts will respond directly to the issues and questions raised in the discussion leaders' posts.  Using the leaders posts as a starting point, these will bring up good textual examples that extend, refute, complicate, or deepen the original insights.  These responses will be polite and respectful of differing views.

Excellent ("B" range) Discussion leaders' posts  These posts have an analytical focus. They will pick out a theme, narrative, or stylistic element for discussion and offer a competent analysis and interpretation of this element.  These posts will offer some textual support.  These posts inspire more limited discussion from the group. Blog discussion post  These posts respond less consistently to the issues and questions raised in the discussion leaders' posts.  These posts tend to offer a response without strong analysis or evidence.  These responses will be polite and respectful of differing views.

Average ("C" range) Discussion leaders' posts  These posts often rely on an impressionistic and general view of the text. The observations may not be focused and may seem to be a random grouping of several underdeveloped ideas.  These posts will offer limited textual support.  These posts inspire little meaningful discussion from the group. Blog discussion post  These posts respond may not respond thoughtfully to the issues and questions raised in the discussion leaders' posts.  These posts tend to repeat a point of view and do not usually give good textual support.

Below ("D" range) Discussion leaders' posts  These posts largely rely on summarizing the the text, paraphrasing and re-telling the story rather than analyzing the narrative elements.  Textual support is used to tell the story. Quotations will be left uncommented on.  These posts inspire shallow "yes" / "no" or vague responses from the group. Blog discussion post  These posts have almost no bearing on the leaders' posts.

As with the journal entries, short posts will be penalized.

Exams Both exams are essay responses to prompts about specific passages or issues in our texts. You will have about three days to work on these responses (see schedule for details) before submitting them.

Extra Credit Assignment All our novels have been made into movies: Frankenstein (the 1994 version), Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, and Atonement. Extremely Loud, and Incredibly Close is set for general release on Jan. 20 2012. For extra credit, you may watch the movie version and write an analysis (at least 750 words) that contrasts the film version with the novel. This assignment may be done only once and you may receive up to 5% of extra credit for it.

Course Schedule Each week of our course is broken into two halves: Monday–Wednesday and Thursday– Saturday. You should think about the course in terms of "half weeks," since all assigned reading, quizzes, and written assignments are due at the end of each "half week." A check-list of due dates, which may prove to be handy, is in the "Checklist of due dates" document. Suggested approaches to studying the material are recommended in the "Suggested study procedure" document.

Date Text and Materials to Read Assignments Week One – Dec 19–24

Dec 19–21 Bb materials on Frankenstein Quiz on Syllabus, Quiz 1 & Reading questions Journal 1 Due Frankenstein Volume 1

Dec 22–24 Frankenstein Volume 2 Quiz 2, Journal 2 & Blog Leader's Discussion Due

Week Two – Dec 26 – 31

26 -28 Frankenstein Volume 3 Quiz 3, Journal 3 & Blog Discussion Due

29 –31 Bb materials on Balzac Quiz 4, Journal 4, Blog Reading questions Leaders Discussion Due Balzac Parts 1 and 2

Week Three – Jan 2 –7

2–4 Balzac Part 3 Quiz 5, Journal 5 & Blog Discussion Due / Exam one given

5 –7 Bb materials on Atonement Quiz 6, Journal 6 & Exam Reading questions One Due Atonement 3–116

Week Four – Jan 9 –14

9 –11 Atonement 117 –250 Quiz 7, Journal 7 & Blog Leaders Discussion Due

12 –14 Atonement 251 – end Quiz 8, Journal 8 & Blog Discussion Due

Week Five – Jan 16 –21

16 – 18 Bb materials on ELIC Quiz 9 & Journal 9 Reading questions 1-107 of ELIC Date Text and Materials to Read Assignments

19 – 21 108-216 of ELIC Quiz 10, Journal 10 & Blog Leaders Discussion Due Exam two given Half-Week Six – Jan 23 –25

23 –25 217-end of ELIC Blog Discussion Due Jan 25 – Exam two due

Note: ELIC is Foer's Extremely Loud Incredibly Close