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Calendar
of Assignments The assignment to be completed
before each class meeting is found on the on-line calendar. PLEASE
NOTE that the on-line calendar (not any print-out you
may make) is authoritative. Assignments may be modified in the course
of the quarter. Check the on-line calendar regularly (before each
class) to ensure you are completing the correct assignment.
PREREQUISITES:
GE
area A (esp. expository writing, e.g. ENGL 134, and reasoning,
argumentation and writing, e.g. ENGL 145); AND GE area C1
(a 200-level literature class, e.g. ENGL 230 or 231or 251 or 252
or 253 or HNRS 251 or FR or SPAN or GER 233). Students enrolled
in this class are assumed to have the basic writing, argumentation and
analytic skills taught in the Prerequisite classes and to have prior
experience in reading and analyzing literature at the 200-level.
A WRITING-INTENSIVE, G.E. AREA C4 CLASS. As a writing-intensive class, ENGL 380 requires a minimum of 3000 words of writing over the course of the quarter, and 50% of the course grade must be based on writing assignments. As a G.E. area C4 class, it provides historical perspective on one or more significant literary periods; covers a range of literary genres and conventions; helps you understand both individual works and their relationship to the social, cultural, and historical context in which they were written, including attention to relevant issues of gender ande diversity; and aims to foster an appreciation of the connections between literary works and non-verbal forms such as the visual and performing arts. Course readings, lectures and writing assignments aim to help you develop the skills necessary to read with insight, engagement, and detachment; to analyze and evaluate works from cultures which are unfamiliar to you; and to write clear, efffective textual analysis that is firmly grounded in close reading of literary texts.
GWR: As a C4 literature
class, ENGL 330 may be taken by students wishing to fulfill the Graduate
Writing Requirement (GWR). However, please be aware that successful
completion of the course does not guarantee GWR certification. To
achieve GWR certification, you must 1) have junior or senior standing;
2) pass the class with a grade of "C" or better (a C- is not adequate);
and 3)
WRITE A GWR-CERTIFIABLE ESSAY on the essay portion of either
the
midterm or the final exam. To achieve GWR certification,
your exam essay must conform to the standards for formal
analytic writing about literature: it must present a
valid argument (appropiate and adequate content), be logically organized,
illustrated with appropriate and adequate textual support, and written
using correct mechanics (grammar, spelling, sentence structure,
punctuation, etc.) and in the style appropriate to this kind of writing;
see the Paper
Writing Guidelines and Essay
Evaluation Sheet if you are unsure about the conventions of formal
analytic writing about literature. NOTE: Because the final
course grade is based upon many factors, not just the exam essays, IT IS
POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A HIGH GRADE IN THE CLASS BUT NOT EARN GWR CERTIFICATION.
In other words, if GWR certification is your ONLY reason for enrolling
in this class, you may wish to investigate other options.
STATE BUDGET CRISIS CONSEQUENCES: MANDATED FACULTY FURLOUGH DAYS. As you are probably aware, the CSU Administration has imposed mandatory faculty furloughs for the 2009-2010 academic year. This means that faculty salaries have been cut 10% and that faculty are obliged to take six furlough days per quarter: involuntary "vacation" days on which faculty are legally forbidden to engage in any work-related activity. While I have planned my furlough days to minimize their impact on my students, please be aware that I will be unavailable to you, by email or in person, on the following mandated furlough days:
![Mac Harshberger, [Mark] Watched Them as They Lay (1927 illustration to Bedier's Romance of Tristan and Iseult)](http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl380b/MHWatched.jpg)
COURSE
DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES:
ENGL 380, "Love and Death: The Tristan Tradition," is designed to introduce
students to a highly influential medieval love story which has been eclipsed,
in modern times, by the better known saga of Lancelot and Guenevere.
We will trace the development of the Tristan tradition from the middle
ages to the 21st century, seeking to understand its ongoing appeal and
to analyze the significance it has held for various periods and audiences.
