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Michael Meyer gold_triangle.gif (107 bytes) Gerald Richman gold_triangle.gif (107 bytes) James Van Sickle

ENGLISH 102 - ENGLISH COMPOSITION
SECTION 478
Winter - 1999

James E. Van Sickle
Office: Room 156
Phone: 777-0419
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:15-1:00
Tuesday, Thursday: 4:30-5:30
By appointment

CATALOG DESCRIPTION
English 102 is a course in which you will develop the ability to interpret and criticize a variety of literary forms, especially fiction, drama, and poetry. You will discuss these works and write critical essays. Prerequisite: English 101 (with at least a C).

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Essays - You will write four 1,000-word essays during the semester.
Quizzes - You will have four quizzes in class. The quizzes will cover literary terms and assigned works.
Homework - You will prepare homework during the course. Requirements will be assigned for most classes.
Class participation - You will be expected to participate in classroom discussions and to work effectively in small groups with other students in the class.
Points - All graded work will be assigned a point value.

Essays 1-4: 200 points each; 800 points total
Quizzes 1-4: 100 points each; 400 points total
Oral Presentation : 50 points
Homework and Class Participation: 200 points (approximate total)

FORMAT FOR ESSAYS
Essays will conform to the following format.

1. Type and double space the essay with one-inch margins all around.
2. Place student and assignment information on a cover sheet.
3. Place your last name and the page number in the upper right corner of each subsequent page (the cover sheet is page 1): Smith 2.
4. Use MLA parenthetical documentation.

PLAGIARISM
Do your own work. You are guilty of plagiarism if you try to take credit for work done by someone else. For example, do not turn in a composition written or largely edited by someone else; do not use someone else's words or ideas without using quotation marks and proper documentation. If you are guilty of plagiarism, you will receive a failing grade for the entire course.

ATTENDANCE
You are expected to attend all classes. The instructor has the prerogative to lower your grade after three hours of absence and to withdraw or fail you after six hours of absence.

You are expected to make medical, dental, and other professional appointments at times that do not conflict with class meetings. The grade of a late paper, project, or presentation may be lowered.

TEXTS
Required: The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, 4th edition, by Michael Meyer.

Recommended: a good dictionary and a grammar handbook.

ENGLISH 102
SECTION 478
CALENDAR
WINTER 1999

The assignments are in the course text, The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, 4th edition. A homework requirement is due on each day a short story, poem, or play is assigned. A list of homework assignments will be provided.

