ENG221H: Literature/Culture/Ideas (BEING)
(section 2, class number 16315 , meeting time TTH 14:00-15:15, classroom K-G3)


Professor:
EMAIL:
Office: 		Prof. Sharon Cote
cotesa@jmu.edu
Keezell 209, Ext. 82510
 Availability: I am available during my office hours and by appointment.



Description: This course will consider literature that explores the concept "BEING" from a variety of perspectives, including identity, the body and the physical world, communities, choice(s), and experiences. We will struggle with the (im)possibility of absolute dichotomies such as being human vs. non-human, being happy vs. unhappy, and even being alive vs. being dead, and we will consider how such ideas can affect our own state(s) of being. Crucially, we will come to understand how literature -- stories, the act of "storying", metaphor, and language more broadly -- shape and inform our perspectives on this most central of issues. Students should come away with not only an understanding of the individual readings and of themes and issues explored in these readings, but also an ability to ask questions about these works. More generally, we'll challenge our own first responses to readings and hone our ability to evaluate literature and its potential as a gateway to new ideas and insights. We'll explore some connections between literary works and other creative works and/or intellectual pursuits. Finally, through these efforts, we'll work on improving our basic ability to approach ANY text (ie. not just "literature") and, in fact, any communicative act critically, developing basic vocabulary and skills in the techniques of such analyses.


Required novels, including ISBN numbers: (Note -- If you choose to get other editions of any of these texts, you should be aware that your page numbers may not correspond with class discussions and you may in some cases lack certain introductory material in your edition.)
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. Mass Market Paperback (Tor), ISBN-13:978-0812550702.
Kosinksi, Jerzy. Being There.Grove Press (Reprint edition), ISBN-13: 978-0802136343.
Beukes, Lauren. Moxyland.Mulholland Books, ISBN-13: 978-0316267915.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. Vintage, ISBN-13: 978-1400078776.


Recommended references:
A good, comprehensive dictionary-- You are expected to look up the meaning of any words in our reading with which you are unfamiliar before class discussion. (There is also a link to the OED online at the bottom of this webpage.)
A writing guide such as the MLA Handbook that includes citation guidelines. (There is also a link at the bottom of this webpage to the JMU library's page with a few MLA citation style examples.)


Additional required readings:
Short stories, poems, and other readings and supplemental materials will be made available online on CANVAS (under the Files for our course) and/or will be distributed in class. Check the "readings" section of the syllabus regularly for new readings. Some of these short readings may be added or changed as the course progresses, to suit our discussions.


Work, Grading, and Attendance: Assignments (14%), Presentation (8%), Two Short Papers (2-3 pages, 20% total), one longer Paper/Project(18%) Midterm (20%), Final (20%).

All work must be submitted on time and in-class and all exams must be taken at scheduled times unless I determine that your circumstances warrant an alternative accommodation. (You must make such requests well in advance when at all possible and as soon as possible in other, truly extraordinary circumstances). All papers and exams must be submitted to pass this course unless, again, I determine that it is appropriate to make an accommodation.
Participation is expected and a number of assignments may be based on in-class participation. Other than not getting credit for such missed assignments, your grade for the course won't be lowered for a small number of absences. One exception, however, is when other students are scheduled to give presentations. Each failure to attend on a presentation day may lower a student's overall "assignments" grade by 10 points. Again, I may accommodate special circumstances with appropriate notice.
About assignments --
General Education designates cluster two literature courses as "writing infused". This means students must be required to write a minimum of about 15 pages. In this particular course, in addition to written work assigned as formal papers and as essay components of the midterm and final exams, writing will also occur very regularly in a variety of at-home and in-class assignments.
At-home assignments (i.e., ones you bring to class already completed), depending on their size, will be announced at least one class period before they are due and will be posted as links at the bottom of this webpage no later than the evening of that same day. These assignments must be typed unless otherwise specified. Note that assignment links are named and ordered by the date they are due. If you miss a class, you are responsible for checking these links and doing any assignment due the next class period.
Some additional assignments will also be done in-class, and these may not be announced in advance. Make-ups for these in-class assignments will only be made available, at my discretion, for excusable absences.
In general, while I collect both at-home and in-class assignments, they will be graded only as an acceptable effort (full credit) or an unacceptable effort (no credit). In other words, you won't be penalized for incorrect information or writing mistakes, but you must (of course!) show evidence of having made a careful attempt at all parts of the assignment to get credit. You can miss or skip a total of two assignments without affecting your overall assignment grade (but not those directly related to one of the graded papers or otherwise described as required).
Notes:
As mentioned above, this course also fulfills the General Education literature course requirement (cluster two, group three). As part of JMU's commitment to the idea that some breadth in the humanities is expected of anyone holding a university degree, every undergraduate JMU student must take at least one literature course. The shared academic objectives that shape this requirement regardless of which particular literature course a student chooses to take are described here.
All your work for this course is also, of course, subject to the JMU Honor Code. If you are not very familiar with the details of this honor code, you should review it before any assignments are due. I take academic integrity very seriously. If you have any uncertainty about plagiarism or any other aspects of the honor code relevant to this course, see me for clarification.
Finally, please read the course policies page for additional details about grading and other issues.


