English 4165-01W: Contemporary American and British Lit (TR 3:30-4:45, HUM 209)
Dr. Joshua Masters, TLC 2240
Phone: 678-839-4862
Email: jmasters@westga.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2-3; Wednesday, 9:30-12:30 & 1-6, and by appt.
Description
This course examines literature produced in the U.S. and British Isles during the last thirty years, primarily focusing on that slippery entity known as “The Postmodern Novel.” Rather than basing the readings on a single unifying theme or overarching concern, the course is broken into four interdependent sections that reflect some of the prevailing concerns of contemporary authors writing in the “postmodern” era. Each section will include a pairing of fictional texts, at least one relevant critical article or excerpt, and a film. These works demonstrate a wide a range of perspectives—black and white, male and female, British and American—and collectively they suggest new ways to imagine the status of the individual, the boundaries of nationhood, and the meaning of such categories as race, ethnicity, class, and gender. The required texts are listed beneath their subject heading.
“The Post-Nuclear Family”
Raymond Carver’s “Viewfinder.”
The History of Luminous Motion, Scott Bradfield (copies provided by instructor)
White Teeth, Zadie Smith
film: Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko
“The Intra-Textual Novel”
Erasure, Percival Everett
Moon Tiger, Penelope Lively
film: Spike Lee’s Bamboozled
“History, War, and Memory”
Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy
Time’s Arrow, Martin Amis
film: Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man
“Imagining Apocalypse”
Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler
film: Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later
Requirements
Students are expected to complete the day’s reading assignment in advance and come to class prepared to participate in discussion. Students must maintain a reading-quiz average of 65% or higher, turn in a series of process-based writing assignments, two five-page papers, and a ten-page final project. In addition, students are expected to complete the day’s reading assignment in advance and come to class prepared to participate in discussion. If you cannot keep up with the reading, you will fail the class.
Explanation of Course Requirements
Final Grade: To pass the course, students must turn in all written work, have less than five absences, and earn a passing quiz grade. If you average less than 65% on quizzes, you will not pass the course. Your final grade is comprised of the following: Final Paper (30%); Two Five-Page Essays (25%); Quizzes (20%); Process-Based Writing Assignments (20%); and Participation (5%). Note: I am always happy to discuss your progress in the class with you and explain my evaluation of your work. You can expect to receive the grade you earn in this class; please refrain from telling me what grade you “need” in the class (for Hope, for athletics, to fulfill a dying relative’s final request, etc.), or what grade you “really want” (presumably an A).
Essays: Your basic task for each paper is to produce a well-written, coherent essay whose central argument is both interesting and significant. Your essays will be thesis-driven, argumentative papers, and your grade will be determined by the complexity of your central argument, the structure of your paragraphs, the logic of your organization, and the strength of your prose (i.e. your writing). Your research paper will also be evaluated in terms of its use of secondary sources and the originality of your scholarship.
Reading Assignments: The reading assignments can be found on the online syllabus in Dr. Masters’ website (http://www.westga.edu/~jmasters/). All reading will be due on Tuesday, and you can expect to read between 100 and 150 pages each week. Remember, Tuesday’s quizzes are open note, so write down names and descriptions of important characters, significant plot developments, key images and themes, etc.
Quizzes: At the beginning of each Tuesday class, you will take a comprehensive, fact-based quiz on the week’s reading assignment. Once the quiz is distributed, the door to the class will close, and you will have about five minutes to complete the quiz. If you arrive late, you will not be allowed to take the quiz, and you must wait outside until the quiz is completed. If you are absent for whatever reason, you will not be allowed to retake a quiz. Under no circumstances will I give make-up quizzes. If at anytime during the semester it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to earn a passing quiz score (at least a 65%), he or she will be told to stop coming to class. This policy is absolutely and utterly inflexible. Each quiz is worth 10 points, and at the end of the semester, assuming that you've earned the required 65%, I will then drop your lowest quiz score when determining your quiz average and quiz grade. All quizzes are open note (but not open book), and you are encouraged to bring notes based on the reading to class.
