Intro to Literary Theory and Criticism

ENG 502, Fall 2009
Introduction to Literary Theory
TR 6:30-9:15, MO 102

Course Description
In this course, we will begin to explore that weedy land of -isms generally referred to as "Theory." We will be investigating some of the major intellectual developments of the last 150 years that have played an central part in our understanding of, and appreciation for literary and cultural texts. Our readings will be selected from the Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism and will mostly likely include readings on New Criticism, New Historicism, psychoanalysis, (post) structuralist theory, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, performance theory, and the question of theory after theory. Text: Leitch, The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.

Required Texts
• Course reserves available from the library and on the course site.
• Leitch, et al. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism
• Selden, et al. A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory, Fifth Edition. Pearson Longman 2005.
These books are available from the university bookstore as well as the Seahawk bookstore, but feel free to buy them used from amazon.com or bookfinder.com if you would prefer. Just make sure you the right editions and that you have all your books by the time we discuss them.

Supplies
• Folder with pockets for your responses and essays; paper for taking notes; drive/disk for backing up your computer work.
• Save all writing you do this semester in at least two locations (i.e on disk and in hard copy). Keep all work that I hand back to you.
NB: Always save repeatedly and backup regularly as important documents have a tendency to disappear--crashes/losses are not an acceptable excuse for late/missing assignments.

Class Requirements and Assignments
• You will be required to write eight weekly response papers, a midterm essay, a final project, participate in class discussions, and attend class regularly (see attendance policy below).
• Each assignment (including responses) should be typed in a standard 10 or 12 point serifed font (Times or Times New Roman) in MLA style (refer to the website for more info). Hand in all versions of the paper with your final drafts.
• Late assignments will be reduced by one-third of a grade per class day. (Absence from class on the date due (as well as computer problems) does not excuse the lateness of your assignment.)

Response Papers
This semester you will be required to submit 500-750 word responses to the prompts listed on the syllabus and will be due by 11 pm the night before class (all assignments are due they day they are listed on the syllabus—so, a response listed as due on September 2 needs to be posted on September 1). You don’t need to print these out, just type them, save them (really important, this) and post them to the course discussion board (more information on this in class). I expect the tone of these to be engaged and curious—avoid boring taste/value judgments (“I didn’t like it,” “This stunk ”)--try to center your discussion on tangible and specific aspects of the film/scene/article you are discussing, not on just your emotional ("gut") responses.

Breakdown of Grades
Final project (10-12 pgs) (40%), midterm essay (4-5 pgs) (30%), response papers (20%).
Participation: includes class participation, attendance, and general attitude (10%).
In-Class Grades
A 95; A/A- 93; A- 91; A-/B+ 89; B+ 88; B+/B 87; B 85; B/B- 83; B- 81; B-/C+ 79
C+ 78; C+/C 77; C 75; C/C- 73; C- 71; C-/D+ 69; etc...
Final Reporting Grades
A 94-; A- 90-93; B+ 87-89; B 84-86; B- 80-83; C+ 77-79; C 74-76; C- 70-73

Attendance
You are allowed to miss one class before you are penalized. Use it wisely (i.e. save for when you are really sick). After this missed class, your participation grade drops a level for every class you miss. After three missed classes, you will receive a failing grade. The class depends upon your presence.
• If you miss more than one class, you must contact me in person; otherwise, I will assume you have dropped the class. You will also want to get notes from another student.
• Don’t leave class early without asking me first.

Incompletes
The incomplete grade may be given only to students who have 1) fulfilled the attendance requirement for the course and 2) completed all but one of the written assignments.

Academic Dishonesty
As a reminder: plagiarism is using another person’s words (even just a few words and even if they are from some old website) and/or ideas as if they were your own. To avoid plagiarism, simply put the material you have taken in quotation marks and cite the person’s name and publication information in your paper. Please note that turning in an assignment that you wrote for another class also falls under the heading of academic dishonesty and is prohibited. If you turn in any such assignments, you will receive an “F” for the course and I will notify the Dean.

More information on the UNCW Honor Code can be found at:
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/odos/honorcode/documents/HonorCode09.10.pdf

Writer’s Block
Feel free to stop in during office hours for any reason; as paper time draws near, you’ll probably want to schedule an appointment if you’re desperate for additional feedback. Please do not wait until the last minute to do so; I cannot (as you can probably imagine) schedule time for very many students two days before the deadline. If you need additional assistance on your paper draft beyond this meeting, please seek out the Writing Place; the staff are there to provide feedback on papers. (Please keep in mind, however, that merely having someone on the staff read your paper does not ensure you a higher grade. http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/writingplace/ 962-7155 (appointments are recommended) Hours: M-Th 10-9; Friday 10-3; Sun 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Disabilities
If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation, you should inform me of this fact in writing within the first week of class. If you have not already done so, you must register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (extension 3746) and obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then schedule an appointment with me to make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations in your letter.