Of particular interest will be the treatment of the adulterous triangle
in each work and the author's characterization of the protagonists: Tristan,
nephew to King Marc of Cornwall, and Isolde, lover of Tristan and Marc's
queen. Material considered will include artwork, film and an opera
in addition to literary works -- medieval romance and lai, modern poetry
and fiction -- from the medieval period through the 21st century.
Students will refine their expository writing skills and practice writing
analysis of literary texts and other art forms.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Some required textbooks have been ordered and are available at the
El Corral bookstore and at Aida's. Do NOT substitute another edition
or translation for these textbooks:
REQUIRED VIDEO SCREENINGS:We will also discuss several films which are on reserve for ENGL 380 and ENGL 459 at the Kennedy Library Circulation Desk:
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These required films are the equivalent of readings and must be viewed prior to the class meeting at which they will be discussed. Expect a quiz on film days to ensure that you have screened the films prior to class! NOTE 1: Videos and DVDs on reserve do not circulate outside the
library; they must be screened in the library during normal library
hours. Group screenings will be scheduled in Kennedy Library
room 202 (dates and times will be posted on the course calendar), or you
may see them on your own time.
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You are expected to have an email account and to check it regularly. Important announcements will be sent over the class email aliases: engl-380-05-2104@calpoly.edu. The class email alias is automatically generated using the email address of each enrolled student found in the Cal Poly Directory server. If your Cal Poly email account is NOT your preferred email address, you must
PREPARATION: The assignment for each class meeting is found on the on-line calendar. All readings (and video screenings, as applicable) are to be completed before the class meeting on the day for which they are assigned. Unannounced quizzes will help monitor whether you are keeping up with assigned readings. Quizzes will take place during approximately the first 10 minutes of class; expect them regularly! Please note that the on-line calendar (not any printout you make) is authoritative. Assignments may be changed or modified in the course of the quarter. Check the on-line calendar regularly (before each class meeting) to ensure that you are completing the correct assignment.
PARTICIPATION: ENGL 380 is designed to encourage YOUR interaction with and enjoyment of the works we are studying. The primary emphasis is on the texts, not historical background or scholarly debate (although some familiarity with the historical context is essential to an understanding of both medieval and modern works -- and will be covered on exams). While the class is primarily lecture-based, your regi;ar presence will make a real difference both in your enjoyment of the material and in the success of the class.
ATTENDANCE
POLICY: Because this class meets only twice weekly, any
absence causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Regular
attendance is required. Please note that EVERY absence will
affect the
participation component
of your final course grade, reducing it from a base
of 4.0. This component of your final grade drops by .3 for the first
UNEXCUSED absence; the penalty increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused
absence (from A [4.0] to A- [3.7] to B+ [3.3], to B- [2.8], etc.).
Additionally, it drops .1 for the first EXCUSED absence (4.0 to
3.9) and .2 for the second excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Excused
absences in excess of two (a full week, 10% of the class) count
the same as unexcused absences.
Please note that only absences due to illness, family crisis, or circumstances which are truly beyond your control count as excused. Absences taken for personal convenience are a matter of choice rather than necessity; they will be recorded as unexcused. Deadlines for other courses, routine appointments, work conflicts and local job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class; you are responsible for keeping such occurences from conflicting with academic commitments. Exception: if you are a graduating senior and must travel out of town for a final interview, ONE such absence will be counted as excused.
If you have a valid reason for missing class (illness, family crisis, other unavoidable conflict), TELL ME IN WRITING. A written explanation, signed (by you), is required for an absence to be recorded as excused; be sure to include your full name, the class number, time and section, the date(s) missed and the reason(s) for the absence(s). (While I do appreciate your courtesy in letting me know why you have missed class, an Email or phone message will not suffice for an absence to be excused.) Any absence for which I do not have a written statement with your signature on file at the end of the quarter will count as unexcused.
Class
will begin with an unannounced scantron
READING QUIZ
approximately once a week. Come prepared for a quiz EVERY DAY.
