ENG 131

Introduction to Literature

Spring 2002

MWF 2:00-2:50
Candelaria 2345

John Loftis
Office: Michener L 38
Hours: MWF 10-11; by appointment
Phone: 351-1478
email: jelofti@unco.edu

 Text: Responding to Literature, 3rd ed
ed. Judith A. Stanford
at Book Stop

This course is both a general education course in category 4 and a required course in the liberal arts and secondary-teaching English majors and the IDLA program for elementary teachers. As general education, the course has the following goals for student learning as they pertain to the study of literature:

    The student will understand aesthetic and intellectual achievements in art, music, literature, history, or philosophy
    The student will understand the intellectual, cultural, and historical framework of these disciplines
    The student will know various contributions these disciplines make to the enhancement of our lives
    The student will demonstrate abilities in analytic thought, the use of language, aesthetic appreciation, or research techniques

As part of your English major or IDLA program, the purpose of this course is to develop your skills in close reading of literary texts in the genres of prose fiction, poetry, drama, and film. The course does not attempt to offer comprehensive or representative surveys of any genre, national literature, or author.

Each student will take four tests, one on each genre (fiction, poetry, drama, film) as scheduled. Each test will consist of an objective section, usually identifications, and an essay. The essay will count half the total for the test.

Each student will also write three papers of one to two pages each. One paper must be a literary analysis of one or more works; one must be a historical or cultural study of a person or event related to one of the works; and one must relate one or more literary works to some issue of contemporary personal or public concern. One paper is due on each of the first three test dates. You may do the papers in any order, but you must do all three of the different kinds of papers. The average of the three paper grades will count equally with each test grade.

The final grade will be the average of five items: tests 1-4, and the average of the three paper grades; with extra credit (one to five points added to the final average) for exemplary class participation and contribution at the instructor's discretion. (NB: The only absolutely certain ways not to receive this credit are to sit absolutely silent for the semester or to ask for it.)

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Disability Access Center (970) 351-2289.

The following is a class-by-class schedule of readings and due dates for the semester. You should have completed your first reading of each work before the appropriate classes.

Jan 14
Jan 16
Jan 18

Jan 21
Jan 23
Jan 25

Jan 28
Jan 30
Feb 1

Feb 4
Feb 6
Feb 8

Feb 11
Feb 13
Feb 15

Feb 18
Feb 20
Feb 22

Feb 25

Feb 27
Mar 1


Mar 4
Mar 6
Mar 8

Mar 11
Mar 13
Mar 15

Mar 18-22

Mar 25
Mar 27
Mar 29

Apr 1
Apr 3
Apr 5

Apr 8
Apr 10
Apr 12

Apr 15
Apr 17
Apr 19

Apr 22
Apr 24
Apr 26

Apr 29
May 1
May 3

May 8
 Course Introduction
Ch. 1; Ch 2, pp. 13-44; Ch 3, pp. 55-61
Poe, The Cask of Amontillado

MLK Day, no class
Borges, The End of the Duel
Joyce, Araby

Bambara, The Lesson
Hemingway, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper

Wright, The Man Who Was Almost a Man
O'Connor, A Good Man is Hard to Find
Faulkner, A Rose for Emily

Faulkner, cont
Catch-up and review
Test 1 (fiction)/Paper 1

Review Ch 2, pp. 44-50 ; Ch 3, pp. 63-66
William Carlos William, The Dance (with painting)
Hopkins, Spring and Fall

Lovelace, To Althea, From Prison; Knight, Hard Rock Returns to Prison. .
e.e. cummings, Buffalo Bill's; Robinson, Richard Cory
Housman, To an Athlete Dying Young; Donne, Death Be Not Proud

Langston Hughes, all poems
Hughes, cont
Browning, My Last Dutchess

Coleridge, Kubla Khan
Catch-up and review
Test 2 (poetry)/Paper 2

Spring Break

Review Ch 2, pp. 26-44; Ch. 3, pp. 67-73
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
Sophocles, cont

Sophocles, cont
Shakespeare, Hamlet
Shakespeare, cont

Shakespeare, cont
Mamet, Oleana
Mamet, cont

Mamet, cont
Catch-up and review
Test 3 (drama)/Paper 3

view Lone Star
"
"; begin discussion

Lone Star, cont
Lone Star, cont
course evaluations; catch-up and review

1:30-4:00 Final Exam (film)