LIT202: Cultures and Canons

LIT202: Cultures & Canons, Fall 2016
Professor Harriet Hustis, Bliss 201
Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-5 p.m. or by appointment

Required Texts:

All texts have been ordered through the TCNJ Bookstore. (You may use ebooks, if you prefer.)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek
Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies
Junot Diaz, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
Toni Morrison, Beloved
Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

Overview: History, Memory, Identity

This course is about how concepts of cultural, aesthetic and literary value are constructed and evaluated. In particular, this section of the course will look at the intersections of history, memory, and identity in literary constructions of racial and ethnic difference.

Rather than drawing conclusions, we will spend the semester asking questions and problematizing our answers. How and why are universal values and “norms” of literary representation endorsed and promoted? What do they mean, both for the writers and for the readers who adopt or subscribe to them? What do they mean for those who criticize, reject or attempt to rewrite them?

Over the course of the semester, you will be expected to become conversant with (and know the various definitions of) a wide range of analytical terms used in the practice of multicultural/postcolonial literary and cultural critique. It is up to you to begin to formulate and understand the use and definition of these terms and their applicability to literary study.

The line of questioning we will adopt in this course may feel “awkward” or “uncomfortable” to you at first. We may focus on cultural and literary ideas and issues that you would like to think “don’t matter” or “shouldn’t matter” or “used to matter, but don’t anymore.” They matter. They always have. The question of whether they always will is one that we will address repeatedly throughout the semester.

The goal of this class is to engage with the sometimes “uncomfortable”– but always fascinating and relevant– questions of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender in terms of their applicability to literary study: in short, we will study cultures and canons, what they “mean” and how they are represented. You will be required to pursue these intellectual inquiries in a way that is thoughtful, intelligent, empathetic, and respectful of the differing viewpoints of others.

This is not a course in psychology or sociology! All of the work that we do must and will be tied back to the question of how and why we read literature in the way that we do.

This course has been designated as the English Department’s oral speaking course. This means that there will be a strong emphasis on public speaking, in a variety of forms, in this course. It is not enough to simply know how to write about complex, politically charged issues: you must also know how to present them, both one-on-one and in groups, in a way that is intellectually engaging and coherent. This course will help you learn to do that (or hone the skills you already possess).

To that end, there will be a variety of oral assignments:

–2 Group Projects (worth 20% of the final grade—10% each)
— in-class participation (worth 20% of the final grade)

There will also be several written assignments:

–four, 5-page analytical essays (worth 40% of the final grade—10% each)
–a take-home final exam (worth 20% of the final grade)

Turn off your cellphones, please, and only use portable electronic devices (laptops, iPads, etc.) to access the assigned course materials in class. Anyone caught texting, IM-ing, Facebooking, Tweeting or using other forms of social media to socialize during class will receive a zero for that day’s class participation.

Grading Scale:

94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
59 and below F

All 4-credit courses in the English Department require students to attend a regularly scheduled 4th hour of class meeting time (as indicated in PAWS) OR to complete additional work outside of class that meets the equivalent of a 4th hour of class meeting time (in the form of group work, attendance at campus events, rigorous reading assignments and/or research, field trips, community-engaged learning, and/or other academic work as stipulated by the individual instructor). This course adheres to the latter requirement; please see below for specific course requirements, assignments and due-dates.

Course Schedule

**please note: unless otherwise indicated you are expected to have read the entire assignment by the start of class on the date indicated**

Tuesday, Sept. 6^th: Course introduction, requirements, guidelines.

Please read the essays by Dasenbrock and Kaplan and Sandra Cisernos’ Woman Hollering Creek for the first class session. (Read ALL of the short stories in Cisernos’ collection!)

Monday, Sept. 12^th: Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies (first half)

Monday, Sept. 19^th: Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies (second half)

Group #1

Monday, Sept. 26^th: Junot Diaz, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (first half)

Group #2

Monday, Oct. 3^rd: Junot Diaz, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (second half)

Group #3

No class Monday, Oct. 10^th–Fall Break!

