現代短篇小說(文類課:小說)

This course is designed to help students develop critical reading and writing skills, and to introduce some important aspects of the study of modern European literature. In focusing on the short story as a historical genre, we will consider the ways in which literary forms in general have come to be produced and consumed in European and American contexts. As we trace this history—from the 17th- and 18th-century literary and textual codification of earlier and more dispersed oral folk traditions up through the intensely self-conscious art of the modernist short story in the early and mid-20th century—we will think critically about what literary texts mean, but also how they come to have the meanings they arguably have. We will consider their meaning(s) as a field of contestation: open to interpretive debate. Strengthening our interpretive and argumentative skills by engaging in such interpretive debates will be a primary aim. Along the way, we will accrue a broad sense of the history of literature in the west as one of the modes whereby cultures represent themselves to themselves. The syllabus is subject to revision at the discretion of the instructor.

Course open to undergraduate DFLL students. Students should have advanced proficiency in reading, writing, and oral communication in English.

Seminar (dialogue, student presentations, lecture, discussion). Attendance is necessary but not sufficient for success in this class. Active participation is mandatory; otherwise, your grade will suffer. No cell phones or electronic devices are allowed during classroom discussions. The weekly reading notes will be a record of your reactions and responses to the weekly reading. They can be very informal; they are merely a way to ensure that you engage scrupulously with the reading, and as a way to help you produce notes that will assist you as you prepare both for class discussions and for your essays. The weekly notes will be due at the end of each class and will be returned immediately—I will not grade them for their content (unless it is evident that they have no real substance), but merely will confirm that you have been taking diligent notes and making a record of your thoughts about each reading. The weekly reading notes that you take on each text should be prepared as a separate .doc or .pdf file, and should include the following: – Questions that you want to raise about the text, concerning both the meaning of the text and ways in which the language of the text produces that meaning – New or unfamiliar vocabulary (and your interpretations of how this vocabulary is contributing to the meaning of the story) – Interpretive reactions, assessments, and associations Essay #1 will proceed in three steps. First will be an outline or sketch of the argument you plan to develop. You need not have completely developed your argument; the germ of an idea is sufficient, as long as it indicates that you are actively planning how to compose your essay, which itself should be the logical and persuasive presentation of your interpretation of the story you have chosen to analyze for your essay. The second step is the first draft of the essay. It should be composed as though it were your final and most polished version of the essay. I will read and comment on this draft, making corrections and suggestions about how to strengthen the interpretation as well as its argumentative presentation. The third step will be a substantial revision, or rewriting, of the essay based on my comments on the first draft. Essay #2 will proceed similarly; the only difference is that there will be no first draft. Only in extremely extraordinary circumstances will late work be accepted. If something does arise make sure to contact me no less than 48 hours prior to the deadline. Although last minute computer problems do occur, they are not an acceptable excuse—please factor the possibility of such inadvertent glitches into your preparation for the assignment.

Grading 1. Attendance and Participation: 20% 2. First Essay (3-5 pages): 25% 3. Weekly Reading Responses: 20% 4. Final Essay (5-6 pages): 35% Two points will be subtracted from final grade for every unexcused absence. Makeup work for excused absences may be required.

digital copies of reading materials will be made available

地點

HC410

時間

Wednesdays by appointment

聯絡方式

cfs.creasy@gmail.com