ENG 105. 07: Introduction to Narrative
Course Syllabus
Fall 2014
Instructor: Mrs. Kristine Lee
Class Time and Location: Tuesday/Thursday, SOEB 204
11:00 am-12:15pm
Office: MHRA 3112 F
Office Hours: Tuesday, 9:00am-10:00am
Thursday, 9:00am-10:00am
Mailbox: MHRA 3317
Writers use narratives to select from everything there is, and make contexts by putting the pieces into relation; thats what writers do, they make contexts. ~Paul Shepheard
Course Description:
This course will be primarily focused on issues of identity, and how identity is created by the narrative form. Reading narrative requires observing other perspectives and ideas and putting them in conversation. Throughout our readings, you will be exposed to a wide variety of identity narratives, based around ideas of family, ability, history, and medium. These questions will serve as guides for starting a critical conversation:
1) How is identity created by influences of environment and other people?
2) Do ideas of identity change over time? If so, in what ways?
3) How is identity related to the events that take place in the work?
4) Do identities in the text clash with one another or work together? In what ways?
Inevitably, you will and should ask yourself many more questions about identity as we read and discuss the material. I look forward to hearing your engagement and ideas!
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the GLT marker:
1. Demonstrate the reading skill required for the student of literary texts. (LG3)
2. Identify and/or describe some of the varied characteristics of literary texts. (LG3)
3. Demonstrate orally, in writing, or by some other means, a fundamental ability to use some of the techniques and/or methods of literary analysis. (LG 1 and LG 3
4. Identify and/or describe some of the various social, historical, cultural, and/or theoretical
contexts in which literary texts have been written and interpreted. (LG3)
Those SLOs labeled (LG3) relate to UNCGs Learning Goal #3 for General Education, which says students will Describe, interpret, and evaluate the ideas, events, and expressive traditions that have shaped collective and individual human experience through inquiry and analysis in the diverse disciplines of the humanities, religions, languages, histories, and the arts. (http://uncg.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Undergraduate-Bulletin/University-Requirements/General-Education-Program)
Required Texts:
Please purchase these as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions about acquiring texts. I prefer that you buy this version in a physical copy so the class will have the same pagination.
Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2006 (Later Printing Edition).
Print. ISBN: 978-0143038092
Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, A Dover Thrift Edition.
New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991. Print. ISBN: 978-0486266886
Art Spiegelman, Maus I: A Survivor's Tale, My Father Bleeds History. New York, NY: Raw
Books and Graphics, 1986. Print. ISBN: 978-0394747231
Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Book 1. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 2008. Print.
ISBN: 978-0439023528
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 2003.
Print. ISBN: 978-0375714573
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1937. Print.
ISBN: 9780140177398
Browning, Abigail and Melissa Ridley Elmes, eds. Lenses: Perspectives on Literature, Second
Edition. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2015. Print.
ISBN: 978-0-7380-7007-0
All other texts can be found on Blackboard under Course Documents. Please print out these readings and bring them to class on designated days.
Lee 1
Class Grades and Assignments
Disclaimer: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus if they are necessary. I will inform you of any changes in class or in writing.
A+ = 97-100 B+ = 87-89C+ = 77-79D+ = 67-69 F = 59 and below
A = 93-96 B = 83-86C = 73-76D = 63-66
A- = 90-92 B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72D- = 60-62
I utilize the full range of grades, from A to F (including plusses and minuses) in keeping with UNCG grading policies (http://web.uncg.edu/reg/Bulletin/Current/AcaRegs/Grading/GradingSystem.aspx). Your final course grade will be based on your individual grades for the following components that make up our work for the semester. UNCG defines an A as excellent; a B as good; a C as average; a D as lowest passing grade; and an F as failure. In adherence to this scale, you should understand that a C means you successfully met the requirements of the course, not that you did poorly, which would be indicated by either a D or an F. Likewise, an A or B indicate that you met and exceeded course requirements.
Breakdown of Grade (Overview)
Please see Blackboard for a detailed assignment sheet for each written assignment.
Literary Analysis Essay (SLOs 1-4): 25%
You will be required during the semester write a five-page essay about a literary text we have read. The essay should analyze and interpret one piece of literature. The point of this essay is not to evaluate the novel or short story. Instead, you will be expected to analyze and interpret a piece of literature. This will require you to have a clear thesis presented in the introduction with quotations from the text cited as evidence for your argument. The goal is to develop your own original argument about the text, rather than to repeat what we already have discussed in class. Ask yourself what interests you about the text, and use that answer as a way of guiding you to your own interpretation. We will have a peer review day in class in which you will bring a hard copy of a rough draft for this paper. This advanced feedback will definitely help you continue to develop your piece. In addition, I encourage you to utilize the Writing Center and set up individual meetings with me for advanced feedback, as I do not provide advanced feedback via e-mail. I am happy to meet with you as you write for this paper. I am here to help you!
Class Preparation and Participation (SLOs 1-4): 20%
I expect you to come to class ready and prepared to speak about the readings and be actively engaged in class discussion. An excellent way to prepare for class discussion is to jot down notes or questions you have while reading. In my classes, one of my aims is to privilege every voice, and I look forward to your meaningful insights and commentary. There will also be group activities during some classes, and I require that students come prepared to actively engage with their fellow group members.
Close Readings (2 at 10% each) (SLOs 1-3): 20%
These close readings will be no longer than two full pages, double-spaced, and will be in MLA format. You will choose a quote from the text and analyze it with focus and precision. I encourage you to go to the Writing Center or meet with me in advance about the close readings if you would like individual assistance. I will not provide advanced feedback via e-mail, but would be delighted to meet with you to have a conversation about your writing.
Midterm (SlOs 2-3): 15%
The mid-term for this course will consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and essay questions. I expect students to be prepared for the mid-term on the day the exam is assigned. This mid-term will not be open book or open note. We will briefly review the material on the last class day before the mid-term.
Final Exam (SLOs 2-3): 20%
The final exam for this course will take place on the final exam day of 12/9 from 12:00pm-
3:00pm. The final exam will consist of multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and essay
questions. It will be longer than the mid-term exam. You will not be permitted to use your
book or notes during this exam. We will briefly review the material on the last class day
before the final exam.
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated (from UNCGs Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the universitys policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at .
I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. Depending on the severity of the violation and the significance of the assignment to the final grade, penalties for plagiarism, among other forms of academic dishonesty or unethical intellectual property appropriation, may range from an automatic zero on the assignment, to the student being dropped from the class or receiving expulsion from the university.
Part of your work and responsibility as a scholar is that you accept the rules and ethics of writing and documenting your outside sources. In addition to downloading a paper off of the Internet or getting someone to write one for you, plagiarism is:
* Word-for-word copying without proper acknowledgementwhether you co
