Syllabus

Introduction to THE NOVEL
Saint Louis University - Fall 2013

ENGL230-02

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:15-3:30 PM

Xavier Hall, Room 122

David B. Olsen, instructor

Office: Adorjan Hall, Room 209

Office hours: Tuesdays 1:00-2:00, Thursdays 3:30-4:30, and by appointment

E-mail: olsendb@slu.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Through the careful analysis of several novels with varied styles of writing, this course will explore the ways in which the act of storytelling is transformed in the art of fiction. In particular, this course will be attuned to the way in which fiction relates and responds to other art forms including photography, painting, music, poetry, and architecture. By exploring the similarities and differences between the novel and other arts, we will hope to arrive at clearer picture of how verbal texts both borrow from and lend to the various media with which they interact and overlap. Working within different critical frameworks, we will also more thoroughly recognize the role of language in shaping our understanding of the world around us. 

OBJECTIVES

To develop a heightened critical understanding of both literature and language, particularly in relation to the narrative form of the novel 

To reconsider the place of the novel within contemporary media, academic study, and popular culture

To understand the relationship between the verbal arts and other forms of personal and cultural expression

To appreciate and utilize different methodological approaches to reading and analyzing fiction

REQUIRED TEXTS

Kate Chopin, The Awakening (HarperCollins, 1982)

ISBN: 9780380002450

Samuel R. Delany, Babel-17 / Empire Star (Knopf, 2002)

ISBN: 9780375706691

Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad (Knopf, 2011)

ISBN: 9780307477477

David Markson, Wittgenstein’s Mistress (Dalkey Archive, 2006)

ISBN: 9781564782113

Carole Maso, The Art Lover (W.W. Norton & Co., 2006)

ISBN: 9780811216296

Toni Morrison, Jazz (Knopf, 2004)

ISBN: 9781400076215

W.G. Sebald, Austerlitz (Random House, 2011)

ISBN: 9780812982619

READING ASSIGNMENTS

There will be a specific reading, viewing, and/or listening assignment for nearly every class period, and it is your responsibility to be prepared to discuss its significance within the scope of the course – preferably with written notes or questions to facilitate this process. I will often seek volunteers to speak up and respond to a text, concept, or question, but you may want to be ready to be called on as well. We will likely have a quiz for every reading assignment, but they are generally pretty easy if you’ve been keeping up with the work.

Some of our readings will come from outside of the required textbooks. These will be available as PDF files on our class website; the “Day-to-Day Schedule” page will clearly list the material that we will cover each day.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

All students will be required to complete two formal papers in the class, a take-home final exam, and a multimedia project. Unless otherwise instructed (for example, if you are writing within a digital environment), your papers should be formatted with 1” margins on all sides, double-spaced, and with 12-point Times New Roman font. Your research should be cited using the current MLA guidelines, which will be addressed in class. You will also be allowed to revise one of the two papers or the multimedia project and resubmit it for a new grade, which I will discuss further in class.

Papers must be e-mailed to me or posted online by the time that they are due.

Also, it is supremely important to always save often as you are writing.  Computers sometimes crash despite every available precaution, and being able to have the most recent version of a paper – even if that means saving it in an e-mail or external hard drive – is always preferable to a complete rewrite.

GRADING STANDARDS

Your final grade in the course is contingent upon several factors, which are broken down as follows:

Short Writing Assignments – 15%

Paper #1 – 15%

Paper #2 – 20%

Final Exam – 30%

Reading Quizzes – 15%

Class Participation – 5%

Papers in this course will be assigned a letter grade with a value that corresponds to the College of Arts and Sciences’ grade point average scale:

A         (3.9-4.0)                      B+        (3.2-3.5)          C+        (2.2-2.5)          D         (0.9-1.5)

A-        (3.6-3.8)                      B          (2.9-3.1)          C          (1.9-2.1)          F          (0.0-0.8)

                                              B-        (2.6-2.8)           C-        (1.6-1.8)

                        

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND HONESTY

Students are expected to be honest in their academic work.  The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct at any time is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University.  Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information in examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes.  Violations should be reported to your course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the policy on academic honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences.  If the charges are found to be true, the student may be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion by the University.