Week 1
Jan 06: Course Introduction
Jan 08: Introduction, pp. 3-8
Chapter 1, "Reading Fiction," pp. 11-12, 14-19
Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour," pp. 12-14
Week 2
Jan 11: Chapter 1, "A Composite of a Romance Tip Sheet," pp. 22-25
Karen Van Der Zee, "From A Secret Sorrow," pp. 26-33
Gail Goodwin, "A Sorrowful Woman," pp. 33-37
Chapter 2, "Plot," pp. 38-40, 43-46
Chapter 3, "Character," pp. 74-79
Jan 13: Chapter 34, "Reading and Writing," pp. 1439-1455, 1460-1470
Chapter 9 "Writing about Fiction," pp. 235-239
Jan 15: Chapter 4, "Setting," pp. 113-115
Chapter 5, "Point of View," pp. 131-135
James Joyce, "Eveline," pp. 391-393
Week 3
Jan 18: Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown," pp. 243-251
Jan 20: Chapter 6, "Symbolism," pp. 168-170
Chapter 7, "Theme," pp. 186-189
Chapter 8, "Style, Tone, and Irony
T. Coraghessan Boyle, "Carnal Knowledge," pp. 221-234
Jan 22: Chapter 13, "Reading Poetry," pp. 451-476
John Updike, "Dog’s Death," pp. 453-454
Elizabeth Bishop, "The Fish," pp. 462-464
Emily Dickinson, "A narrow Fellow in the Grass," p. 4
Week 4
Jan 25: Chapter 22, "Writing about Poetry," pp. 622-627
William Blake, "The Lamb, " p. 586
William Blake, "The Tyger," p. 587
Robert Frost, "Design," p. 677
Jan 27: Chapter 14, "Word Choice, Word Order, and Tone," pp. 480-490
Randall Jarrell, "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," p. 483
Donald Hall, "My Son, My Executioner," pp. 743-744
William Stafford, "Traveling through the Dark," p. 549
William Butler Yeats, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," p. 780
Raymond Carver, "Popular Mechanics," pp. 218-219
Jan 29: Chapter 26, "Reading Drama," pp. 805-807, 818-821, 824-826, 833-835
Susan Glaspell, Trifles, pp. 807-817
Larry David, Seinfeld, pp. 827-833
Chapter 27, "Writing about Drama," pp. 836-841
Week 5
Feb 01: Quiz 1
Submit Essay 1
Feb 03: Chapter 15, "Images," pp. 506-512
Chapter 16, "Figures of Speech," pp. 520-528
Sylvia Plath, "Metaphors," p. 761
Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Mother," p. 733
William Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily," pp. 52-58
Feb 05: Chapter 17, "Symbol, Allegory, and Irony," pp. 537-546
Robert Frost, "Home Burial," pp. 668-670
Galway Kinnell, "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps," p. 796
Sylvia Plath, "Daddy," pp. 759-761
William Faulkner, "Barn Burning," pp. 358-370
Week 6
Feb 08: Chapter 18, "Sounds," pp. 557-569
Chapter 19, "Patterns of Rhythm," pp. 576-582
Theodore Roethke, "My Papa’s Waltz," p. 589
Bharati Mukherjee, "A Father," pp. 79-86
Feb 10: Chapter 20, "Poetic Forms," pp. 590-608
Dylan Thomas, "Do not go gentle into that good night," p. 598
X. J. Kennedy, "A Visit from St. Sigmund," pp. 607-608
Chapter 21, "Open Form," pp. 609-621
Sharon Olds, "Rite of Passage," pp. 615-616
Wendy Cope, "Lonely Hearts," p. 738
Feb 12: Robert Frost, "Out, Out--," pp. 674-675
Robert Frost, "Birches," pp. 673-674
Alice Munro, "An Ounce of Cure," pp. 326-333
Week 7
Feb 15: Flannery O’Connor, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," pp. 284-294
Feb 17: Chapter 28, "A Study of Sophocles," pp. 842-848
Oedipus the King, pp. 848-871
Feb 19: Oedipus the King, pp. 872-888
Week 8
Feb 22: Oedipus the King
Feb 24: Oedipus the King
Aristotle, "On Tragic Character," pp. 889-891
Sigmund Freud, "On the Oedipus Complex," pp. 891-893
Muriel Rukeyser, "On Oedipus the King," p. 893
Feb 26: Quiz 2
Submit Essay 2
SPRING BREAK (MAR 1-MAR 6)
Week 9
Mar 08: Robert Herrick, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," p. 491
Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress," pp. 492-493
Richard Wilbur, "A Late Aubade," p. 495
Stephen Crane, "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," pp. 190-197
Mar 10: Anton Chekhov, "The Lady with the Pet Dog," pp. 143-153
Mar 12: Joyce Carol Oates, "The Lady with the Pet Dog," pp. 155-166
Week 10
Mar 15: Flannery O’Connor, "Good Country People," pp. 295-308
Sharon Olds, "Sex without Love," p. 799
Mar 17: Chapter 24, "Critical Case Study:
T. S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,’" pp. 714-724
Mar 19: Chapter 29, "A Study of William Shakespeare," pp. 894-902
Week 11
Mar 22: Hamlet, Act I, pp. 957-980
Mar 24: Hamlet, Act II-Act III, pp. 980-1019
Mar 26: Hamlet, Act IV-Act V, pp. 1019-1052
Week 12
Mar 29: Hamlet
Samuel Johnson, "On Shakespeare’s Characters," p. 1054
Sigmund Freud, "On Repression in Hamlet," pp. 1054-1055
Jan Kott, "On Producing Hamlet," pp. 1056-1057
Coppelia Kahn, "On Cuckoldry in Hamlet," pp. 1057-1058
Joan Montgomery Byles, "Ophelia’s Depression," pp. 1061-1062
Sandra K. Fischer, "Ophelia’s Mad Speeches," pp. 1062-1063
Mar 31: Quiz 3
Submit Essay 3
Apr 02: John Updike, "A & P," pp. 417-421
Marge Piercy, "The Secretary Chant," pp. 451-452
Katharyn Howd Machan, "Hazel Tells LaVerne," pp. 487-488
Week 13
Apr 05: Charles Johnson, "Moving Pictures," pp. 436-439
Robert Frost, "After Apple-Picking," pp. 670-671
Edwin Arlington Robinson, "Richard Cory," p. 542
William Blake, "The Chimney Sweeper," pp. 554-555
Apr 07: Ralph Ellison, "Battle Royal," pp. 174-183
M. Carl Holman, "Mr. Z," p. 748
Langston Hughes, "Dream Boogie," pp. 702-703
Langston Hughes, "Harlem," p. 703
Jean Toomer, "Reapers," p. 571
Apr 09: Ernest Hemingway, "Soldier’s Home," pp. 115-120
Tim O’Brien, "How to Tell a True War Story," pp. 439-448
Week 14
Apr 12: Franz Kafka, "The Hunger Artist," pp. 393-399
Apr 14: Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," pp. 87-110
Apr 16: Chapter 30, "Modern Drama," pp. 1064-1068
Death of a Salesman, Act I, pp. 1191-1220
Week 15
Apr 19: Death of a Salesman, Act II-Requiem, pp. 1221-1255
Apr 21: Death of a Salesman
Arthur Miller, "Tragedy and the Common Man," pp. 1255-1258
Arthur Miller, "On Biff and Willy Loman," p. 1258
Apr 23: Death of a Salesman
Course Review
Final Exam: Quiz 4
Submit Essay 4