Paper #1 due in Canvas by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14th

Monday, Oct. 17^th: Toni Morrison, Beloved (first half)

Group #4

Monday, Oct. 24^th: Toni Morrison, Beloved (second half)

Group #5

Paper #2 due in Canvas by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28th

Monday, Oct. 31^st: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

Group #6

Monday, Nov. 7^th: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

Group #7

Monday, Nov. 14^th: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah

Group #8

Paper #3 due in Canvas by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18th

Monday, Nov. 21^st: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

Group #9

Monday, Nov. 28^th: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

Group #10

Paper #4 due in Canvas by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2nd

Monday, Dec. 5^th: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

Group #11

Course Requirements and Guidelines

Group Presentations

1) Groups of 4-5 students will lead class discussion twice during the course of the semester. YOU MAY NOT WORK WITH THE SAME GROUP FOR BOTH SESSIONS. You may assemble your group and collectively request a specific week or, if you prefer, you may simply sign up individually for a particular date, but if you do, you will still be required to become part of the larger group that is assigned to work on the topic. Assignment of dates is first-come, first-serve: everyone must choose or be assigned to their group no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12th. The sign-up sheet for Group Projects will be posted outside of the door of my office (Bliss 201) after our first class session on Tuesday, Sept. 6th.

2) The Group Presentation must incorporate ideas or elements from the Common Reading Assignments (the essays by Kaplan and Dasenbrock available in Canvas).

3) One week PRIOR to your group’s assigned session, the group must submit a list of discussion questions to me for approval. I may suggest changes or revisions to these questions. (I will not offer feedback more than once on the group’s proposed discussion questions.)

4) Each student in your group must offer a unique and sustained contribution to the group’s class session. Participants may not simply “echo” or “repeat” what others in the group have said. It is up to the group to determine how the session will be organized and structured.

5) The presentation must spark and incorporate class discussion and intellectual engagement for 80 minutes. Groups CANNOT SIMPLY LECTURE to the class. Groups may use technology (Prezi, Powerpoint, etc.), but should not depend upon them for the delivery of ideas. The success of your group’s session will hinge on 1) your ability to present complex ideas in a coherent, detailed, and engaging manner, and 2) your ability to stimulate class discussion.

8) Grades for the Group Presentation will be INDIVIDUALLY assigned. Different group members may receive different grades. 40 points (out of a possible 100) will be awarded collectively—all group members will receive the same number of points for these categories. The remaining 60 points will be individually determined. See the attached rubric for specifics!

If you speak for more than 7 minutes or otherwise appear to try to dominate the group’s session, you will receive a failing grade. You will be graded individually, but you must work collaboratively and demonstrate awareness and respect for the time, effort and concerns of the others in your group.

Assignment Goals & Purpose: Almost all careers–whether in English or in other fields–require the ability to work productively with others and to collaborate and share ideas and resources. The Group Presentation Projects are designed to give you experience doing precisely this. At times, it may feel irritating or uncomfortable; it may be hard to find times when everyone can meet (and yes, you should meet in person at least twice before your Group Presentation).

People may seem unbelievably annoying and irresponsible. The temptation to “just do it myself” will undoubtedly arise. This assignment is designed to encourage you to work through those obstacles to find ways of productively collaborating to produce a project that is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am always available for feedback and advice, both about the content and the dynamics of the Group Presentation, and I am more than happy to talk through any questions or concerns the group might have about their topic, the research they are conducting, materials they may find (or not find), and questions about organizing and structuring the workload and the presentation itself.

If you come to me individually to complain about your group, I will do 2 things: 1) I will listen to what you have to say, and 2) I will convene a meeting of the group at a mutually convenient time for all of the members of that group. I will then insist that you articulate and talk through your concerns with the members of the group. I will mediate that interaction and offer advice and support to help the group come to a resolution. Asking for my intervention should be a last-ditch solution, implemented only if you fear that your group is headed for disaster and will fail to create an effective presentation on their assigned date.

Essay Assignments:

Everyone will submit four, 5-page, double-spaced analytical essay to Canvas on the assigned due dates. Topics will be made available several weeks prior to the due date. You must do your own work: Plagiarism is a serious offense and will be treated accordingly. Click here for TCNJ’s Academic Integrity Policy.

Take-Home Final Exam:

There will be a take-home final exam, due in Canvas no later than the end-time of the scheduled final exam time slot for the course. Topics will be distributed the last week of classes: exam essays must be a minimum of 5 pages of polished writing. Click here for TCNJ’s Final Examination Policy.