Process-Based Writing Assignments: At the beginning of each week, I will post Thursday’s writing assignment at the bottom of the online syllabus. All writing in this class submitted for credit must be typed. Your papers for this class will be written over a period of weeks rather than in one, long sleepless night. Expect Thursday assignments to be fairly involved affairs that take you through the process of writing a thesis-driven, critical essay. These assignments will be graded on a ten-point scale based on their level of completeness and the degree to which they follow my directions. Late assignments will penalized two points for each weekday that they are late.
Late Essays: I will accept late essays, but always with a penalty. For each weekday that a paper is late, 1/3 of a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade. For instance, if the paper is due on Tuesday and you turn it in on Wednesday, you will lose 1/3 of a grade (i.e. a C+ becomes a C). If you turn it in on Thursday, 2/3 of a grade is deducted (a C+ becomes a C-). Emailed papers will not be accepted. All papers must be handed to me and entered into the record book as received.
Discussion and Attendance: Students are expected to attend every class and arrive on time, prepared, and eager to discuss the day’s reading. Your participation grade is based upon your performance in the class in terms of group work, discussion, and attendance habits. You are expected to demonstrate genuine engagement with the material, actively contribute to discussion topics, show adequate preparation for each class, and respect the ideas of your classmates. You must bring the text under discussion to every class.
Cellphones and Sleeping: Don’t ever, ever fall asleep in this class, and I never want to see a cellphone. As soon as you see me, get the thing out of sight. If you fall asleep or use your cellphone in class (such as text-messaging and/or message checking), you will be asked to leave class and considered absent for that day.
Email: All email correspondence must take place through UWG accounts. I cannot read or respond to emails from students coming from other sources. Your emails should address me (“Dear Dr. Masters,” rather than “yo”), and they must be signed. Please proofread them and write in full sentences.
Tardiness: Each tardy will count as ½ of an absence. On Tuesdays, after quizzes are collected, the doors will be opened and late arrivals will be allowed to find a seat. If you are more than three minutes late, you will be marked as tardy.
Absences: I understand that illnesses and emergencies are a part of life, and therefore you are allowed to miss one Tuesday class and one Thursday class without penalty (Thursday writing assignments must be sent to me in advance). However, if you miss five classes, you will automatically fail the class, no exceptions. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences unless the absence is due to participation in an official University activity (such as band, sports, debate, etc.). If you add the class after Tuesday, you will not be counted as absent. However, you are responsible for contacting me and being prepared by Thursday.
My Plagiarism Policy: If a student is caught plagiarizing (and this includes short writing assignments) or cheating on a quiz, he or she will automatically fail the course. No exceptions. Also, I consider Cliffnotes, Sparknotes, and other similar “resources” out of bounds. You must complete the reading on your own and do your own thinking in the class. Quizzes will be designed in such a way that these “sources” will be of no use to you.
Departmental Plagiarism Policy: The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course.
Reporting Procedures for
Plagiarism:
Each incidence of plagiarism is subject to review and consideration by the
instructor, and is subject to a range of penalties including but not limited to
failing the assignment, failing the course, and referral to the
disciplinary review board (which may
ultimately result in the expulsion, suspension, or disciplinary removal of the
student from the university). In order to facilitate the prevention and
detection of plagiarism the Department of English and the University of West
Georgia will maintain records of plagiarized assignments and those who prepare
and/or submit them.
Course Goals
Students will demonstrate their ability to understand, analyze, and critique selections of twentieth-century American literature.
Students will recognize distinct aesthetic movements in the twentieth century in order to gain familiarity with the content and defining qualities of the literary period.
Students will develop an understanding of different critical approaches to the interpretation of works of twentieth-century American literature.
Students will demonstrate in both oral and written work a discipline-specific critical facility through convincing and well-supported analysis of related material.
