| Course Information |
| Course title: |
Literary Criticism |
| Course number: |
English 420-01 |
| Course discipline: |
Literature |
| Course description: |
My objective in this course is to introduce you to the major
concepts and movements of contemporary literary theory, with the
emphasis on understanding and using these theories to analyze literary
and cultural texts. These movements include: semiotics, deconstruction,
psychoanalytic theory, cultural criticism (including Marxism,
post-colonialism, queer theory, and new historicism). Feminist theorists
will be included in those movements which they critique rather than as a
separate feminist movement, although we will spend some time discussing
similarities and differences between feminists who work in different
movements. |
| Course date: |
Monday, June 27, 2005 through Monday, August 1, 2005 |
| Location: |
Porterfield 179 |
| Meeting day(s): |
MTWR |
| Meeting time(s): |
10:30-12:45 |
| Prerequisite(s): |
English 300 |
| Instructor Information |
| Name: |
Laurie Cubbison |
| Email: |
lcubbiso@radford.edu |
| Office location: |
Young 306 |
| Office hours: |
9-10 MTWR, and by appointment |
| Phone: |
831-6421 |
| Textbooks |
| Required reading: |
Theory into Practice, Ann Dobie, Heinle, 1st, 015506858X
|
| Required reading: |
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Robert Con Davis and Ronald
Schliefer, Longman |
| Recommended reading: |
Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms, Ross Murfin
and Supryia Ray, Bedford St. Martins |
| Plagiarism |
| Introduction: |
|
| Additional information: |
Plagiarism or dishonesty of any kind will result in automatic course
failure and a report filed with the student judicial board. Please
observe the student conduct code printed in each classroom and in your
student handbook. Radford Honor Code I do hereby resolve to uphold the
honor code of Radford University by refraining from lying, from the
stealing or unauthorized possession of property and from violating the
Standards of Student Academic Integrity. |
| Accommodations |
| Introduction: |
Accommodations for Disabilities Students with Disabilities: If you
are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with
Disabilities Act, you are required to register with the Disability
Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located in Tyler Hall 32, phone
831-6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please
obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with me at the beginning of the
semester. |
| Attendance, late work and tardiness |
| Introduction: |
Literary criticism is a difficult class because it deals with
difficult concepts and difficult reading. Taking this class is much like
taking a class in mathematics; when you’re absent, you lose important
information that will enable you to understand subsequent material. You
need to think long and hard about whether or not you can afford to miss
this class and still pass it. If you have missed three classes by
mid-term, I will recommend that you drop the class.
|
| Additional information: |
Because much of your time will be spent working with other people,
your absences affect not only your work but also the ability of your
classmates to carry out their work. If, however, you are forced to miss
class by circumstances beyond your control, notify me (ahead of time if
possible) so that alternate arrangements can be made between you, me and
the other members of your group. However, I do not care to hear excuses
nor do I wish to see doctor’s notices.
I do not repeat myself for people who are late to class. I give many
announcements concerning the day’s activities at the beginning of class.
If you are late, you should get the information from a classmate. If you
are not present in class at the time I take roll, then you should come
up to me at the end of class to make sure you are marked present.
Otherwise, your tardiness will be counted as an absence and will count
towards the absence penalty. |
| Assignments |
| In-class writing: |
10 points each, cannot be made up |
| Daily Quizzes: |
10 points each; cover both readings and videos; cannot be made up
|
| Explication Paper |
| Rough draft : |
Worth 50 points |
| Final draft : |
Worth 100 points. You will choose one of 4 poems and do a close
reading of it according to formalist ideas of analysis. As you read,
continually ask yourself the question, "What is this particular word
doing here?" |
| Theoretical Analysis paper (Matrix) |
| Rough draft: |
50 points |
| Final draft: |
100 points
In this paper you will choose some aspect of the Matrix trilogy to
analyze according to the the theoretical approaches we have covered in
class. The paper must deal with all three films, include a works cited
page, and directly apply one or more of the readings from the
Contemporary Literary Criticism book. |
| Tests |
| Final exam: |
100 points |
| : |
The final exam will consist of 20 questions (5 points each) taken
from the daily quizzes. |
| Lesson |
| Lesson: |
Introduction |
| Date: |
Monday, June 27, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Go over the syllabus |
| Topics: |
Introduce literary criticism and the concept of aesthetics. (Great
Ideas in Philosophy video) |
| Assignments: |
Read Theory into Practice - ch. 1
Read Contemporary Literary Criticism - J. Hillis Miller for Tuesday
|
| Background on literary criticism |
| Date: |
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss historical background of literary criticism and the various
movements |
| Topics: |
J. Hillis Miller's 4 kinds of criticism; Martha Nussbaum on video
about the Greek approach to poetics |
| Readings: |
Chapter 1 in TiP J. Hillis Miller in CLC |
| Assignments: |
Assign explication paper Read for Wednesday - TiP - ch. 2 and 3
|
| Formalism and new criticism |
| Date: |
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss New Criticism and other forms of formalist approaches. Do
activities toward explication paper. |
| Readings: |
TiP - ch. 2 & 3 |
| Assignments: |
Due Thursday - rough draft of explication paper. |
| Film Analysis |
| Date: |
Thursday, June 30, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Watch The Matrix (with commentary track by Cornel West and Ken
Wilber)
|
| Assignments: |
Rough draft of explication due.
