English 1907--Introduction to Literature
Cataclysm and Reconstitution

Whether it is for instruction or for pure entertainment, literature always addresses some event that is out of the ordinary. Works of literature are very rarely about day-to-day life, but instead, focus on disruptions and turning points in day-to-day life. Such disruptions can either come from the natural world, from interpersonal conflicts, or from a personal crisis of faith. In each case, the literary work seeks to present the disruption and, in many cases, to present a resolution to that disruption.

The goal of this class is to present you with an introduction to literary study. Presumably, all of the students in this class have already encountered literature in some form or other. You bring with you a vast experience not only in reading texts, but also in discussing them critically (How many times have you had an argument with a friend about whether a movie was good or bad?). This class will allow you to make use of these skills in a more formal or academic context, thereby exercising your reading skills as well as arguing and critical thinking skills that will be helpful in other classes or in your life outside beyond school.

The works selected for this course portray various natural and human-made crises and their characters' attempts to overcome them. There are numerous poems, two plays, a collection of short stories and two novels. Most of these works are from the twentieth-century United States, though I have not restricted them to that category. The assignments include a mid-term examination, a final examination, and a paper assignment as well as three informal assignments to be announced over the course of the semester.

Anita Dore, ed., The Premier Book of Major Poets

Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Ernest Hemingway, In Our Time

Edward Albee, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine

Paper Assignment, Close Reading of a Brief Passage (30%)- Choose either one poem or a brief passage from a longer work and analyze the details in the author's language that contribute to its meaning. Consider elements in the passage such as word choice, syntax, figurative language, literary allusion and punctuation as you write an argument in support of a particular reading of the passage. I will hand out a more detailed explanation of this assignment later in the semester.

Mid-term (20%) -- Questions about the texts from the first part of the semester including four short-answer questions and one longer essay question.

Final (40%) -- Four short-answer questions about texts from the second half of the semester and two essay questions addressing texts from the entire semester.

Participation (10%) -- Credit for informal assignments, attendance and contribution to class discussions.

Your grade will depend primarily on your written work and the understanding of the material that you convey through that work. A command of standard written English and the ability to present an argument will also contribute to the determination of your grade. Any infractions against UMD's Scholastic Dishonesty provisions in the Student Conduct Code as stated in the UMD catalogue will receive serious attention and appropriate penalties.

Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might influence their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform me at the start of the quarter. I can make special adaptations of teaching methods, assignments, materials, or testing as required to provide for equitable participation in the course. The Access Center is also available to assist students with disabilities. It is located in 138 Library and on the web at <http://www.d.umn.edu/access>.