COLLIN COLLEGE
FALL COURSE SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 2342: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE I: SHORT STORY & NOVEL
Monday/Wednesday, 2:30-3:45pm, Room G219
Professor: Joyce M. Miller Office: J243, Spring Creek Campus
Office Hours: Posted on door. Available at scheduled times. 972.881.5981
Office e-mail address:
jmiller@ccccd.edu (replies on weekdays only)
Please include your name and course
number in the subject line.
URL for web site: http://iws.ccccd.edu/jmiller/jmiller.htm
URL for college: http://www.ccccd.edu/
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE: It is the policy of Collin College to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. This college will adhere to all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to visit or telephone the ACCESS office (G200) or telephone 972.881.5898 (TDD-881-5950) in a timely manner if he or she desires to arrange accommodations.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS: In accordance with Section
51.911 of the Texas Education Code, Collin College will allow a student who is
absent from class for the observance of a religious holy day to take an
examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a
reasonable time. Students are required to file a written request with each
professor within the first 15 days of the semester to qualify for an excused
absence. Please visit or telephone the registrar's office for additional
information on procedures and rules.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY --
Course Drop Limit Provisions:
Students who enroll as an entering freshman or a first-time college student in
undergraduate courses at any Texas public community college, technical institute,
health sciences institution, or any public university offering undergraduate
courses must comply with the legislation of TEC51.907. TEC51.907 states that
students who enroll for the first time during the fall 2007 semester or any
subsequent semester are subject to the course drop limit of six course drops.
This includes any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution.
Collin College will not begin to count dropped courses until the fall 2008
semester.
NOTE: You will not be allowed to withdraw from classes at Collin if your
official transcripts (required for admission) are not on file.
For more information go to http://www.ccccd.edu/aro/withdrawal.htm
COLLEGE REPEAT
POLICY: You may repeat this course only once after earning a grade,
including W. Should you drop the course before the current semester's
census date (insert date here), you will not incur a penalty. Should you
withdraw from the course after the census date, however, a grade of W
will be posted to your transcript and noted as one attempted enrollment in the
course.
INCOMPLETE GRADES:
"Incompletes" require that you have a minimum grade of "C"
and completed a minimum of 80 percent of the course requirements at the time
you request an incomplete grade. Incomplete grades can occur only if the
instructor deems a situation serious enough to warrant them. A change in
job schedules does not qualify for incomplete grades.
CLASSROOM POLICIES: You may
not consume food or beverages (water excepted) in the classroom.
Please be courteous and turn off cell phones and beepers before entering the
classroom as well.
COURSE DESCRIPTION (CATALOG): A study of short stories, novels, and non-fiction. Analysis and evaluation of major writers in these genres, along with their techniques and their contributions to our literary heritage. Three credit hours; three lecture hours.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: English 2342 is a critical writing/reading/thinking-intensive sophomore-level course designed to introduce students to the pleasures of exploring fiction, of accepting literary conventions with a "willing suspension of disbelief" (Coleridge) or, if you will, an "eager entrance with belief" (Joyce M. Miller). It is also designed to introduce students to the pleasures and challenges of interpreting, confronting, and discovering human experience. However compelling and attractive the parts of a short story or novel may be in isolation (plot, character, theme, point of view, symbol, style, etc.), and acknowledging, certainly, that sound criticism never loses sight of any of the parts, at the completion of this course, students shall be able to evaluate the interrelationship of all of the elements for their total effect and interpretive value. In addition, students shall have gained a greater appreciation of the philosophic and stylistic diversity of a number of authors, and they also shall have strengthened their critical writing, reading, and analytic skills through instruction/review in literary analysis, writing, and research methodology.
REQUIRED TEXTS: The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, (8th edition); Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (Norton Critical Edition); the write stuff, 4th ed. (Joyce M. Miller).
RECOMMENDED TEXTS: On reserve, LRC circulation desk: Edgar Roberts, Writing Themes About Literature (Prentice-Hall,); Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Literature (Little, Brown); Gibaldi and Achtert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. You may also access a guide to MLA documentation on the Internet.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: Two examinations over short stories; final examination; and critical essays. Brief in-class literary analyses. (Even though the in-class papers are not used in the computation of total points, they are evaluated.) Oral reports must cover the salient points and research of the critical essay. Excluding the final, the examinations will consist of writing an essay in class along with interpreting as well as identifying (by author, title, and context) brief passages excerpted from our studied works. You will also be expected to answer a number of questions over the major stylistic and philosophical differences among the major authors. The final examination will consist ENTIRELY of responding in essay form to two topics relating to the novel. Because you will be expected to support your assertions with textual evidence, you may use your novel during the final exam.