Class Participation:

Given the oral speaking component of this course, you must be present (awake, alert and aware) in order to receive full credit for class participation. Class participation grades are determined in the following way: I divide 100 points by the number of class sessions for the semester (usually, 14, barring any unforeseen cancellations). This means, each class is typically worth about 7 points. It is not hard to earn 7 points in a 3-hour class session: the quality of your contributions matters more than the quantity–they should be relevant, on-topic, and coherent. Click here for TCNJ’s Attendance Policy.

This course complies with TCNJ’s Policy on Disability.

Grading Rubric for Writing Assignments

Outstanding: (Letter grade = A/A-)

Skillfully argues a clear, well-supported position and demonstrates mastery of the elements of writing.

Presents a compelling, clear, debatable claim which is focused and specific.
Provides ample, relevant, concrete evidence and persuasive support (i.e., reasons, examples, data or quotations) for each debatable assertion.
Synthesizes information and arguments from multiple, reliable sources or perspectives, summarizes them fairly, and assesses them critically.
Displays a clear and consistent overall organization of interrelated ideas.
Clearly addresses claim, structure, and evidence to paper’s intended audience.
Develops cogent, logically organized paragraphs with clear, concise, and effective transitions.
Demonstrates outstanding control of language, including effective word choice and sentence variety, and superior facility with the conventions of standard written English (i.e., grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics).

Strong: (Letter grade = B/B+)

Competently argues a position, provides relevant supporting detail, and demonstrates good control of the elements of writing.

Presents an interesting, clear, and debatable claim
Provides relevant, concrete evidence and persuasive support (i.e., reasons, examples, data or quotations) for most debatable assertions.
Incorporates information and arguments from multiple, reliable sources or perspectives, but does not always assess them critically.
Displays a clear and consistent overall organization of ideas.
Claim, structure and evidence chosen with some attention to the paper’s audience.
Develops unified and coherent paragraphs with clear transitions.
Demonstrates strong control of language, including appropriate word choice and sentence variety, and facility with the conventions of standard written English (i.e., grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics).

Adequate: (Letter grade = B-/C+)

Argues a position, provides supporting detail, and demonstrates a working knowledge of the elements of writing.

Presents a claim which is not necessarily debatable or specific.
Provides evidence and support for most assertions (i.e., reasons, examples, data or quotations).
Incorporates multiple sources or perspectives, some of which may be unreliable or used uncritically.
Displays an overall organization, but some ideas may seem illogical and/or unrelated.
Claim, structure or evidence not entirely suited to the paper’s audience.
Develops unified and coherent paragraphs with generally adequate or apparent transitions.
Demonstrates control of language, including word choice and sentence variety, and a familiarity with the conventions of standard written English (i.e., grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics).

Limited: (Letter grade = C/C-)

Attempts to argue a position that is undeveloped, unfocused, and/or unsupported and demonstrates uneven control of the elements of writing.

Presents a claim which is vague, limited in scope and/or marginally debatable.
Provides little support, analysis or persuasive reasoning; may rely heavily on sweeping generalizations, narration, description, or summary.
Insufficiently incorporates multiple sources and/or inadequately addresses alternative perspectives.
Displays an uneven, illogical, and/or ineffective organization.
Claim, structure or evidence not suited to the paper’s audience.
Generally develops coherent and unified paragraphs, but transitions may be weak or abrupt.
Displays problems in word choice and/or sentence structure which sometimes interfere with meaning; sentence variety may be inadequate. Occasional major or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics.

Seriously Limited: (Letter grade = D+/D or F)

Asserts a position that is largely undeveloped, unfocused, and/or unsupported and demonstrates insufficient control of the elements of writing.

Presents a claim which is unclear, inconsistent, and/or insufficiently debatable.
Lacks supporting evidence, analysis, or persuasive reasoning; may rely excessively on narration, description or summary.
Fails to incorporate multiple sources and/or shows little or no awareness of alternative perspectives.
Displays no consistent overall organization.
Little or no attempt to consider audience in its choice of claim, structure or evidence.
Does not develop coherent and unified paragraphs; transitions are illogical, unclear, or absent.
Displays problems in word choice and/or sentence structure that frequently interfere with meaning; sentences are unvaried. Consistent errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics.

