ENGL 1330:Introduction to Literature /|/ Fall 2016 /|/ Holt 308

[Section 10]
T/Th 10:50am 12:05pm
Dr. James Arnett
Office: Holt 338-E
Email: james-arnett@utc.edu
Office Phone: 423.425.4602
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs: 1-3pm
Wed: 4-5pm; and by appointment

Course Description from Catalog:

Readings from poetry, fiction, and drama to demonstrate how the writer selects from
ideas, experience, and language and combines these elements to speak of and to the
human condition. On demand.

Better Course Description

In this class, well be looking at a wide range of texts that fall under the category
of literature, a variety of genres from Greek comedy to Shakespearean tragedy, from
a sly little novella to Nina Simone. As we read each text, well be honing in on, closer
and closer, the notion of politics in its various forms. This means well be running
alongside the 24-hour news cycle covering the US presidential election of 2016.
Accordingly, well read the news alongside our texts as we explore a tremendous range
of ideas about what politics are good for, and how literature may seek to represent,
critique, refract, or challenge politics as a social force, to say nothing of the tremendous
range of devices and tools that literature uses to represent human experience.

Required Texts
Childrens Lit Burton & Andersen, The Emperors New Clothes
HMH Books; ISBN: 978-0618344208
Comedy/Drama Aristophanes, Lysistrata; Translator: Sarah Ruden;
Hackett PB; ISBN: 978-0872206038
Tragedy/Drama Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Folger Library; ISBN: 978-0671722586
Novel Chinua Achebe, A Man of the People
Anchor; ISBN: 978-0385086165
Novella Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Harper Perennial; ISBN: 978-0061711299
Prose Poetry Claudia Rankine, Citizen
Greywolf; ISBN: 978-1555976903
Song/Lyrics Various [Blackboard / YouTube]
Novel Kim Stanley Robinson, Red Mars
Spectra; ISBN: 978-0553560732
[This class serves the General Education/Literature area, the objectives for which are
pasted below:
The goal of the literature subcategory is to promote critical engagement with the
written word through prose, poetry, and drama. Students will acquire skills in the
analysis and interpretation of texts and deepen their knowledge of the ways in which
figurative language contributes to human thought and expression. Courses in this
category should promote college-level reading skills through an emphasis on
comprehension, building vocabulary, and exposure to a range of literary expression.
Students are encouraged to check the specific requirements for their major for this
category.
Upon completion of the required credit hours in this subcategory, students will be able
to:
Recognize and analyze figurative language.
Identify and discuss multiple levels of meaning.
Construct theses and logical arguments related to the meaning or contexts of
texts.
Arbitrate competing interpretations.
Articulate differences in genre (e.g. fiction, poetry, drama, etc.) and sub-genre
(e.g. short story, essay, epic, sonnet, etc.).
Address the influence of cultural and historical contexts on literary texts.
Read and comprehend college-level literature.]

Grade Range:
A=89.5%-100%
B=79.5%-89.4%
C=69.5%-79.4%
D=59.5%-65.4%
F=below

Assignments
Attendance and Participation (10%)
Youll be expected to attend class per the collectively-determined attendance
policy decided on the first day of class. Enter here:

Participation is another massive component of this class. I expect that when youre
here, you must have the assigned text with you. Its imperative so that we can discuss
and explore particular passages. Participation in this class may sometimes feel tricky,
since what were discussing is politics one of those things youre not supposed to
discuss in polite company. But we must be polite! It is imperative. We are bound to
disagree about politics because, to a great extent, they represent models for how we
live our lives. That said, we must respect others beliefs.
Election Cycle Coverage Presentation (10%)
Starting in week two, each class period, someone will be responsible for finding
an interesting article covering the current presidential election, summarize it for the
class, explaining the authors possible bias, the tone of the article, the information
contained therein, and explain what you think might be happening underneath the
event. These presentations are 6-8 minutes in length, require compelling visuals
(PowerPoint, Prezi, slideshows, reference images), and should have targeted questions
that encourage a 5-minute discussion afterward. Be prepared in your presentation to
ask questions of the class.

Close Readings (5 x 10% = 50%)

These are low-stakes writing assignments in other words, no big deal! For
each of these, you will be given a prompt with four passages (ranging from one
sentence to one paragraph) from the specified text. You will need to 1) print out the
assignment sheet, put your name on it, and indicate which passage youve chosen; and
2) compose a [full] 1.5-page, thesis-driven explanation of the passage youve chosen.
You need to have an argument (thesis), which in this case will communicate what you
think the passage means and how the author accomplishes that meaning. Other than
that, its not really a paper that is to say, youre only dealing, ever, with that one
passage. I will provide, in advance of the due date of the first one, an example for the
class.

Political Party Activity (3 x 10% = 30%)

In this activity, we will work through a series of assignments that mirror the
electoral process, and that require us to think critically about and through the texts
were reading in this class, as well as how to work on framing critical and analytical
writing in the mode of persuasion.

Extra Credit (magic)

--the one extra credit opportunity you have this semester. The themes, the
presentation, the attendance and participation, as well as the final exam, are all given
roughly equal weight. Accordingly, if you do a seventh theme, you can replace the
lowest grade earned elsewhere.

Final Exam Presentation (10%)

The final exam will be discussed toward the end of class.

Class Schedule
[date] [reading] [writing / projects]
Week One
Aug 23 / Tues Introductions, Syllabus, Expectations
 Aug 25 // Thurs Burton & Andersen, The Emperor Has
New Clothes
Week Two
Aug 30 // Tues Aristophanes, Lysistrata
Sept 1 // Thurs Aristophanes, Lysistrata
Week Three
Sept 6 // Tues Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Sept 8 // Thurs Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Week Four
Sept 13 // Tues Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Sept 15 // Thurs Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Week Five
Sept 20 // Tues Achebe, A Man of the People Shakespeare Close Reading
Due
Sept 22 // Thurs Achebe, A Man of the People
Week Six
Sept 27 // Tues Achebe, A Man of the People
Sept 29 // Thurs Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Achebe Close Reading
Week Seven
Oct 4 // Tues Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Oct 6 // Thurs Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Week Eight
Oct 11 // Tues Rankine, Citizen Spark Close Reading Due
Oct 13 // Thurs Rankine, Citizen
Week Nine
Oct 18 // Tues FALL HOLIDAY YALL
Oct 20 // Thurs Rankine, Citizen
Week Ten
Oct 25 // Tues Rankine, Citizen Rankine Close Reading Due
Oct 27 // Thurs Nina Simone, To Be Young Gifted
And Black, Mississippi Goddamn,
Aint Got No/I Got Life
Week Eleven
Nov 1 // Tues KSR, Red Mars
Nov 3 // Thurs Political Party Activity, Round One PP Activity Round One Due
Week Twelve
Nov 8 // Tues Studio Workshop: iMovie
KSR, Red Mars
Nov 10 // Thurs KSR, Red Mars
Week Thirteen
Nov 15 // Tues Political Party Activity, Round Two PP Activity Round Two Due
 Nov 17 // Thurs KSR, Red Mars
Week Fourteen
Nov 22 // Tues KSR, Red Mars
Nov 24 // Thurs THANKSGIVING
Week Fifteen
Nov 29 // Tues Political Party Activity, Round Three PP Activity Round Three Due
Dec 1 // Thurs KSR, Red Mars KSR Close Reading Due