At the very least, anyone who violates this policy by plagiarizing a paper in this course will receive a zero on the assignment, with no possibility for revision. In some cases, the student may also receive a failing grade for the course. A report will also be filed with the Chair of the Department of English. If a case of plagiarism is identified at any point in the semester, I may also reexamine and reevaluate assignments that have already been turned in for a grade in the class. We will be addressing the proper citation of sources early in the semester, so there should be little confusion regarding the incorporation of research and quotations into your papers.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance in this course is mandatory. You are allowed to miss three class periods (i.e., unexcused absences), after which your final grade will be lowered by one half of a letter grade for each subsequent absence. For instance, if you should receive a B in the course but have missed class four times, you will receive a C+. This is a policy endorsed by both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English.

Excused absences include religious holidays, medical illness or emergency (with appropriate documentation), and participation in Saint Louis University athletic events. Athletes who know they will be missing certain classes will need to provide official documentation from their coach and a schedule of events by no later than the end of the first week of classes.

Excessive lateness will not be endured. If a student is late to class three times, it will be considered an absence.  Likewise, a student who is more than 15 minutes late for class will also be considered absent. I will be taking roll at the beginning of each period, and students who arrive late are responsible for seeing me after class to confirm their attendance.

Finally, sleeping in class is not actually attending class as far as I am concerned. Students who sleep during class may also be marked absent for the day.

CELL PHONES AND COMPUTERS

With the increasing presence of personal technology in our classrooms comes a greater and greater risk for distraction and diversion. It is my policy that any student who is observed using their phone will be marked absent for that day. This includes texting and using apps. (To not be intellectually present and engaged in a class discussion is to be absent from class, in my opinion.) I approve of the use of a computer or tablet for note-taking or for classroom activities and projects. However, students observed to be using these devices for other reasons (browsing the web, e-mail, chatting, Facebook, other classwork, etc.) will also be marked absent.

LATE PAPERS

Papers should be turned in to me via my SLU e-mail address by the hour and date specified for each assignment. Any paper that is late will be docked one half of a letter grade for each day that it is late. If you know you will be absent on a due date, you may submit your paper to me before the day it is due. I have listed these dates on the syllabus. If any of these deadlines should change at any point in the semester, I will make the revision very clear during class time in addition to a written confirmation via e-mail.

COURSE CONTENT DISCLAIMER

In this course, students may be required to read text or view materials that they may consider offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor, the English Department, the Writing Program, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical and/or cultural relevance, or as an example of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques. They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the university level.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – DISABILITY SERVICES

In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), SLU provides a variety of resources to support student success on campus. Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out more about:

· Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your course instructors.

· University-level support (e.g., tutoring/writing services, Disability Services) by visiting the Student Success Center (BSC 331) or by going to www.slu.edu/success.

Students who believe that, due to a disability, they could benefit from academic accommodations are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 314-977-3484 or email disability_services@slu.edu or visit the Student Success Center. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries.

Course instructors support student accommodation requests when an approved letter from Disability Services has been received and when students discuss these accommodations with the instructor after receipt of the approved letter.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTER (ELC)

Writing services are available for international students at the English Language Center, where consultants are trained to help writers with second-language concerns. In one-on-one consultations, you can develop strategies to improve your writing at any stage. Consultants can help you with skills from brainstorming, developing, and organizing your ideas to writing clear sentences, documenting sources, and polishing the final document. You will find the ELC's help most effective if you schedule an appointment with sufficient time to revise your work before the assignment is due. To make an appointment, click the "Tools" tab and select the "SLU Appointment" icon at  http://myslu.slu.edu.

HOW WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR WRITING

I will provide you with feedback on your writing throughout the semester, but you can also get independent help with your writing. Saint Louis University supports three undergraduate writing services centers:

           

          · Student Success Center, Busch Student Center, Suite 331

          · Pius XII Library, Room 320-8

          · Student Success Center-Medical Center, Nursing Building, Room 114

I encourage you to make use of a writing services center because feedback benefits writers at all skill levels. The center helps with writing projects, multimedia projects, and oral presentations. One-on-one consultations address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources. To make an appointment, click the "Tools" tab and select the "SLU Appointment" icon at http://myslu.slu.edu.