English 251:  Introduction to Literature
Spring 2000
Lyman Baker, Instructor
 
  Return to Part 1 of the Course Schedule
  Go to Part 2 of the Course Schedule

Course Schedule -- Part 3

Certain requirements for the course have been changed, to adjust to the time constraits we are now under owing to the postponement of Exam #2 from its originally scheduled date.  This also has information about substituting one or more new essays for Writing Assignments #1 and/or #2.  You can read about these changes here.

Note:  The assignments here are provisional.  In the course of the semester it may be necessary or advisable to introduce changes in either assignments or due dates or both.  Such changes will be announced in class and through the course e-mail listserv.  Students at any university should make it a habit to check their e-mail at least once a day.  As changes are announced, they will be worked into this Course Schedule as well.
Also:  Unless otherwise noted, assignments are expected to be completed before class on the dates specified.  Come to class prepared to discuss the assigned reading.  If you are doing a writing assignment, you should submit it at the beginning of class on the date it is due, so that it can be incorporated into discussion.
Finally:  Unless otherwise noted, page references are to the basic text for the course, Kennedy and Gioia's Literature:  An Introduction to Fiction Poetry, and Drama, 2nd Compact Edition.  Critical concepts to be able to show familiarity with on exams have been highlighted in purple.  Works to be covered in the exam(s) are highlighted in green.

5 Apr (W):  Exam #2

7 Apr (F):  Have read for discussion Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" (pp. 196-206).

(1)  You are not expected to write answers to them, but you should give careful thought to the questions the editors have provided on p. 205-6.  You should ask yourself not only what might be said in response to these (on the basis of what facts of the story), but what assumptions must the editors have been bringing to bear on their reading of the story such that these questions occurred to them.  Or, put the other way around:  how does the story indicate to the experienced reader that these questions are relevant to be pursued?

(2)  Be sure you have carefully worked through the first part of the Study Guide to Hawthorne's story.

10 Apr (M):  In class, we will continue our discussion of Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown."  Meanwhile, come to class having studied carefully the following.

(1)  what the editors of our text have to say in various places on the topic of theme (pp. 1199, 175-77, and 654-55).  In addition to understanding the kind of thing refered to by the term "theme," you should begin from here on trying out the various strategies the editor's suggest for arriving at a conception of a story's, poem's, or play's theme.

(2)  the introductory material in the two chapters in our text on "Symbol" (pp. 217-219, 902-09).  Key terms to get on top of:  allegory, parable, symbol, conventional symbol, symbolic act.

(3)  You are responsible for all the poems and discussed in this poetry section on symbol (pp. 902-09, down to but not including the poem by Dickinson).  In some cases the editors provide detailed analysis.  In other cases they provide illuminating question.  Be sure to exploit these resources.  The poems in question are:

(4)  In the same chapter of Matthew (13:3-23), Jesus tells another parable about sowing seed which he then goes on to explain in a way that results in a very different theme.  This story is conventionally known as The Parable of the Sower.  Print off a copy of it either here (from our site) or print off a copy of Matthew 13 from the translation of your choice.  You may wish to consult the All-in-One Biblical Resources Search provided by Dr. Mark Goodacre of the University of Birmingham (in the UK).  (If you want the whole of Chapter 13, you'll search for verses 1-58; if you just want the material pertaining to the Parable of the Sower, go for verses 3-23.)  This is quite a nifty resource, certainly worth bookmarking, and you might want to experiment a little to familiarize yourself with it.

13 Apr (Th) or 14 Apr (F):  Extra-Credit opportunity (5 points).  You can earn 5 points extra credit by attending either one of rhe two performances next week by the energetic touring company Shenandoah Shakespeare Express.  Keep your ticket stub and turn it in to me within a week of the performance.  For more information on these, see the large red posters hanging on the walls in Eisenhower Hall.
Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
Thursday, April 13, 7:30, City Auditorium
$8.00 for public, $5.00 for students
call 539-6000 for tickets

Rollicking comedy -- a favorite with Shakespeare audiences the world over.

Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus
Friday, April 14, 8:00, Union Little Theater
$6.00 all tickets, available at a table in the Union 11-2 next Wed, Thurs, Fri (12-14); or by calling Alison Wheatley 532-2174; or at the door.

This, incidentally, is a great play by a contemporary of Shakespeare. You can add it to your collection of "bargain-with-the-devil" stories. (You're already off to a good start with Angel Heart and "Young Goodman Brown.")

12 Apr (W):  Have read for discussion another classic story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Minister's Black Veil."  This is not in our anthology, but you print off a copy at http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/mbv.html.  Bring it with you to class. To facilitate our discussion, please number the paragraphs as you read. 

(1)  I'll be grateful for your list of 5 words (cited by paragraph) that you ran across that you were not familiar with and couldn't figure out from the context. 

(2)  After your initial reading of the story, study carefully the memo on How symbolism works:  Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil".  Bring this with you to class.

Required during the last month of the semester will be attendance at the KSU Theatre's production of William Inge's play Picnic.  More info on the play itself is at http://www.ksu.edu/sctd/theatre/
Performances are at 8pm
April 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22
in Nichols Theatre.

