FALL 2013 University of North Carolina, Greensboro Department of English
English 303: Critical Approaches to the Study of ENG 303.2 WI Literature Subject Hours: 3 Schedule: Tu / Thur 2.00–3.15 Office / hours: Curry 335-A Location: MHRA 1204 Tues and Thurs 12.30 - 1.50 pm Email: [email protected]
Critical Approaches to the Study of Literature What are some of the assumptions that inform how we analyze texts? Did we always read as we do today? Is there a difference in reading a text for pleasure and studying it for college credit? Why will two English professors have vastly different interpretations of the same poem? What defines English as a discipline? By studying several major areas of literary and critical theory we will begin to formulate answers to these questions. We will consider several major approaches to the study of literature that came to the forefront of the American literary studies from the mid-twentieth century: formalism, reader-response theory, psychoanalytical, gender and queer theory, and cultural-historical approaches and end the course by considering emerging trends in theory. While we will spend a good deal of the course considering these theories in their own right, we will also study scholarly articles with an eye to exploring how they are applied to spark literary insight and develop arguments about interpretation.
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify and understand the key terminology and characteristics of each "school" of literary theory; Distinguish between the key concerns of each critical approach as they relate to concepts of the author, text, interpretation, the reader, history, culture, and identity; Evaluate and understand scholarly criticism by recognizing its theoretical assumptions; Develop and apply techniques of literary analysis to texts; Draft, revise, and polish analytical papers and essays using theoretical concepts, textual evidence, structured arguments and persuasive reasoning; Conduct literary research by locating scholarly articles and incorporating secondary material in a research project.
Required Texts: The UNCG Bookstore has the required books:
Modern Criticism and Theory (3rd Edition). David Lodge and Nigel Wood (Eds.) Longman, 2008. ISBN 978-0582784543. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Norton Critical Editions). Marie Borroff (Trans.) and Laura Howe (Ed.) W.W. Norton, 2009. ISBN 978-0393930252.
All of our theoretical readings are from the Lodge reader and I've indicated the page numbers on the schedule. A number of you may already have an edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (in the same translation) if you own a Norton anthology. However, I’ve assigned this specific volume because we will read most of the literary criticism collected at the back of this edition. In the event that a reading is not in either book, I've uploaded a .pdf file on Blackboard. This is indicated in the schedule as well.
Attendance Policy Students are allowed a maximum of three unexcused absences without a grade penalty. At my discretion, absences may be excused if documented by a professional (e.g. doctor, lawyer, etc.) For every absence beyond those allowed, students will be penalized 2 points from the "Attendance and Participation" score, to a maximum of 10%. In the event that you have a genuine crisis (such as serious illness or a death in the family), you should notify me and contact the Office of the Dean of Students (336 334-5099). This office will work with you (and your instructors) so that you receive the academic support for continued enrollment. You are, by state law, allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays, which do not count toward your total. If you plan to miss class because of religious holidays, you must notify me in advance of your absence.
Assessment and Grading
Informal Writing “Notebook”: Answers to question sets on theory readings Up to 5 points of extra credit
Formal Writing Journal entries: 4 x 7% each 28% Submitted on Blackboard
In-class short essay 10 % Revised essay 17 %
Critical Research project Proposal – 300 words 5 % Paper – at least 8 pages 23 % Annotated bibliography 7 %
Attendance and Participation 10%
The requirements for each assignment and exam will be explained in detail as the semester proceeds. Late work is not accepted and there will be no "make-up" or "extra- credit" assignments, so do not miss assignment due dates.
Notebook: Reading Prep and notes from class discussions Throughout the course of the semester, you will keep a course “notebook.” This notebook comprises answers to the question sets that are assigned for each theoretical reading. These questions (posted on Blackboard) guide you through the assigned readings. As part of your reading preparation, you can write out answers to these questions. Even if you don't have definitive answers to these questions, attempting to respond to these prompts will force you to engage with the readings more deeply.
At the end of the semester, you may choose to show me your notebook and you might earn up to 5 points of extra credit. These points, however, can only be earned when all other assignments have been turned in.
In-class Exam / Revised Essay The course schedule lists the date for the in-class exam. The in-class exam requires you to perform a New Critical interpretation of a text. This in-class exam is the first draft of an expanded and revised piece of writing that you will turn into an essay by incorporating a second theoretical perspective (Reader Response theory).
Journal Entries In the middle section of the course (Parts 4 to 6), you will write four journal entries, each of which will be AT LEAST 600 words in length. Every journal entry will focus on the scholarly article that has been assigned as an example of the theoretical approach we study for that section. The due date for each journal entry is indicated on the course schedule and will be submitted via a Blackboard "Journal" that I have set-up for this purpose.
