Course Syllabus
Spring 2015
ENGL-205-01/05: Literature & the Moral Imagination
Hailstones 3
Williams
208 Hinkle Hall
Office Hours: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. MF
x2014
Core Curriculum: These sections of Literature & the Moral Imagination count as both a
Diversity Curriculum Requirement and a Gender & Diversity Studies
course elective.
Focus: These sections of Literature & the Moral Imagination examine the difficulties of
establishing and sustaining personal and collective identities in relation to gender,
sex, ethnicity, race, nationality and, finally, “reality” itself. Although the last two
novels may appear to concern existential questions that subsume the “accidental”
attributes of gender, sex, race, ethnicity and nationality, we shall see that these
factors in the construction of identity, however obscured by fantasy/sci-fi
narratives, orient the stories and our understandings of them from “behind,”
“offstage” as it were. Thus, one question we shall try to keep in mind is the extent
to which these “hidden” attributes are all the more powerful because they are only
implicit in the stories. Thus, in these, and other, ways, the last two novels—The
Eye and Paprika—differ from the first six which explicitly foreground “diversity”
issues within the historical after-effects of colonization and indigenous traditions.
Required Texts: Mariama Ba, So Long A Letter; Julie Osaka, Buddha in the Attic; Tsitsi
Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions; Steven Gillis, Temporary People;
Ferdinand Oyono, The Old Man and the Medal; Helen Oyeyemi, Boy,
Snow, Bird; Vladimir Nabokov, The Eye; Yasutaka Tsutsui, Paprika
Requirements: Three papers, 5-7 typed pages each. The first paper must use at least two
of the first three novels read; its focus can be on the settings, characters
or themes that emerge during class discussions. The same criteria apply
to the second paper which must use two of the next three books. The
third paper can focus on one of the last two books.
One oral report on any aspect of the novels. Half of the students will give
their brief (two to three minutes) presentations on Feb. 18. The rest of the
class will give their presentations on March 25. All presentations will
be recorded by video camera and transferred to disk for my sole use.
One take-home midterm examination.
One final examination in class.
Impromptu quizzes on the reading assigned for a particular class.
Regular and consistent participation in class discussions.
Grading: Papers: 30 points (10 points each)
Oral Report: 10 points
Midterm Exam: 20 points
Final Exam: 20 points
Participation: 10 points
Quizzes: 10 points
Schedule: Week
- So Long A Letter
- Buddha and the Attic
- Buddha and the Attic
- Nervous Conditions
- Nervous Conditions
- Temporary People; Oral Reports
- Temporary People; Midterm Exam Distributed; Paper 1 Due
- Spring Break
- The Old Man and the Medal; Midterm Exam Due
- Boy, Snow, Bird
- Boy, Snow, Bird; Oral Reports
- The Eye; Paper 2 Due
- Paprika
- Paprika
- Paprika; Paper 3 Due
- 16. Final Examination
Student Learning Outcomes:
GOAL 1: Students will be effective communicators in writing and orally
1. Students will be able to organize and express their ideas in writing and orally
2. Students will be able to formulate clear and arguable theses, supported by evidence drawn from appropriate sources
3. Students will be able to utilize an effective writing process guided by audience, purpose, cultural context, and disciplinary standards
GOAL 2: Students will be critical thinkers
1. Students will be able to analyze and interpret texts, images, objects, artifacts, and quantitative and qualitative data
2. Students will be able to describe the historical, cultural, mythological, and social contexts of texts, works of art, and theories
3. Students will be able to evaluate the strength of an argument or claim and its evidence
4. Students will be able to discuss fundamental questions that arise from the human condition, such as questions about the grounds of morality, the essence of justice, the nature of reality, the possibility of certainty, the nature of beauty, or the reasonableness of religious faith
GOAL 4: Students will understand and appreciate the arts, humanities and science disciplines, and reflect on connections among these studies.
1. Students will be able to think historically in order to understand the past on its own terms and to understand how societies have changed over time
2. Students will be able to recognize and interpret artistic and literary expression
GOAL 5: Students will be integrated individuals who articulate a coherent, ethical perspective on the world and their place in it
1. Students will be able to recognize the societal, ethical and moral dimensions of discourse, art, information, science and technology
2. Students will be able to relate their knowledge and skills in a reflective and constructive way to their life experiences and the challenges confronting today’s world
3. Students will be able to use information and resources responsibly in their communication and research
4. Students will be able to utilize intellectual, moral, and spiritual tools and sensibilities to engage faithfully and responsively in the world for the promotion of peace, social justice, and ecological sustainability
GOAL 7 (E/RS): Students will be intellectually, morally and spiritually educated individuals capable of critical reflection on ethical and/or religious questions of social significance from the perspective of multiple disciplines with unique methods
1. Students will be able to analyze rationally competing claims about individual and political justice within foundational philosophical texts
2. Students will be able to engage in critical, theological reflection on ethical and/or religious questions of social significance, using human experience and religious
traditions as resources to address these questions
3. Students will be able to critically read, write about, and reflect on ethical and/or religious issues of social significance through interpretation of literary texts
4. Students will be able to reflect critically on ethical and/or religious questions of social significance through the method of another discipline or through a second course in philosophy, theology or literature.
Extra Credit: Students may turn in one, and only one, extra credit assignment during the semester. During the month of April the English Department will sponsor at least two poetry readings. Students may attend either event and write up a two to three page review of the event for up to 5 additional points.
Miscellaneous: The use of laptops*, cell phones, I-phones or any texting devices during class is strictly forbidden. Any student caught using such devices will be marked absent for the day and will not be allowed to participate in class in any form whatsoever. Students who attend class without the book being discussed that day will also be considered absent and will likewise be forbidden to participate in class discussions or take quizzes. Students who walk into class more than five minutes after class begins will also be considered absent for the day and will not be permitted to participate in class discussions and/or take quizzes. Late papers will be penalized a half a grade per day (not class) late. Plagiarism, intentional or not, will result in automatic failure of the course.
Course Summary:
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