Students will demonstrate their command of academic English and the tenets of sound composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose.
Students will learn to use discipline-specific computer technologies related to the study of language such as listservs, word processing, and internet research.
Program Goals
This course fulfills one of the departmental requirements for the completion of the English major.
Students will develop the analytical, oral and written skills to pursue graduate study or careers in teaching, writing, business and a variety of other fields.
Students will be able to define and pursue independent research agendas.
This course contributes to the program goal of equipping students with a foundation in literary history and the issues surrounding literary study in contemporary culture.
This course broadens students' desire and ability to take pleasure in their encounter with literature.
Students with disabilities should meet with me at the beginning of the semester, and we will make any necessary arrangements.
The reading schedule and assignment due dates are posted on the online syllabus. Slight changes and modifications are always a part of the semester, so plan to consult the syllabus regularly (before each class). All changes will be announced in class well in advance.
Reading and Assignment Schedule
1/9: Introduction to Class. Syllabus and Carver story "Viewfinder" handed out.
1/11: First short writing assignment due (see below). Read Chapters 1-5 of History of Luminous Motion.
1/16: Motion, 6-18 (to 158).
1/18: Paragraph Writing Assignment.
1/23: Finish Motion (to 274).
1/25: First single-spaced page of your "Mountain of Notes" for Essay #1 due.
1/30: White Teeth, Chapters 1-6 (to 133)
2/1: Complete Mountain of Notes and Thorough Outline of Essay #1 due.
2/6: White Teeth, Chapters 7-11 (to 256)
2/8: Essay #1 due (approximately five pages, formatted according to the MLA Template).
2/13: White Teeth, Chapters 12-18 (to 385)
2/15: Finish White Teeth (448).
2/20: Erasure, to page 131.
2/22: (Very) Short Writing Assignment.
2/27: Finish Erasure (to 265).
3/1: See below (and get a head start on Blood Meridian). Last Day to Withdraw with a "W."
3/6: Blood Meridian, Chapters 1-12 (to 165).
3/8: Critical Reading or Short Writing, TBA.
3/13: Finish Blood Meridian (to 337).
3/15: Stage 1 of Paper #2 Due.
3/20: Spring Break
3/22: Spring Break
3/27: Time's Arrow, Part 1 (to p. 93).
3/29: Complete Notes and Outline (or a self-defined alternative) of Paper #2 Due.
4/3: Finish Time’s Arrow (to 165).
4/5: Paper #2 Due.
4/10: Parable of the Sower, Chapters 1-15 (to 178).
4/12: Short Writing Assignment; discuss final project.
4/17: Finish Parable (to 338).
4/19: Final Project Prospectus Due.
4/24: Writing Workshop and Conferences.
4/26: Writing Workshop and Conferences.
5/2: Final Papers due in my office by 5 p.m.
Thursday Writing Assignments
Thursday, January 11th: For class, please bring in a typed (double-spaced) paragraph that examines the meaning of Raymond Carver's story "Viewfinder." Before you begin drafting the paragraph, make some notes on the story and your thoughts on it. Also, pick one sentence or statement in the story that you feel is essential to understanding it. You will be citing and analyzing this passage in your paragraph.
Once you're ready to write, open your paragraph with an argument about the story's meaning in which you try to forge some sort of connection or suggest some form of relationship between thematic elements. And, if you're really smart, you'll attempt to frame that connection within a larger cultural context: What does the story show us about class, gender, language, identity, psychology, etc.? Within the body of the paragraph, cite a specific passage as evidence for your argument (using a parenthetical citation with the page number), and analyze and interpret the passage. Keep your response to a single, cohesive paragraph of about 1/2 to 3/4 of a page. See you in class!
(And don't forget Luminous Motion.)
Thursday, January 18th
This assignment is very similar to last week's. You will be producing one paragraph, using the MLA Template we discussed in class (found on my website's homepage), about The History of Luminous Motion. The choice of topics is entirely up to you, but hopefully it relates to an issue or idea that we've looked at in class. Your topic/focus should be fairly narrow, since you should imagine that you're writing a body paragraph rather than an introduction.