Critical Research Project a. A proposal explaining the issue that you'd like to explore in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the theoretical approach/es your plan to use. One page and a list of five to six potentially useful journal articles. b. Annotation of four scholarly articles with an emphasis on explaining their theoretical approach and how they might be useful in an argument – 200 words on four articles. c. Paper. At least eight pages: Write a thesis-driven paper about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by using the theoretical perspectives that we have studied throughout the semester and by incorporating the scholarly articles that you have read in your research.
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
Special Needs Accomodation 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 Accessibility Resources & 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].
Laptop Policy Laptops may be used in class only to take notes pertaining to our class or to view documents on our Blackboard website. Any student who uses a laptop for any non- classroom activity during class time will not be allowed to use a laptop in class again. To be perfectly clear: one violation means no laptop use.
Course Schedule All readings with page numbers are in the Modern Criticism and Theory. [Bb] means that the article has been scanned and uploaded to Blackboard. (Norton) refers to the articles at the back of our edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Date Lesson Aug 20/ Tu Introduction: What is "English"? 1. New Criticism Aug 22 /Th Brooks, "Keats’ Sylvan Historian"[Bb] Aug 27 /Tu The New Critical Method: Preparing for the in-class exam [Bb] Aug 29 /Th In-class Exam : New Critical Analysis 2. Reader Response Sep 3 / Tu Iser, "The Reading Process: A Phenomelogical Approach" [294-310] Sep 5 / Th Fish, "Interpreting the Varorium" [382-400] Sep 10 / Tu Examples of New Criticism and Reader Response: Borroff, "The Challenge Episode, A Stylistic Interpretation" (Norton, 93–104) Burrow, "Recognition and Confession at the Green Chapel" (Norton, 104–113) Hanna, "Unlocking What's Locked" (Norton, 144–158) Sep 12 / Th Conferences for Essay Revision – at Curry 335-A according to sign-up schedule Sep 17 /Tu Conferences for Essay Revision – at Curry 335-A according to sign-up schedule 3. Structuralism Sep 19 /Th Saussure, "The Object of Study" [42-50] & "Nature of the Linguistic Sign" [Bb] Date Lesson
Sep 24 /Tu Jakobson, "Linguistics and Poetics" & “The Metaphoric and Metonymic Poles” [140-168] Re-write of Exam due Sep 26 /Th Levi-Strauss, "The Structural Study of Myth" [Bb] Example of Structuralism : Hieatt, "Sir Gawain, Pentangle, Luf-Lace, Numerical Structure" (Norton, 113-131) 4. Post-Structuralism Oct 1 / Tu Bathes, "Textual Analysis: Poe's 'Valdemar'" [317-36] Journal 1 due Oct 3 / Th Derrida, "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences" [210-24] Oct 8 / Tu Derrida, "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences" [210-24] Oct 10 / Th Example of Deconstruction: Trigg, "Romance of Exchange" [Bb] Journal 2 due Oct 15 / Tu Fall Break – No Class 5. Psychoanalysis Oct 17 / Th Freud, "The Premisses and Technique of Interpretation" & "Manifest and Latent Elements" [51 -69]; “Repression” [Bb]
Oct 22 / Tu Hartman, "The Interpreter's Freud" [447–459] Oct 24 / Th Zizek, "Fantasy as a Political Category: A Lacanian Approach" [692–705] / Oct 29 / Tu Example of Psychoanalytical criticism: Miller, "The Ends of Excitement" [Bb] / Journal 3 due 6. Feminism / Gender Oct 31 / Th Irigary, "The Bodily Encounter with the Mother" [531–40] Nov 5 / Tu Butler, "Critically Queer" [607–25] Nov 7 / Th Research Project I: Instructions and research methods / Nov 12 /Tu Research Project II: Formulating the argument / using theory and research Nov 14 /Th Sedgwick, "The Beast in the Closet" [506–30] Nov 19 /Tu Example of Feminist and Gender criticism: Heng, "Feminine Knots and the other Sir Gawain" (Norton, 194–217) Proposal Due 7. New Historicism Date Lesson Nov 21 /Th Greenblatt, "The Circulation of Social Energy" [555–71] Journal 4 due
Nov 26 /Tu Examples of historicist criticism: Johnson, "Regenerative Time in SGGK" (Norton, 158–173) Carruthurs, "The Duke of Clarence and the Earls of March: Garter Knights and SGGK" (Norton, 217–231] Annotated Bibliography Due (via email) Nov 28 /Th Thanksgiving- No Class Dec 2/ Mon Conferences on Final Project (optional) Dec 3 / Tu Reading Day Dec 5 / Th Final Paper due (via email) [Final Exam]