Read TiP - ch. 4 for Tuesday. |
| Psychoanalytic criticism |
| Date: |
Tuesday, July 5, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Introduction to Psychoanalysis from a literary point of view. Return
explication drafts. |
| Topics: |
Freud and the key terms of psychoanalysis; Biography of Freud. |
| Readings: |
TiP - Ch. 4 |
| Assignments: |
Read Zizek for Wednesday. |
| Psychoanalytic criticism |
| Date: |
Wednesday, July 6, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss Jung (on video) and Zizek |
| Readings: |
CLC - Zizek |
| Assignments: |
Final draft of explication due Thursday |
| Matrix Reloaded (with commentary) |
| Date: |
Thursday, July 7, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Caution - There is a sex scene in this film if that sort of thing
bothers you. |
| Assignments: |
Explication due.
Read TiP ch 7 and CLC - Schweikart for Monday.
|
| Reader- Response Criticism |
| Date: |
Monday, July 11, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss reader-response theories of criticism.
Assign theoretical analysis paper. |
| Readings: |
TiP - Ch. 7
CLC - Schweikart |
| Assignments: |
For Tuesday, Read TiP - ch. 8 and Barthes in CLC. |
| Semiotics and Post-structuralism |
| Date: |
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss the roots of semiotics in Saussure and Barthes. |
| Readings: |
TiP - Ch. 8
CLC - Barthes |
| Assignments: |
Read CLC - Culler for Wednesday |
| Deconstruction |
| Date: |
Wednesday, July 13, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Watch documentary on Derrida and discuss deconstruction |
| Readings: |
CLC-Culler |
| Assignments: |
Read handout of MLA paper by Bill Ellis for Thursday. |
| Applying Deconstruction |
| Date: |
Thursday, July 14, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss Culler on Derrida. Use Cardcaptor Sakura to illustrate
binary oppositions. |
| Readings: |
Bill Ellis' paper on Cardcaptor Sakura |
| Assignments: |
Read CLC-Foucault for Monday |
| Michel Foucault |
| Date: |
Monday, July 18, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss Foucault's interest in the relationship between power and
knowledge. Show video of Foucault with Chomsky. |
| Readings: |
CLC - Foucault - What is an author? |
| Assignments: |
Read TiP - ch. 5 on Marxism for Tuesday. |
| Marxism |
| Date: |
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss Marxism in relation to literary criticism. Show video of
leading Marxist literary critic Terry Eagleton. |
| Readings: |
TiP - ch. 5 |
| Assignments: |
For Wednesday, read TiP ch. 6 and CLC - Diana Fuss |
| Feminism |
| Date: |
Wednesday, July 20, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss Anglo-American and French Feminism as responses to existing
movements. Show interview with Helene Cixous. |
| Readings: |
TiP- Ch. 6
CLC - Diana Fuss |
| Matrix Revolutions (with commentary) |
| Date: |
Friday, June 24, 2005 |
| Assignments: |
For Monday, read TiP ch. 9 on Cultural Studies, CLC - Greenblatt.
|
| New Historicism and Cultural Studies |
| Date: |
Monday, July 25, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss new historicism and cultural studies as similar approaches
to different categories of texts. View Stuart Hall video. |
| Readings: |
TiP - Ch. 9
CLC - Greenblatt |
| Assignments: |
Due - Theoretical analysis rough draft |
| Multi-cultural and Postcolonial studies |
| Date: |
Wednesday, July 27, 2005 |
| Readings: |
TiP - Ch. 10; CLC - Cornel West |
| Assignments: |
For Wednesday, read CLC - Edward Said |
| Post-colonial theory |
| Date: |
Wednesday, July 27, 2005 |
| Objectives or Goals: |
Discuss postcolonial theory and view video of Edward Said. Review
for final exam. |
| Readings: |
CLC - Edward Said |
| Final exam |
| Date: |
Friday, July 29, 2005 |
| Assignments: |
Final Exam at 11 am.
Theoretical analysis paper due.
|