The paragraph will need to include one short internal quotation (it might even be just a phrase or a word) and one block quotation. Be sure that your quotations are absolutely accurate, and be sure to cite and punctuate them properly. Once you've collected your evidence and thought about your topic, spend a few minutes formulating your opening argument, and be prepared to revise and strengthen it throughout the writing process. Please keep your paragraph to less than one page. Feel free to email me if you have questions.
Thursday, January 25th (revised)
For Thursday, you'll be bringing in a page (or more) of single-spaced notes relevant to a paper on Bradfield's novel that you can imagine yourself submitting for a grade in two weeks. After reading over the assignment, begin working on Stage One, which is the creation of a mountain of notes that will later help you formulate both your outline and final paper. Eventually, you'll have at least two single-spaced pages of notes (aim for three or four, however), but for Thursday, you just need the first page. Many of your entries/notes (which you should continue to work on throughout the coming week) will be based on quotations that you're pretty sure you want to work with in your paper. Some entries will be questions you have for yourself. Some entries will be your "Big Ideas" that you know you want to develop further. Each entry should be numbered, and they don't need to be in any particular order. In Stage Two, you will develop a detailed, meaningful outline that creates order from chaos. For now, you need only create chaos.
As an example, here are two entries I wrote in class last Thursday (I didn't have a paper topic, obviously, but I moved toward one in my second entry). One of your entries might be a description, however tentative, of your topic, and one should be based on a passage from either Hardin or Baudrillard. For entries based on a quotation, type out the quotation (some of these can be short, of course). One of your notes should provide the context of the passage (when does it happen; who is speaking to whom; what's the dramatic tension; etc.).
1. Just always remember—you need to play the game if you want to break the rules, and even if you play by all the rules, deep in your brain you’ll always be playing your own game. You are immaculate. You endure for numberless centuries. You persevere in a world of pure gravity and sound. You are like light, baby. You are like a sea of air. You are history, and make all of history something else. (30)
2. Phillip as a historian. This seems to be worth further investigation. He seems to be writing about history as much as he is recording events. In this sense, he’s really a meta-historian. Whoa. Bring this up in the next discussion.
Critical Reading for January 25th
If you go to the MLA database available through Ingram, you'll find the full-text for Michael Hardin's essay under:
Hardin, Michael. "Postmodernism's Desire for Simulated Death: Andy Warhol's Car Crashes, J. G. Ballard's Crash, and Don DeLillo's White Noise." Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory 13.1 (2002): 21-50.
Here's the link that will get you right to the MLA database.
http://www.westga.edu/~library/cgi-bin/listem.cgi?su=Literature&dt=bibliography&hf=2&strict=1
Once it comes up, scroll down to "MLA International Bibliography," click once, and then type Hardin Death in the box next to the word "Find." The article will appear, and you'll click "Find it at UWG." Then click "EBSCO Host," and finally "PDF File." You can then read the pdf file, printing it out if you so choose. Read at least the first five pages (21-26), up until the discussion of Warhol.
If you're using an off-campus computer, you might need to go through Ingram's main page and enter the password, which is: "practiced"; this should get you into the databases (I think).
Thursday, February 1st
Your notes (at least two single spaced pages) and a detailed outline are due. Please consult your assignment sheet, especially the paragraph that begins "Stage two," for instructions and suggestions. Below is a link to the sample outline I showed you in class today.
You will be doing some work on your outline in class, and I want you to be able to take it home for the weekend. Therefore, please print two copies to bring with you to class, one for me to collect, and one that you can write on and then take home.
Thursday, February 8th
Papers are due in class. If you aren't in class with a paper that you're ready/willing to turn in, it will be counted late. But I promise that good things will happen if you show up with a completed paper.