Grading Rubric for Group Presentations:

	Below Expectations	Meets Expectations	Exceeds Expectations
Introduction: establishes the parameters and/or topics or issues for discussion in the upcoming 80 minutes (10 points, collectively assigned—all group members will get the same # of points for this item)	Introduction to topic is unclear, unfocused or absent; parameters of discussion are vague or non-existent	Introduction to topic is clearly stated and parameters are generally identified	Introduction is concise and focused, and offers a clear lead-in to the topic. Parameters of discussion are well-articulated
Connections between the week’s assigned reading and course topic/ themes are established and addressed via discussion questions and individual group members’ contributions (10 points)	Connections are unclear, too vaguely or loosely structured to be effective, or non-existent	Connections are clearly and adequately identified, but perhaps not fully developed	Connections are strong, informative, and well-articulated
Specifics: passages, terms & arguments from the week’s reading are incorporated, analyzed, and discussed by group members, who make connections to the text as a whole and/or to previously assigned texts (20 points)	Little or no attention to specific passages, terms & arguments or to the text as a whole or previous assigned texts	Attention is paid to specific passages, terms, & arguments, but points may not be fully developed and connections to the text as a whole or previously assigned texts may be loosely formulated	Close attention is paid to specific passages, terms & arguments, and their relevance for the text as a whole andor previously assigned texts is focused and well-articulated
Questions for discussion on assigned readings (20 points– collectively assigned—all group members will get the same # of points for this item)	Debate/discussion questions not submitted to professor in advance or insufficiently formulated or revised. Fewer than 3 questions included.	3-5 discussion questions submitted to professor ONE WEEK PRIOR to group presentation, any suggested revisions have been addressed and incorporated	3-5 debate/discussion questions submitted to professor ONE WEEK PRIOR to group session are thought-provoking, relevant and clearly connected to the topic and assigned reading, any suggested revisions have been addressed and incorporated
Class session (worth 30 points)	Discussion is un- or disorganized; little or no interaction; unwilling or unable to field questions posed by the class	Discussion stays on point and generally encourages and adequately answers questions fielded by the class	Organized and interactive class discussion encourages/answers questions fielded by the class
Conclusion: summary of class discussion and relevant issues or points of analysis (10 points– collectively assigned—all group members will get the same # of points)	Little or no summary; conclusion is overly brief or non-existent	Conclusion and summary is organized, articulate & generally sufficient	Conclusion & summary is well-organized, focused & relevant: offers a strong follow-up to the group presentation as a whole

English Department Learning Goals:

demonstrate an understanding of the power of words by reading critically, interpreting responsibly, writing and speaking with clarity and grace, reasoning intelligently, and arguing thoughtfully and persuasively for a range of audiences and purposes;
exhibit the kind of intellectual independence and sustained, critical thought required for the production of high-quality literary, linguistic, textual and/or rhetorical scholarship, using the current resources available for conducting primary and secondary research in the discipline of English;
discover, assert, and insert their own critical “voice” in ongoing dialogues, critiques, and debates – both oral and written, general and specific – that characterize the discipline of English, including debates over aesthetic value, literary historiography, and disciplinary politics;
apply linguistic, literary, rhetorical, and cultural theory to texts and their contexts in order to elucidate complex issues and to suggest additional avenues of critical inquiry;
bring their understanding of language to bear on their discussions of writing, whether literary or otherwise;
recognize the impact of cultural environments upon language, respecting and understanding language diversity;
demonstrate familiarity with a significant body of texts within and on the margins of a variety of literary traditions
demonstrate sensitivity to the concrete historicity of texts and to the development of literary traditions, cultural values, modes of thought, and uses of language over time
demonstrate sensitivity to historicity of texts

HSS Learning Objectives:

Written Communication: Writing is a focus of instruction.
Oral communication.
Critical Analysis and Reasoning: Ability to critique the arguments of others in the discipline and the construction of one’s own arguments in the discipline, using evidence is a focus of instruction and/or the ability to analyze linguistic and cultural patterns.
Interpret Language and Symbol: The interpretation of language or symbol is an important focus of instruction in the course.
Intercultural Competence: The development of understanding of other cultures and/or subcultures (practices, perspectives, behavior patterns, etc.) is an important focus of instruction in the course.
An understanding power of words.