If you plan now, you should be able to acquire a ticket for a performance when you can arrange to attend. Out-of-towners will be permitted to substitute a viewing of the video of the decades old film (starring William Holden), which should be able to be obtained from Dillons or Blockbuster. In any case, there will be a (non-avoidable) question on the William Holden), which should be able to be obtained from Dillons or Blockbuster.  In any case, there will be a (non-avoidable) question on the final exam over this play.  We will be discussing it in class on Monday, April 24.  Before you go to the play, you should acquaint yourself with the Study Guide.

Note that lthough the performances are in Nichols Theatre, advance tickets are to be had through McCain Box Office (532-6428), noon to 5 pm.  Students with KSU id pay only $6.00.

14 Apr (F):  In class, we will be discussing further the way Hawthorne's story generates its meanings.  We will relate this to the way parable and allegory work.

(1) Review Herbert's poem "Redemption" (p. 908).  This time write out your answers to the editor's questions after the poem, and bring them with you to class.

(2)  Review the Parable of the Sower (and Jesus's explication of it) and the Parable of the Good Seed (and either Jesus' or our editors' explication of it).

(3)  Be sure to bring to class (a) your print-out of "The Minister's Black Veil," (b) the print-out of the discussion on "How symbolism works" [item (2) from Wednesday's assignment]; (c) your print-out of the Parable of the Sower, and (d) our main text (since we'll need the Parable of the Good Seed and Herbert's "Redemption" in class discussion).

17 Apr (M):  Have read for discussion Flannery O'Connor's story "Everything That Rises Must Converge" (pp. 340-51).

(1)  You are not expected to write answers to them, but you should give careful thought to the questions the editors have provided on p. 351-52.  You should ask yourself not only what might be said in response to these (on the basis of what facts of the story), but what assumptions must the editors have been bringing to bear on their reading of the story such that these questions occurred to them.  Or, put the other way around:  how does the story indicate to the experienced reader that these questions are relevant to be pursued?

(2)  In our discussion of Malamud's "Angel Levine," we noticed how the author was working with foils that, from another perspective, turn into doubles.  How is this going on in this story?

18 Apr (T):  Extra-credit opportunity (5 points).  Attend a campus event that relates in a striking way to the film The Official Story, which we will be taking up at the very end of the semester.  Dr. Martín Almán will be relating his personal experiences which led to the surprise discovery of the now-famous "Terror Archive" in Asunción, Paraguay.  Included will be the showing of a BBC documentary on this Terror Archives and the issues it raises.
Tuesday, 18 April -- 5: p.m.
tentatively scheduled for Union Forum Hall but subject to change -- STAY TUNED to our listserv!
Just sign the sheet for our class as you leave the presentation.  If you have a strong stomach you might, before you go, have a peek at some recently declassified documents, now posted to the web at the National Security Archives at Georgetown University concerning the activities of the CIA in Latin America.

19 Apr (W):  Have read for discussion in class Flannery O'Connor's story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (pp. 363-78).

(1) You are not expected to write answers to them, but you should give careful thought to the questions the editors have provided on p. 363.  You should ask yourself not only what might be said in response to these (on the basis of what facts of the story), but what assumptions must the editors have been bringing to bear on their reading of the story such that these questions occurred to them.  Or, put the other way around:  how does the story indicate to the experienced reader that these questions are relevant to be pursued? 

(2)  This is a story you'll want to re-read.  Before you re-read it, work through O'Connor's remarks on "The Element of Suspense in 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'" (pp. 379-81).

21 Apr (F):  Have read for discussion in class Flannery O'Connor's story "Revelation" (pp. 363-78)

(1) You are not expected to write answers to them, but you should give careful thought to the questions the editors have provided on p. 378-79.  You should ask yourself not only what might be said in response to these (on the basis of what facts of the story), but what assumptions must the editors have been bringing to bear on their reading of the story such that these questions occurred to them.  Or, put the other way around:  how does the story indicate to the experienced reader that these questions are relevant to be pursued? 

(2) This is a story you'll want to re-read.  Before you re-read it, work through O'Connor's remarks on "The Serious Reader and the Tired Reader" (pp. 382-83).

24 Apr (M):  Discussion of the KSU Theatre's production of William Inge's play Picnic.

(*)  If you are submitting a substitute paper for Writing Assignment #1 or #2, it is due under my office door (Denison 109) by 5:00 p.m. today.  (If you are submitting substitutes for BOTH writing assignments, the second will be due on Friday of this week.)  The topic for this Substitute Writing Assignment is here.

(1)  Consider the counsel the editors offer in "How to Read a Symbol" (p. 917).