Please remember to format it according to the MLA Template (and it can't hurt to read through the text). Also, create a title page that follows the Title Page Template, which is on the main page and also below:
As I clarified today in class, you don't need to repeat your title (or title page info) on page one of your paper. If you any questions, I'll be available all day on Wednesday.
Feb. 15th: Finish White Teeth and read Edward Said excerpt, which should have been emailed to you by now.
Thursday, February 22nd
Choose a passage from the fictional novel My Pafology that you think sheds some light on its meaning (and that you think we should talk about in class on Thursday). Your goal, in either a paragraph or through a series of notes, is to answer the following question: What do you think is the point or purpose of this intra-textual device? You can either construct a paragraph that cites the passage as evidence (about a half-page double-spaced), or you can type out the passage and write a half-page of single spaced notes, thoughts, and ideas in response to it (and to My Pafology in general).
Thursday, March 1
Please look over the changes to the syllabus, and feel free to voice any questions or concerns you have on Thursday. You have a day off from writing, but be sure to review Erasure in preparation for the quiz, and book mark at least one passage that you're dying to discuss. I expect to see this bookmark--or sticky note, slip of paper, chewing gum wrapper--protruding from your copy of the novel. One goal we should have is to reach an understanding of the ending of the novel, so gather your thoughts.
Thursday, March 8
For our second discussion of McCarthy's novel, I thought we should spend some time examining its language and imagery, which we can then connect to specific thematic elements and/or theoretical concerns. The writing will be minimal. First, type out a passage that you think we should discuss in class. Beneath the quotation, point out one interesting or significant thing happening at the linguistic level (how a word or image or phrase etc. works), and one thing happening at the conceptual, thematic, or theoretical level.
Also, start thinking about your next paper, which will be on White Teeth, Erasure, or Blood Meridian. I'll give you the assignment on Thursday, and we'll talk about some different approaches to the writing process.
Thursday, March 15
I'll be holding individual conferences with any and all interested students throughout the day on Thursday instead of class. Please email your paper proposal and first stage of notes (see assignment) to me before 3:30; I will send you a response as quickly as I can.
I'd also like to remind you that Time's Arrow is written in backwards time. All conversations are backwards. All actions are backwards. It's an incredibly strange, interesting, but difficult book. It's fairly short, but you'll find yourself constantly reading and rereading (which is part of the strange pleasure of this particular text). You'd serve yourself well to read it in its entirety over break, and then re-read the first half in preparation for our next class. Have a fabulous week away.
Thursday, March 29
At least two pages of notes, quotes, and ideas are due tomorrow, as well as a detailed outline. Please see the assignment for outline suggestions. For each body paragraph, write a short narrative that clearly defines the connection between the paragraph and the one it follows. What's the logic behind your organization? How are you building on and drawing from a key argument or idea in the previous paragraph? Or, if it's your first body paragraph, why is it first? This should really help you to establish strong bridge statements at the opening of each paragraph of your final draft. If you're using a Roman Numeral system, I. will be your introduction, but for II., III., IV., etc., you might create a mini-title that defines the topic of each. A. will then be your transition-narrative, with B. (and 1, 2, 3, etc.), C, D, etc., being drawn from your mountain of notes, quotes, and ideas. If you have any questions or wish to pursue an alternative plan, don't hesitate to email me. Oh, and for those of you who are interested, Cormac McCarthy's apocalyptic novel The Road will be the next Oprah Book Club book. The world gets more inexplicable with each passing day.
Thursday, April 12
Your primary task for Thursday is to read the excerpt from Elaine Scarry's The Body in Pain. In lieu of having class, you will then do a little free-writing (typed, but as informal as you want to make it) on how a specific idea or argument from Scarry applies to the novel (or one of the novels) that you're planning to write your final paper on. You will need to turn this in by 5 on Thursday (which means you can write it in a computer lab from 3:30-4, or you can write it in advance and put it in my mailbox sometime before class). If you are a commuter student who only comes to campus on Thursday for my class, you can email it to me.