 

ENGLISH 102
SECTION 478
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
LESSONS 1-12

1. January 8: Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour," pp. 12-14
--Discuss a theme in "The Story of an Hour." (100 words)
--Consider the character of her marriage, her attitude toward marriage, her reaction to her husband’s death, her thoughts about self-assertion.
2. January 11: Karen Van Der Zee, "From A Secret Sorrow," pp. 26-33.
Gail Goodwin, "A Sorrowful Woman," pp. 33-37.
--In paragraph 22, p. 36, the woman considers writing a poem. What does this paragraph suggest about her situation?
--Question 8, p. 37.
--A 100-word response to each.
3. January 15: James Joyce, "Eveline," pp. 391-393.
--Why does Eveline decide to stay in Dublin?
--100-word response.
4. January 18: Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown," pp. 243-251.
--Consider questions 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10.
--Select two of these questions and write a response of at least 00 words for each question.
5. January 20: T. Coraghessan Boyle, "Carnal Knowledge," pp. 221-234
--Consider questions 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, p. 234.
--Select two of these questions and write a response of at least 100 words for each question.
6. January 22: John Updike, "Dog’s Death," pp. 453-454.
--Write a 100-word discussion of the three uses of the phrase "Good Dog" in "Dog’s Death." How does the final use differ from the other two?
Elizabeth Bishop, "The Fish," pp. 462-464.
--Write a 100-word discussion of the significance of the phrase "until everything/was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow" (ll 74-75) in "The Fish." What does that phrase tell us about the poet’s reaction to the fish?
7. January 25: Robert Blake, "The Lamb," p. 586
Robert Blake, "The Tyger," p. 587.
--Write a 100-word response to question 5, p. 587.
Robert Frost, "Design," p. 677.
--Write a 100-word response to "Considerations for Critical Thinking and Writing" question 3, p. 678 (at the top of the page).
8. January 27: Donald Hall, "My Son, My Executioner," pp. 743-744.
--What is the significance of the title "My Son, My Executioner"? How does that title relate to the theme of the poem?
--Write a 100-word response.
Raymond Carver, "Popular Mechanics," pp. 218-219.
--What is the significance of the title "Popular Mechanics"? How does the title relate to the theme of the poem?

--Write a 100-word response.

9. January 29: Susan Glaspell, Trifles, pp. 807-817.
--Consider questions 3, 4, 7, and 10, p. 817.
--Write a 100-word response to one of the questions.
Larry David, Seinfeld, pp. 827-833.
--Consider questions 3 and 4, p. 833.
--Write a 100-word response to one of the questions.

ENGLISH 102
SECTION 478
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
LESSONS 13-23

1. February 03: Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Mother," p. 733
--In "The Mother" (p. 733) by Gwendolyn Brooks, she focuses on "You" in the first stanza and "I" in the second stanza. What is the significance of the shift of focus in the poem? How does the shift reflect the theme of the poem?
William Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily," pp. 52-58
--Consider questions 3, 6, 8, 9
--A 100-word response to one of them
2. February 05: Robert Frost, "Home Burial," pp. 668-670
Galway Kinnell, "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps," p. 796
--Question 1, p. 796
--A 100-word response
William Faulkner, "Barn Burning," pp. 358-370
--Consider questions 1, 2, 5, and 8, p. 370
--A 100-word response to one of them
3. February 08: Theodore Roethke, "My Papa’s Waltz," p. 589
--Consider questions 1 and 2, p. 589
--A 100-word response to one of them
Bharati Mukherjee, "A Father," pp. 79-86
--Consider questions 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, p. 86.
--A 100-word response to one of them
4. February 10: Dylan Thomas, "Do not go gentle into that good night," p. 598
Wendy Cope, "Lonely Hearts," p. 738
--Question 2, p. 598
--A 100-word response
Sharon Olds, "Rite of Passage," pp. 615-616
--Question 2, p. 616
--A 100-word response
5. February 12: Robert Frost, "Birches," pp. 673-674
--Consider questions 1, 2, 3, p. 674
--A 100-word response to one of them.
Alice Munro, "An Ounce of Cure," pp. 326-333
--Consider questions 1, 5, 6, 8, 10, pp. 333-334.
--A 100-word response to one of them.
6. February 15: Flannery O’Connor, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," pp. 284-294
--Consider questions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, p. 294
--A 100-word response to two of them
7. February 17: Oedipus the King, pp. 848-871
--Questions 1, 2, p. 888.
--A 100-word response to two of them
8. February 19: Oedipus the King, pp. 872-888
--Questions 3, 7, pp. 888-889.
--A 100-word response to two of them
9. February 22: Oedipus the King
--Questions 4, 9, p. 889.
--A 100-word response to two of them

