Fu Jen English Department (day division) Introduction to Literature
Instructor: Daniel J. Bauer Ph.D.
Wednesday 10:10 – 12:00 and Friday 1:40 – 2:30 Classroom: please consult department bulletin board Office: SF 126 / telephone: 2905-3522 (h) / 2905-2565 (o) e-mail: 015130@mail.fju.edu.tw
Office hours: Tuesday 10 – 12:00 / Wednesday when not in meetings 1:30 – 3:30 / Friday 2:40 – 3:40 / and by appointment
I regret that I cannot accept homework by e-mail attachment. I am happy however to receive e-mail from students who would like to ask Qs to discuss matters of interest to them.
This course requires active class participation, the writing of three
reflective journals, and two examinations. The examinations and journals are each of equal importance for the final grade (20% each).
Journals should be at least 2 full pages typed long (size A-4 paper), and may be longer. Do not write an organized “mini paper,” but rather a collection of thoughts which show you can respond in a personal way to the literature we are reading. How does this literature influence your ideas or feelings? Do you have any life experience that may relate to the
literature? What opinions of the literature do you have? Your journal must show that you are doing your best to read and understand the literature of this course.
In each journal, try to discuss two authors.
“Plagiarism” is the use of ideas or words that are not your own. To take material from the “wang lu” or a book or an article without giving the source of the material in your journal is to act as if the ideas and words are your own, and that is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating.
Always admit in writing where words and ideas come from. Only use your own work in your journal writing or any other homework for your professors in university life.
Plagiarism in this course may lead to automatic failure.
Textbook: The Norton Introduction to Literature Shorter Ninth Edition, editors Booth, Hunter, and Mays (Students should buy a copy of the book and not copy pages from it.)
The purpose of Introduction to Literature is to help beginning English majors to enter the world of literature more smoothly (1) by becoming familiar with terms related to the analysis and “criticism” of literature (plot, character, language, style and so on), (2) by understanding the difference in literary genres (short story, drama, poetry, comedy, tragedy and so on), (3) and by reading selected works which illustrate the
combination of literary qualities (plot and so on) and the genres (short stories and so on).
Sept. 16 – 18: Introduction p. 1 – 9 / and Carver’s “Cathedral” p. 20 – 30 23 – 25: Introduction continued p. 12 – 15 and Carver
28 – October 30: Carver and Paley’s “A Conversation with my Father” p. 31-34
Oct. 5 – Introduction continued 15 – 20 / Paley
7-9 Paley and student essay p. and “plot” p. 66 – 70 14 – 16: Sherman Alexie “Flight Patterns” p. 49-62
21 – 23: Alexie and narrative and point of view p. 120-23 28-30: John Cheever “The Country Husband” p. 71 – 88
November 4 – 6: Character p. 140 – 45 and James Baldwin “Sonny’s Blues” p. 88 – 110
11 – mid-term examination 13 – class as usual: Baldwin 18 – 20 – Baldwin
25 – 27 Poetry: thoughts on how to be open minded about poetry / Atwood - Death of a Young Son by Drowning p. 642 / Dove - Daystar p.
662 / Paston - To a Daughter Leaving Home p. 663
December 2 – 4 – Bronte - The Night-Wind p. 670 / Bernstein - Of Time and the Line p. 683 / Winters - At the San Francisco Airport p. 685
9 – 11 – Poe -The Raven p. 742 / Thomas Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night / (more, time permitting)
16 – 18 – “setting” p. 196 – 97 and Tom Stoppard “The Real Inspector Hound” p. 1058 – 1091
23 and 30
January 6 – 8: Stoppard 13 – final exam
DUE dates for journals: October 16 / November 20 / December 18