Daily Schedule: This is a tentative schedule for what will be discussed in each class period, for when papers will be due, and for when exams will be given. You should have readings done BEFORE the class date on which they will be discussed. The topics listed are designed to give you perspective for your reading and to help begin class discussions. Topics, short story choices, supplemental readings, and paper and exam dates may be modified to support the direction and duration of class discussions, so check this schedule frequently. (Schedule changes may also need to be made for snow days or other unforeseen events.) Links to smaller assignments, with their due dates, will be posted below this schedule throughout the semester.

Date Topic Reading
1/9 Introduction to the course: What does "Being" mean? In class readings and discussion: "Fishing on the Susquehanna in July" and "They're Made Out of Meat"
1/11 The slippery slope from human to ??? "Only Human" (Available on Canvas)
1/16 Character, Plot, and World plus start on Questions of Being Ender's Game -- through Chapter 8, including introduction
1/18 Growing with Ender, Seeing Like an Adult Ender's Game -- through Chapter 12
1/23 More on Moral Beings "Rappaccini's Daughter"
1/25 Perception and Reality Ender's Game -- full novel
1/30 Perspectives on Sisters and Buggers (no new reading)
2/1 Everything and Nothing "On the Beach at Night Alone" (available at this LINK) , "Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town" (available at this LINK), and an excerpt from The Existentialist Cafe, pp. 1-8 (on CANVAS)
2/6 NO CLASS -- ASSESSMENT DAY
2/8 Being in Place and Time... and in the Mind (tentative - first short paper due) Being There-- through Chapter 3
2/13 Chance, Media, and Being Being There through Chapter 4
2/15 (presentations) Ontology vs Epistemology Being There, full text
2/20 (presentations) Culture and Being excerpt(s) from memoires by Frank McCourt: excerpts from Angela's Ashes (read first) and from 'Tis (Both on Canvas)
2/22 More Cultural Perspective "Mother Tongue" (on Canvas) "
2/27 Culture, Religion, and what "IS" (plus review for Midterm) "Walimai" (on Canvas)
3/1 MIDTERM EXAM
3/6 SPRING BREAK
3/8 SPRING BREAK
3/13 More Perspective on Purpose and Religion "Leaf by Niggle" (On Canvas)
3/15 (presentations) Another Way to Look at Identity, Life, and Death "Patriotism" (On Canvas)
3/20 ** SNOW DAY** The most personal experiences (Revised-second short paper due) "Tale from the Arctic Rim" (on Canvas) and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"(Available On Canvas and at this LINK/TD>
3/22 (presentations) READING FROM SNOW DAY, PLUS SUBMIT PAPERS TODAY Can get a head start on Moxyland
3/27 Four Identities, One Novel Moxyland, through p. 78, end of first Lerato chapter
3/29 Defining Oneself Moxyland- through p.156 , end of a Tendeka chapter
4/3 More on Reality and Culture Moxyland through p. 204 (in newer edition!), end of the Lerato chapter that closes with the words ""I pass out and miss everything"
4/5 NO CLASS, work day for paper/project (Could start reading Never Let Me Go )
4/10 Being in an imperfect world Moxyland full novel
4/12 Being Special (class cancelled, reading moved to 4/17 Never Let Me Go, first third (at least through Ch. 7, p. 89)
4/17 (More Presentations) SEE 4/12 reading from 4/12
4/19 Human Nature and "Other-ing" Never Let Me Go , second third (through Ch.16, p. 196)
4/24 Identity and Personhood Never Let Me Go remainder
4/26 Final Perspectives... (Final paper/project due)
5/1 (TUESDAY) FINAL EXAM 1pm-3pm regular class location (Confirm this date and time on the office JMU final exam schedule.)

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. " attributed on occasion to Mark Twain (but never confirmed :) )


Look Here for At-Home Assignments and Information:



MLA style examples Oxford English Dictionary Send email to Prof. Cote

ENG221H, Spring 2018, © JMU