CRITICAL ESSAYS: At sophomore level, you are expected to possess competent reading and writing skills. If you stand on somewhat shaky ground here, please see me immediately for instruction (you may also wish to schedule an appointment in the Writing Center). Because one of your critical essays will include at least three literary criticisms (see attached guidelines), follow the suggestions set forth in Barnet's Writing About Literature. Using outside sources requires skills in documentation that you are expected to possess; this course will therefore follow the college's general policies on plagiarism. More specific to this course, any paper containing plagiarized work will earn a grade of zero; the student who submits plagiarized work may face additional disciplinary action as set forth in the Collin College Student Handbook. Note: Research papers require a minimum of four or five double-spaced typed pages and three secondary sources in addition to primary source(s). Further, papers require clear internal disclosures of sources (authors /page numbers/URL). Any paper omitting sources in the works cited page and/or parenthetically will result in a failing grade. Students cannot, for example, credit an author’s source but fail to credit the page number(s) of the source: “The author further notes that Shelley pities the monster" (Blarney). Although you are encouraged to ask questions in class about correct documentation, you probably can locate any pertinent information you need on the Internet. See also Critical Paper Guidelines, A Short Guide to Writing an Essay, and The Finished Paper. Finally, please retain copies of ALL typed essays.
LETTER GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING EARNED POINTS:
A 500-450
B 449-400
C 399-350
D 349-300
F 299 or below
VALUE AND PERCENTAGES OF COURSE GRADES:
Essays, researched and non-researched: 200 points, or 40%Examinations over short stories: 200 points, or 40%Final exam: 100 points, or 20%(Based on my
experience along with my objective professional judgment, I shall assign grades
that mirror your ACTUAL academic achievements, not your potential and effort.)
ATTENDANCE AND MISC. POLICIES: Attendance in a course
that meets twice a week is critical. Naturally, you can only gain the vital
instruction you need to achieve the course objectives by attending class in a
timely and regular fashion (tardiness always disrupts classroom instruction).
The perspective of others, moreover, is an integral part of one's education. Therefore, please note carefully the
following course policies and information. An absence from class on the date an
essay or other work is due does not automatically excuse the timely submission
of your work. I do not give make-up exams or "extra credit"
assignments. An essay will lose one letter grade for each day it is late
(weekends included); I shall not, however, accept work after the third late
day. Three late arrivals equal one absence. Note also that you will lose ten
points for each absence beyond the second one, and if you miss five classes,
regardless of the cause(s), I may not accept any work you submit. Keep a record
of your tardiness and absences to compare with my record at any point during
the semester. Your contribution to class discussion, along with your
timeliness and participation in the writing assignments, will be noted and thus
considered in the event your total grade points border narrowly between an A
and B, a B and C, etc. Finally, you are responsible for
notifying the registrar should you withdraw from this course. (The last day to
withdraw with a W is Nov. __.) Because the successful completion of this
course is important to both you and me, I shall do my best to help you to
resolve the difficulties, academic or otherwise, that may lead you to consider
withdrawing. Please see me first.
COURSE CONTENT
During class, I may make amendments to the syllabus by including supplemental readings, worksheets, and miscellaneous handouts in the following course content. (Those stories marked reserve are located in misc. texts placed on reserve). I shall also introduce information about the authors, notably, the philosophies and events that shaped them. I encourage you to take notes and to ask questions; I also encourage you to read the stories twice: a rapid first reading will help you to gain a sense of the action and characters; a second, studied reading will enable you to gain a fuller measure of interpretive value. Unless otherwise noted, all assigned readings are taken from the Norton anthology. Please complete the following works by the date specified) ponder the questions asked at the end of each narrative, and come prepared to explore as many possibilities of meanings as time will permit us.
PLEASE
NOTE: YOU SHOULD READ THE STORIES AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE CLASS MEETS.
Week 1
Day 1 -- Intro. to
course. Review of syllabus, literary terminology, characteristics of good
writing. Merry Christmas God (handout);
The
Necklace (in-class handout). You may also read an on-line copy of The
Necklace by clicking here.
Please
note that the majority of the “on reserve” readings are also on my Course
Resource Links http://iws.ccccd.edu/jmiller/English_2342_Resource_Links.htm
(note the underscore between English
and 2342).
Day 2 -- Snow, p. 49; The Chrysanthemums,
p. 704. Read pp. xv-xxiii.
Week 2
Day 1 -- Have a safe
Labor Day!
Day 2 – A&P, p. 765.
On reserve: The Lottery; The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale
Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death.
Week 3
Day 1 -- Continuation
of Poe. The Story of an Hour, p. 123.
Day 2 -- Hills Like White Elephants, p. 335. Also read related critical commentary (pp.
893, 856). On reserve: A Domestic Dilemma.