Quizzes
will monitor whether you are keeping up with assigned readings and/or video
screenings; they are also intended to serve as exam prep for the objective
component of the midterm
and final
exams. Expect factual questions (names, titles, dates, genres, key
terms) and IDs of / questions about key names, motifs, episodes and passages
from assigned works. If you learn the basic facts about each day's
assigned works as we go along -- title of work(s); author, composer or
director's name; date of composition / production; original language of
work; genre and form of literary works; etc. -- you should do very
well on quizzes -- and have a lot easier task when it's time to review
for the exam!
WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS: as a writing-intensive
GE class, 50% of your course grade must be based on written work. The
out-of-class writing assignments will be of two sorts: a set of three
Blackboard
Discussion Board Postings and a longer and more formal paper
due at the end of the quarter. Both sorts of writing will require
close reading of assigned texts.
Blackboard Personal Response postings: Two short mini-essays (400-500 words each) where you can brainstorm ideas about the readings and films assigned prior to the midterm exam. These mini-essays can be a response to a study question, an analysis of the author's probable intentions, or a comparison of the new reading with a previously read work. The third personal response, due at the end of week 9, is an introduction and paragraph outline for an essay on one of the works read or viewed since the midterm exam.
-- You must also post to Blackboard at least six short (but thoughtful) Blackboard Classmate responses (approx. 100 words each) in which you offer a constructive response to a classmate's Personal Response posting in the Discussion Board. You must have posted two classmate responses to receive credit for each of your own personal responses. The classmate responses will also factor into the participation component of your final grade.
-- The longer formal paper (4-5 pp.) turned in at the end of the quarter will be a piece of literary analysis on one or more of the works read this quarter. You are encouraged, but not required, to develop an idea or ideas which you have explored in one or more of your Blackboard Personal Response postings. The final paper may be submitted in hard copy on the last day of class (Thursday 6/3/10) OR no later than 6 PM on Thursday of exam week (6/10/10) as an electronic .doc file -- NOT a .docx file!! -- with the filename "[yourlastname]380paper.doc". NOTE: Because there have been some problems with the digital drop box, please email me electronically submitted papers as an attachment rather than using the digital dropbox function on Blackboard..
EXAMS will cover readings, lectures, and required videos. The two-hour Midterm Exam (closed book, in class, on T 5/4) and three-hour Final (closed book, from 10:10 AM-1:00 PM on Tuesday, 6/8) will each include an essay on which you may try for GWR certification. Essays will be worth 50% of exam points; the remaining 50% will be for the objective portions of the exam. Expect factual questions (T/F, matching, multiple choice) about assigned works (including required critical essays and background readings) and key concepts covered in lectures and background materials. There will also be item IDS: choosing from a list of key names, objects, motifs and/or episodes, you will identify the work(s) in which the item appears and explain its role and significance in each of these works. The Final Exam will be cumulative, but with emphasis on material covered since the Midterm exam.
FINAL EXAM TIME: There will be a three-hour, closed-book Final Exam on Tuesday, June 8, from 10:10 AM - 1:00 PM. You must take the exam at the scheduled time. KEEP THIS DATE IN MIND WHEN MAKING END-OF-QUARTER TRAVEL PLANS!Exam hint 1: Quizzes are excellent study guides; use them as you prepare for the objective portion of exams. Exam hint 2: For the essay sections, be sure that you are thoroughly familiar with the paper guidelines provided for out-of-class essays, but please note: you may NOT write your exam essay on the same author/works OR on the same character, episode or motif which you chose as the focus of your out-of-class final paper!
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5% | participation (attendance and Blackboard classmate responses); |
| 15% | quizzes | |
| 15% | Personal Reponse Blackboard Postings (set of four) | |
| 15% | 4-5 page Analytic Paper. | |
| 50% | Exams (midterm = 20%; final = 30%; equal weight to essay and objective components on each exam). Note: Because this is a C4 writing-intensive course, 50% of exam points are for the essay. |
OH
MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS CLASS??
Sure you can -- if you keep up with the readings! But DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, please be sure to budget time for this class . . . or save it for another quarter. Finally. . . remember that I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusisam makes my classes more fun!
And WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS?
Rest assured, we'll take a break each day. Feel free to bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink -- whatever it takes to keep you alert through two hours. If there is sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged!
WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2004-2010
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