(2)  Work carefully through the following poems (pp. 909-915).  Read each through a couple of times trying to figure out what happens in the way of tone.  (What attitudes do we detect on the part of the speaker?  How so?  That is, what are the clues in the specifics of the poem [the images, the cadence]?  Are there important modulations or changes at certain points?  Is there any important complexity in attitude?  How do these tonal dimensions contribute to our sense of the theme of the poem?)  Then:  carefully work through the editors' questions following each poem, looking back at the poem as needed.  Figure on these poems showing up in one way or another on the final:

(3)  Work through the delightful "Exercise on Symbol Hunting" (pp. 914-916).  Add to it the following poems:  William Carlos Williams' "The Great Figure" (p. 752); Robert Bly's "Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter" (p. 753); Gary Snyder's "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" (p. 753).

26 Apr (W):  Showing in class of the first half of the Argentine film The Official Story (La Historia Oficial).  This film runs 110 minutes, so we will begin the video 1 minute before class officially begins and continue 2 minutes after the bell.

(1)  Before coming to class, work through the Study Guide to The Official Story.

(2)  Read John Steinbeck's story "The Chrysanthemums" (pp. 219-227).  We will not discuss this story in class, but you will be expected to demonstrate your ability to analyze it on the Final Exam.  Don't neglect to exploit our editors' excellent questions over this story (p. 228).

(3)  You are not expected to write answers to them, but you should give careful thought to the questions the editors have provided on p. 228.  You should ask yourself not only what might be said in response to these (on the basis of what facts of the story), but what assumptions must the editors have been bringing to bear on their reading of the story such that these questions occurred to them.  Or, put the other way around:  how does the story indicate to the experienced reader that these questions are relevant to be pursued?  We may not get around to discussing this story in class, but you can be sure that Questions 8 and 9 will appear (combined) on the Final Exam.

(3)  Recommended but not required:  work through the sample student paper on this story, on pp. 243-45.

29 Apr (F):  Showing in class of the second half of the Argentine film The Official Story (La Historia Oficial).  This film runs 110 minutes, so we will begin the video 1 minute before class officially begins and continue 2 minutes after the bell.

(*)  If you are submitting a substitute paper for BOTH Writing Assignment #1 AND #2, the second of these is due under my office door (Denison 109) by 5:00 p.m. today.  (The first was due on Monday of this week.)  The topic for this Substitute Writing Assignment is here.

Note added 4 May:  the deadline for all extra-credit work and re-writes had been extended to 5:00 p.m., Monday of Finals Week (May 8, 2000), under my office door, at Denison 109.

(1)  Read Tim O'Brien's story "The Things They Carried" (pp. 600-612).

(2)  Before you read the story, collect your thoughts about the general agenda of curiosity you should be bringing to bear on any story.  What are the general questions about plot structure (18), characterization (90), point of view (53-54), setting (135-36), possible symbolic elements (242, 917), etc., that you should be pressing now even in your initial reading?  (The pages I've cited here are good starting points, but it would be obtuse not to be thinking about crises and climax, epiphany, the possibility of foil relationships, etc, just because these concepts don't get mentioned on these particular pages, which assume your familiarity with the concepts laid out in the introductions to the chapters they conclude.)

1 May (M):  Discussion of the film The Official Story

(1)  Come to class having worked through the Reviewing The Official Story.

(2)  Read Robert Olen Butler's "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" (pp. 397-406).  There is a Study Guide for this story.

(3)  Before you read the story, collect your thoughts about the general agenda of curiosity you should be bringing to bear on any story.  What are the general questions that should now be almost second nature with you?

3 May (W):  In class, we'll do some more work on being tactful about symbolic reading.  Not everything works symbolically, so part of skill in responding to the work at hand is realizing when it makes no sense to push for symbolic implications.  And, when the symbolic is present, "the same" object can carry radically different meanings on one occasion from what it does on another.

(1)  Review the advice the editors offer in "How to Read a Symbol" (p. 917).  In light of this,

(2)  work carefully through the following two poems

In your first couple of readings, focus on getting the tone right.  Then devote several more re-readings to each poem, this time in light the editors' insightful questions on pp. 913 and 914.

(3)  Review the "Exercise on Symbol Hunting" (pp. 914-916), adding to it the following poems:  William Carlos Williams' "The Great Figure" (p. 752); Robert Bly's "Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter" (p. 753); Gary Snyder's "Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout" (p. 753).

5 May (F):  Review for final exam. 

(1)  Review the stories by O'Brien and Butler (from 29 April and 1 May).

(2)  Bring to class your questions on the prep sheet.


The Final Exam will cover only the works read since Exam #2, but in the light of all of the critical concepts we have take in the course of the semester.  Consult the prep sheet for details.

Schedule for the Final Exam. 

date

time

where

[officially for]

Tuesday, May 9 4:10 pm to 6:00 pm Eisenhower 225 MWF 2:30 section
Wednesday, May 10 11:50 am to 1:40 pm Eisenhower 012 MWF 10:30 section
Thursday, May 12 11:50 am to 1:40 pm Eisenhower 012 MWF 11:30 section

  Return to Part 1 of the Course Schedule
  Return to Part 2 of the Course Schedule

  Suggestions, comments and questions are welcome.  Please send them to lyman@ksu.edu .

      Contents copyright © 2000 by Lyman A. Baker

Permission is granted for non-commercial educational use; all other rights reserved.

      This page last updated 08 May 2000.