COURSE DESCRIPTION                                                            (HOME)

ENGL 201: Reading and Writing About Texts    Sections 039 and 046 
Spring Semester 2008   George Mason University

Section 039: Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon-1:15 p.m., Thompson Hall 112
Section 046: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:00-4:15 p.m., Enterprise Hall 279

Instructor: Scott W. Berg
Course web site: http://classweb.gmu.edu/sberg1
Office: Performing Arts Building A407G
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:45-2:45 and by appointment
E-mail: sberg1@gmu.edu
Office phone: 703/993-1635 (please use sparingly)

REQUIRED BOOKS

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Scribner edition, paperback)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Yale University Press edition, paperback)

There will also be one additional short story made available at the Johnson Center bookstore toward the midpoint of the semester.

SUGGESTED BOOKS AND FILMS

A good dictionary.  I recommend the American Heritage College Dictionary, hardcover.
Any of the major film versions of Hamlet (three are available in the bookstore).

COURSE DESCRIPTION

ENGL 201 is what those who teach and study literature call a "close reading" class.  This means, at a basic level, that we're going to slow way down and look very closely and deeply at what we read in order to better understand and appreciate it.

We're going to look very carefully at plots, characters, settings, motifs, symbols, themes, and irony, and we'll discuss the ways a closer and deeper appreciation of these parts of literature helps us to more creatively and insightfully interpret what we read.  In order to accomplish this challenging (but hardly impossible) task, I'll be requiring all of you to look at The Great Gatsby and Hamlet in some very particular ways:

--You will be required to display an advanced familiarity with plot.  This will mean keeping careful track of what happens in the story and who does what when.

--You will be asked to "adopt" a character from The Great Gatsby (and later, one from Hamlet) and become an expert in the analysis of that character.  You will be asked to connect the unique, individual plight of that character to the overall action and themes of the work.

--You will be required to understand the meaning, presence, and implications of motifs and symbols, and to connect these to other aspects of the stories.

The university and English department also have a set of general expectations for you; at the completion of ENGL201, it is expected that you'll demonstrate the ability to:

-  Read for comprehension, detail, and nuance
-  Identify and intelligently discuss the literary qualities of language
-  Do close reading of imaginative literature
-  Analyze the ways specific literary devices contribute to the themes of a work
-  Write papers that use these skills to support an interpretation of a work

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

active contribution  |  three papers  |  reading responses and quizzes  |  mid-semester exam  |  final exam

This is a cooperative discussion class, which relies on the attendance and active contribution of its members to succeed.  I will require that you let me know in advance of any absences.  An excused absence will be any legitimate absence which I know of ahead of time.  These excused absences will be treated differently than unexcused absences: there will be more opportunity to make up graded assignments, in-class writing, etc.  Punctuality is also important.  Please be on time for class.  Your class participation will account for 10% of your course grade.  (This grade will represent my subjective opinion of your over-all level of commitment to and engagement with the course and the coursework.)

You will write three 1500+ word papers in this class.  These papers will not require library research, but they will require that you demonstrate competence with certain methods and terms of literary analysis.  The first two papers will receive a provisional grade, meaning that you will have the option of revising the paper according my comments for the chance at a higher (never lower) grade. (Despite the provisional grading of this paper, you must still hand it in on the the appropriate due date or receive late penalties.) Your papers will account for 45% of your course grade (15% each).

We will sometimes do smaller take-home and in-class writing assignments called reading responses, which must be typed. These writings will be less structured than the papers, and will normally fill a full page.  Reading responses will be returned with a check mark, occasionally embellished with a + or - sign. There will also be quizzes--some longer, some shorter--to test your commitment to the readings and discussions.  Quizzes will not be given every day, and may be unannounced.  You will be allowed to drop one quiz grade at the end of the semester.  If you are doing well on the quizzes as a class, there will be fewer quizzes. Your reading responses and quizzes together will account for 15% of your course grade.

There will be a mid-semester exam of about an hour covering The Great Gatsby, as well as an end-of-semester exam of similar length covering Hamlet; each exam will test your understanding of the works read and concepts discussed in class.  Each exam will account for 15% of your course grade (30% total).

PLAGIARISM AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Here is the definition of plagiarism, according to the English Department.

"Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving that person credit.  Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books and articles is not sufficient.  Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in the academic setting."

Egregious plagiarism will result in an F for the course and a report of an Honor Code violation.

Late papers and assignments will be penalized a minimum of half a letter grade (B to B-, etc.).  This penalty will depend on the nature of the offense; a paper five hours late will suffer less than a paper five days late.  Anything a week late or more won't be considered for a passing grade.  I will consider, though not automatically grant, extension requests made at least a class period in advance--but only if the requests are infrequent and legitimate.

THE UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER

The University Writing Center is a free one-on-one tutorial service, available to all GMU students who want to work on their writing skills.  Stop by Robinson Hall, room A114, visit http://writingcenter.gmu.edu, or call 993-1200 for information and appointments.