ENGLISH 102
SECTION 478
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
LESSONS 24-34

1. March 08: Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress," pp. 492-493
--Question 1, p. 493
--A 100-word response
Stephen Crane, "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," pp. 190-197
--Consider questions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, p. 197
--A 100-word response to one of them
2. March 10: Anton Chekhov, "The Lady with the Pet Dog," pp. 143-153
--Consider questions 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, pp. 153-154
--A 100-word response to two of them
3. March 12: Joyce Carol Oates, "The Lady with the Pet Dog," pp. 155-166
--Consider questions 2, 3, 6, 8
--A 100-word response to one of them.
--Connections to another selection 1, p. 167
--A 100-word response
4. March 15: Flannery O’Connor, "Good Country People," pp. 295-308
--Consider questions 1,3,5,7, p. 308.
--A 100-word response to two of them
5. March 17: T. S. Eliot, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,’" pp. 715-718
--Consider questions 3 and 5, p. 718.
--A 100-word response to each of them
6. March 22: Hamlet, Act I, pp. 957-980
--Questions 1, 3, p. 1052
--A 100-word response to each of them
7. March 24: Hamlet, Act II-Act III, pp. 980-1019
--Questions 6, 8, p. 1052
--A 100-word response to each of them
8. March 24: Hamlet, Act IV-Act V, pp. 1019-1052
--Questions 5, 7, p. 1052
--A 100-word response to each of them

ENGLISH 102
SECTION 478
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
LESSONS 35-44

1. April 02: John Updike, "A & P," pp. 417-421
--What is the significance of the setting? What does it suggest about the people of the town where the A & P is?
--A 100-word response
--Why does Sammy quit his job?
--A 100-word response
2. April 05: Charles Johnson, "Moving Pictures," pp. 436-439
--What kind of life does the narrator attempt to escape in the theater?
--A 100-word response
Robert Frost, "After Apple-Picking," pp. 670-671
--Question 2, p. 671.
--A 100-word response
3. April 07: Ralph Ellison, "Battle Royal," pp. 174-183
--Consider questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
--A 100-word response to each of them
4. April 09 Ernest Hemingway, "Soldier’s Home," pp. 115-120
--Consider questions 6 and 9, p. 120.
--A 100-word response to one of them
Tim O’Brien, "How to Tell a True War Story," pp. 439-448
--Consider one of the story/comment combinations.
Pair One - para 1-7/para 8-10
Pair Two - para 11-17/para 18
Pair Three - para 19-44/para 45-65.
Pair Four - para 70-89/para 66-69; para 90-95.
Pair Five - para 97-98; para 105/para 96; para 99-104
--Select one of these combinations and write a response of at least 100 words that discusses the story and the comments.
5. April 12: Franz Kafka, "The Hunger Artist," pp. 393-399
--Why does the hunger artist change the way he does his profession (paragraph 5)? How do his circumstances change?
--A 100-word response
--At the end of the story, the hunger artist dies and is replaced in his cage by a panther. Contrast the two occupants of the cage? How do they look? How do they approach eating? What do their differences suggest to you?
--A 100-word response
6. April 14: Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," pp. 87-110
--Consider questions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, pp. 110-111
--A 100-word response to two of them
7. April 16: Death of a Salesman, Act I, pp. 1191-1220
--At the beginning of Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is distracted and disturbed. He is unable to do his job effectively. What seems to be bothering Willy?
--A 100-word response
8. April 19: Death of a Salesman, Act II-Requiem, pp. 1221-1255
--When the play first opened in 1949, some reviewers thought it a bitter attack upon the capitalist system. Do you agree with that view? Why or why not?
--A 100-word response
9. April 21: Death of a Salesman
--In a famous speech in the Requiem, Charley calls a salesman a man who "don’t put a bolt to a nut"; Charley recalls that Willy "was a happy man with a batch of cement." What is Charley saying about Willy?
--A 100-word response

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