Significant Brit. Writers: Virginia Woolf
Course Guidelines
“In short, every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind
is written large in his works,
yet we require critics to explain the one and biographers
to expound the other.
That time hangs heavy on people's hands
is the only explanation of the monstrous growth
"(209).
Orlando (1928)
the basics / course goals / assignments / miscellany
THE
BASICS
English 439: Significant British Writers (Virginia Woolf)
thematic touchstone: "The Weight of Life"
sections:
section 01 (room 022.218, T/R, 9:10-11:00 a.m.)
instructor: Dr. Paul Marchbanks
email: pmarchba@calpoly.edu
office: 805-756-2159 / building 47 (the "maze"), hallway 35,
office A / available
hours
home: 805-593-0192 (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
COURSE GOALS
- to promote
close reading and analysis
- to deepen comfort with discussion and debate
- to
augment student recognition of tone and voice
- to destabilize any totalizing/essentializing readings of Woolf's life and works
- to identify both thematic consistency and stylistic variation across Woolf's writings
- to
illuminate the productive synergy created when mixing an author's fiction with her non-fiction, short fiction, diary entries, and letters.
Materials (purchase
these editions)
- Woolf, Virginia. The Voyage Out. 1915. New York: Harvest/HBJ, 2003. ISBN: 0156028050
- Woolf, Virginia. Night and Day. 1919. New York: Oxford World's Classics, 1999. ISBN: 0192837842
- Woolf, Virginia. Jacob's Room. 1922. New York: Norton Critical Edition, 2006. ISBN: 039392632X
- Woolf, Virginia. Mrs Dalloway. 1925. New York: Harvest/HBJ, 1990. ISBN: 0151009988
- Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. 1927. New York: Harvest/HBJ, 1989. ISBN: 0156907399
- Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. 1929. New York: Harvest, 1989. ISBN: 0156787334
- Woolf, Virginia. The Waves. 1931. New York: Havest, 1950. ISBN: 0156949601
- Woolf, Virginia. A Haunted House and Other Short Stories. 1943. New York: Harvest, 2002. ISBN: 0156028034
Assignments
- participation & class
discussion (25%--5 grades of 5% each). Participation scores will be awarded at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks. Grades will be determined by frequency and quality of participation during class discussion and group activities, and manifest familiarity
with assigned readings. Showing up, having finished the reading, and saying something in class will earn you between a 3.5 and 3.75. Earning a higher score (between a B- and A) requires a student to also: 1) back up claims with textual evidence, 2) actively interpret and synthesize, 3) make creative, non-intuitive observations, 4) actively (and specifically) respond to others' ideas, 5) avoid controlling the conversation
- weekly essay responses (35% of grade, 5% each): each student will submit one 500-800 word reading response per week (weeks 2-9), an essay responding to the assigned readings for one of the two class sessions available each week. Ten students of the enrolled twenty will complete a narrowly focused, creative, thoughtful essay in advance of each class (essay completion schedules are indicated on the calendar). Essays must be submitted to Blackboard by 6 p.m. the day before the corresponding class session; late essays will not be accepted. Essays will be graded holistically, with greater weight given to content and creativity than to writing mechanics (though the latter will remain a factor). Instructor feedback will be provided on only two of the essays you write, though you are always welcome to visit me during office hours to talk about your writing. These essays will not only help you gather your thoughts prior to class, but will provide touchstones for discussion during approximately half of our time together.
- term paper conference (5%): students will construct a detailed outline and a single page of their term paper, submit both items to a forum on Blackboard, and attend a paper conference with me and two other members of their class (1 hr session) to discuss their materials. Students who do not complete this requirement cannot turn in their term paper.
- term
paper (30%): the term paper will be submitted electronically as a Word document during finals week: due date tba. Those completing their senior project will write a longer (20-page) term paper, create a detailed lesson plan for one of the assigned novels (excluding Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse), or develop an alternative project with my guidance.
- final, oral exam (5%): students will respond orally to one of a series of questions I deliver during an end-of-quarter dinner party. If one or more students cannot make the party, an alternate forum will be scheduled for them in which the same pedagogical strategy will be employed (just not over grub).
- attendance: given the relative infrequency with which we meet, and the brief duration of the quarter system, missing class will begin to hurt your grade almost immediately. You may take one absence without penalty. Your second absence will cut 1 pt from your final grade, your third absence will cut 3 more pts from your final grade, your fourth absence will cut 5 more pts from your final grade, etc. In other words, 3 absences will remove 4 pts from your final grade, 4 absences will remove 9 pts from your final grade, 5 absences will remove 16 pts from your final grade, etc. Excused absences are difficult to come by. (Doctor visits, for instance, will not earn you an excused absence.)
MISCELLANY
Grading: go here for an elaboration of terms used below
A =
94-100
A- =
90-93 |
A (18-20 on 20-pt scale, 5.4-6.0 on 6-pt scale): creative, topically focused, tightly structured, supported with the most convincing evidence, and virtually error-free |
C+ =
77-79
C =
73-76
C- =
70-72 |
C (14-15.9 on 20-pt scale, 4.2-4.79 on 6-pt scale): a relatively focused essay with clear sense of progression from one idea to the next; argument bolstered by some supporting evidence; distracting number of grammatical errors |
B+ =
87-89
B =
83-86
B- =
80-82 |
B (16-17.9 on 20-pt scale, 4.8-5.39 on 6-pt scale): topically focused, tightly structured, supported with solid evidence, and containing just a few stylistic or grammatical bumps |
D =
65-69 |
D (13-13.9 on 20-pt scale, 3.9-4.19 on 6-pt scale): topic clear but ineffectively argued; evidence provided tangentially relates to argument; loose sense of structure; profound difficulties w/ grammar |
| |
|
F =
0-64 |
F (0-12.9 on 20-pt scale, 0-3.89 on 6-pt scale): little evidence of effort, or contains plagiarism |
Contact
Take advantage of my frequent availability throughout the week. Go here to find an open slot, then email me to reserve that time for an office visit. The fastest way to contact
me if you have a quick question is via email. You can also reach me in my office at 805-756-2159, or in the evening (before 9 p.m.) at 593-0192.
Writing Lab Center
Experienced writers at the University Writing & Rhetoric Center offer free assistance with writing
assignments for any course. Using this service will improve even the best writer’s
output. Visit their website to schedule
an appointment in advance of your desired date.
Plagiarism and the Honor Code
I encourage you to improve your writing with the help of peers, instructors,
and myself. Remember, however, that all work
you
submit must be your own. Any paper containing borrowed but undocumented thoughts
or words will receive a failing grade, and I am obligated to
report all instances of plagiarism to the Vice President
of Student Affairs. Let
me know if you have further questions concerning this important issue.
"Woman in a Blue Hat" (1901)
Pablo Picasso
Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu
