KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ENGLISH 30: Introduction to Literature
“Literature is a frigate to take us away to far away lands.” Emily Dickenson
Instructor: Professor J. O’Brien Spring, 2008 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
E-Mail joeyobrien@hotmail.com Mondays and Wednesdays
Room M366
Section: TBA
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Gardner,Janet E. Literature: A Portable Anthology. Bedford St. Martins Press. 2004.
Any dictionary of your choice
COURSE DESCRIPTION & GOALS:
Emily Dickenson once wrote that “Literature is a frigate to take us away to foreign lands.” It is hoped that through this course you will embark upon a similar journey as you learn to both critically read and analyze texts and grow to understand and be comfortable with the research process. It is hoped that this course will provide you the knowledge and confidence to critically examine both fictional and non-fictional texts, analyze and evaluate literature, and forge a touchstone for the years to come.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
As college students, you are expected to come to class on time and be prepared with the materials assigned for that day. In addition, a willingness to participate and engage in class discussion is essential. You are also expected to complete all assignments and abide by the guidelines stated in the syllabus.
ATTENDANCE, LATENESS, & DEADLINES:
As a school policy, it is to be noted that you are not allowed to exceed more than four (4) hours. I understand that this is a late class and many travel vast distances to arrive here, yet, we must make every attempt to report to class on time on a regular basis. Lateness of 10 min or more will count towards your total four (4) hours. If you are absent or late please make it your own responsibility to contact me as soon as possible. It is up to you to find out what you missed.
OTHER CLASSROOM RULES:
Please be kind and mindful of your surroundings as well as your classmates. ALL HEADPHONES AND MUSIC DEVICES MUST BE OFF AND PUT AWAY upon the start of class. PLEASE TURN OFF THE VOLUME ON YOUR CELL PHONE. If there is an emergency, or an important call, feel free to quietly step-outside and handle your business. DO NOT DISTURB THE CLASS.
You may bring something to drink and snack on. Please do not bring a full meal to class. If you choose to bring food or a drink make sure you throw away your trash when you are done.
* * * *
If you ever have ANY questions or concerns please feel free to come to me. I am easily accessible via e-mail. You may also speak with me before or after class. If you are unsure about something during class discussion or have your own personal comments to add PLEASE DO NOT hesitate to speak! Your voice is valued.
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. He was part of the 1920s expatriate community in Paris, as well as the veterans of World War One later known as "the Lost Generation", as described in his posthumous memoir A Moveable Feast. ("'That's what you are. That's what you all are,' Miss Stein said. 'All of you young people who served in the war. You are a lost generation.'" Stein had overheard a garage owner use the phrase to criticize a mechanic.) He received thePulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea, and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
Hemingway's distinctive writing style is characterized by economy and understatement, in contrast to the style of his literary rival William Faulkner. It had a significant influence on the development of twentieth-century fiction writing. His protagonists are typically stoic men who exhibit an ideal described as "grace under pressure." Many of his works are now considered canonical in American literature.
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (pronounced [gidəmopasɑ̃]) (5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a popular 19th-century French writer. He is one of the fathers of the modern short story. As a protégé ofFlaubert, his short stories are characterized by their economy of style and their efficient effortlessdénouement. He also wrote six short novels. A number of his stories often denote the futility of war and the innocent civilians who, caught, emerge changed - many are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s.
Kate Chopin (born Katherine O'Flaherty on February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904) was an American author of short stories and novels, mostly of a Louisiana Creole background. She is now considered to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 19th century.
From 1889 to 1902, she wrote short stories for both children and adults which were published in such magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, the Century, and Harper's Youth's Companion. Her major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included "Desiree's Baby", a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana; "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm."
Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899), which is set in New Orleans and Grand Isle. The people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana. Many of her works are set about Natchitoches in north central Louisiana. In time, literary critics determined that Chopin addressed the concerns of women in all places and for all times in her literature
"Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin 3/5/08
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant 3/5/08
"The Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway 3/10/08
http://www.has.vcu.edu/eng/webtext/hills/hills.htm
"To Build a Fire" by Jack London
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/firelndn.html
3/10/08
"Young Goodman Brown" Nathaniel Hawthorne 3/12/08
"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor 3/12/08
"Araby" by James Joyce 3/17/08
"The Sniper" Liam O'Flaherty 3/17/08
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/sniper.html
"The Tell Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/telltale.html
3/19/08
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe 3/19/08
SPRING 2008 SESSION A | ||
| Sun. | Feb. 24 | SUNDAY Classes Begin |
| Tues. | Feb. 26 | DAY & EVENING CLASSES BEGIN |
| Fri. | Feb. 29 | FRIDAY EVENING Classes Begin |
| Sat. | March 1 | SATURDAY Classes Begin |
| Mon. | March 10 | PERIOD OPENS to File Applications for: |
| Tues. | March 11 | LAST DAY to Apply for Deletion of Spring 2008 Courses & Change of Curriculum for Spring 2008, EXCLUDING NURSING |
| Wed. | March 12 | PERIOD OPENS to File Applications for Change of Curriculum for Fall 2008 |
| Thurs. | March 20- Sun. March 23 | NO CLASSES (Easter Recess) |
| Mon. | March 24 | Classes Resume |
| Tues. | March 25 | College Council |
| Thurs. | March 27 | LAST DAY to File Applications for: 1. June 2008 Degrees 2. Makeup Examinations for Fall 2007 and/or Winter 2008 Sessions (Due to Absence from Final Examination) |
| Thurs. | April 10 | LAST DAY to File Applications for: 1. Advanced Standing for Fall 2008 2. Change of Curriculum for Fall 2008 FOR NURSING ONLY |
| Tues. | April 15 – Thurs. April 17 | Makeup Final Examinations Administered for Preceding Fall 2007 and/or Winter 2008 Sessions |
| Sun. | April 20- Sun. April 27 | NO CLASSES (Spring Recess) |
| Mon. | April 28 | Classes Resume |
| Thurs. | May 1 | Last Day to Return Completed Withdrawal Form(s) (to Receive a Grade of “W”) to Registrar’s Office by Students Doing Passing Work in Course LAST DAY to File Applications for: 1. Change of Session for Fall 2008 (Day to Evening; Evening to Day) 2. Change of Status for Fall 2008 (Non-Degree to Degree) |
| Mon. | May 5 | LAST DAY to file Student Activity Resumé |
| Thurs. | May 8 | LAST DAY for Removal of "INC" for Fall 2007 and/or Winter 2008 Sessions |
| Tues. | May 20 | COLLEGE COUNCIL |
| Mon. | May 26 | COLLEGE CLOSED |
| Tues. | May 27 | DAY/EVENING CLASSES Follow Thursday Schedule |
| Wed. | May 28 | DAY/EVENING CLASSES Follow Monday Schedule |
| Thurs. | May 29 | COMPASS Testing/Reading Day – NO CLASSES |
| Fri. | May 30 | LAST MEETING - Day/Evening Classes |
| Sat. | May 31 | LAST MEETING - Saturday Classes |
| Sun. | June 1 | LAST MEETING - Sunday Classes |
| Mon. | June 2 – Fri. June 6 | FINAL EXAMINATIONS - Day & Evening Classes |
| Sat. | June 7 | FINAL EXAMINATIONS - Saturday Classes |
| Sun. | June 8 | FINAL EXAMINATIONS - Sunday Classes |
| Fri. | June 13 | COMMENCEMENT |