Week 4
Day 1 -- The Use of Force, p. 806. On reserve: The Destructors. (To link to this short story, please
click HERE.)
Day 2 -- Araby, p. 351. On reserve: The Boarding House.
Week 5
Day 1 -- Girl, p.
429. On reserve: Tears, Idle Tears. Time
permitting, writing instruction may follow. Review suggested essay
topics and literary terms for Exam #1.
Day 2 -- On reserve: 
Her First
Ball; Miss Brill.. Writing instruction; discussion of exam format.
Week 6
Day 1 -- EXAM #1, PART
I.
Day 2 -- EXAM #1, PART
II. Bring blue book.
Week 7
Day 1 
A Rose for Emily, p.
262; The Lady with the Dog, p. 110.
Read related interview, p. 852.
Day 2 -- Everyday
Use, p. 776; The Man Who Was Almost a
Man, p. 825.
Week 8
Day 1 -- How I
Contemplated the World, p. 591. On reserve: Where Are You Going, Where
Have You Been?
Day 2 -- A Good Man Is Hard To Find, p. 616. Writing instruction follows.
Submission of
thesis statements for your first critical essay is mandatory.
Please submit written
statement as soon as you complete it (deadline next week).
Week 9
Day 1 Paul's Case, p. 86. Also read the related critical commentary
(p. 892).
Day 2 All thesis
statements, including those electronically sent, due at start of class. An Adventure in
Paris,
p. 511.
Week 10
Day 1 On
reserve: The Guest.
Day 2 Continuation
of stories.
Week 11
Day 1
CRITICAL ESSAY DUE. Attach your signed
slip re: plagiarism. The Rocking-Horse Winner, p. 443.
Day 2 The Horse Dealer's Daughter, p. 431; The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, p.
454.
Week 12
Day 1 The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, p.
297. On reserve: A Very Old Man with
Enormous Wings.
Day 2 On
reserve: Balthazar's Marvelous Afternoon;
Cockroaches; The Birthmark.
Friday 
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WITH A W (Friday).
Please see me first if you are considering a withdrawal from this course.
Week 13
Day 1 EXAM #2, PART
I. Identification of authors/titles/passages /
terms. Identification of authors'
achievements/philosophies.
Tuesday EXAM #2, PART II, DUE BY 7PM
Tuesday. Bring blue book to Testing
Center; arrive no
later than 7pm. You may ask for scratch
paper and dictionary.
Day 2 NO CLASS
TODAY. ENJOY YOUR EXTENDED
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
Week 14
Day 1 
Completed by today.
Day 2 -- Frankenstein,
continued.
Week 15
Day 1 -- Frankenstein,
continued.
Day 2 -- Frankenstein,
group reports/outlines.
Week 16
FINAL
EXAM: BRING BLUE BOOK, NOVEL, dictionary, the
write stuff. Please verify exam schedule in your class schedule. CRITICAL
ESSAY DUE at start of class.
Professor
Joyce M. Miller 
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Updated 8/13/08
REVISION
SYMBOLS FOR LITERARY PAPERS
(NUMBER
SYMBOL ON YOUR PAPER; CORRESPONDING ERROR)
- Weak progression of
ideas/weak organization/weak topic
- Inadequate development
of thesis with details, examples, quotations, textual evidence
- Weak and/or missing
thesis statement
- Excessive clutter
(repetition/wordiness/empty phrases/clichés, etc.)
- Sentence pattern lacks
variety (needs coordination/subordination, etc.)
- Faulty logic: hasty
generalizations, false analogies, etc.
- Lack of unity and/or
coherence (weak/missing transitions, etc.)
- Weak/missing topic
sentence
- Awkward/stringy/vague
syntax
- Ambiguous/unclear
meaning
- Faulty/nonstandard/imprecise
level of usage/diction
- Faulty sentence
structure: run-on, comma splice, fragment
- Faulty modification,
misplaced and/or dangling
- Faulty parallel
structure
- Faulty comparison
- Faulty predication (In
the novel it says . . .; The reason is because. . .; This is when;
etc.)
- Faulty agreement of
subject/verb
- Faulty/vague
pronoun/antecedent reference
- Faulty shift in person
or tense
- Faulty pronoun case (he/him,
we/us, etc.)
- Faulty tense or verb
form and/or failure to stay in literary present tense
- Excessive be
forms, expletives, weak intensifiers, and/or passive voice
- Errors in punctuation,
spelling
- Faulty introduction of
excerpted material
- Excessive summary in place
of analysis
- Failure to support
assertion(s) with textual evidence
- Faulty
parenthetical/bibliographic form; MLA style required
- Failure to document
source(s) of excerpted material
- Failure to follow format
guidelines (see Mechanics Page)
- Please see me for clarification
Professor Joyce M. Miller 
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