| Class
meetings: TR 2-4, Rm. 2-13
Office: 47-35G, tel. 756-2636 Office Hours: M 12-1:30, W 11-12:30, T/R 12:30-1:30, and by appt. |
 Dr.
Debora B. Schwartz
http://www.calpoly.edu/~dschwart Main English Office: 756-2597 e-mail: dschwart@calpoly.edu |
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Spring,
2008
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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). 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. Please be aware
that there is NO FORMAL WRITING INSTRUCTION in this class, nor does it
offer a formal introduction to the principles of literary analysis.
GWR: ENGL 380 is a writing-intensive, upper-division literature course which fulfills the GE Area C4 (old GE area C3) requirement. This class 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 (appropriate and adequate content), be logically organized, include appropriate and adequate textual support, and be written using correct mechanics (grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.) and in the style appropriate to this kind of writing.
Because this is a writing-intensive course, 50% of the grade must be based on writing assignments. But please note that there is NO FORMAL WRITING INSTRUCTION in this course; see the Paper Writing Guidelines and Essay Evaluation Sheet if you are unsure about the conventions of formal analytic writing about literature. Because the final course grade is based upon many factors, not just the exam essay, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A HIGH GRADE IN THE CLASS BUT NOT EARN GWR CERTIFICATION. As a rule, NOT all students seeking GWR certification successfully do so through this course. In other words: if you have no interest in this topic and GWR certification is your ONLY reason for enrolling in this class, you should seriously consider other options.
![Mac Harshberger, [Mark] Watched Them as They Lay (1927 illustration to Bedier's Romance of Tristan and Iseult)](MHWatched.jpg)
COURSE
DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES:
ENGL 380, "Love and Death: The Tristan Tradition," is a READING- and
WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSE 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
bookstore. 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 READING QUIZZES 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-380-01-2084@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 reading 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). If you are looking for a passive, sit-back-and-listen lecture, please choose another course. YOUR active participation is essential to the success of ENGL 380! For these reasons, REGULAR ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED.
ATTENDANCE
POLICY: Because this class meets only twice weekly, any
absence causes you to miss a substantial chunk of material. Regular
and punctual 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.
Some
classes will begin with an unannounced READING
AND BACKGROUND QUIZ. Quizzes are intended to monitor whether
you are keeping up with assigned readings and/or video screenings; you
should therefore expect e.g. IDs of / questions about key names, motifs
and episodes from assigned works. But because they are also intended
to serve as exam prep for the objective component of the midterm
and final
exams, other questions will cover the background information presented
in required background readings and/or listed in bold on the
class calendar
of assignments. Make a point of learning 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. -- and you should do very
well on quizzes (and have a lot easier time when you review for exams!)
PAPERS:
2 short analytic essays
(3-4 pp. ea.), due in class on 4/24 and 6/5. Literary analysis and/or
close reading presenting an argument about the interpretation of the Tristan
and Isolde story found in one or more of the works under analysis.
Topics MUST follow prompts
in paper guidelines
or be PRE-APPROVED by instructor after an individual conference.
EXAMS will cover readings, lectures, and required videos. The two-hour Midterm Exam (closed book, in class, on Th 5/1) and three-hour Final (closed book, from 4:10-7:00 PM on Tuesday, 6/10) 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 10, from 4:10 - 7:00 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: Reading 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 an out-of-class paper!
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25% | In-class work. Equal weight is given to participation (based primarily upon class attendance) and to your cumulative quiz average. |
| 25% | Writing assignments. Equal weight given to Papers 1 and 2. | |
| 20% | Midterm Exam. Note: Because this is a C4 writing-intensive course, 50% of exam points are for the essay. | |
| 30% | Final 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!!!
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