ENGLISH 253: Introduction to Fiction, Section
38704 (Fall '97)
Chip Rogers, Graduate Teaching Associate
Phone: 524-4685
Email address: chip@fleetman.com
URL: http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~chipster
Course Description
English 253 explores the broad-scale development
of fiction as a literary genre. "The course involves the study of novels and/or
short stories from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. Students
will examine the techniques and themes of such authors as Defoe, Fielding, Flaubert,
Dostoevsky, Joyce, Faulkner, and Camus." —Undergraduate Study in English,
UTK
Texts
Moll
Flanders, by Daniel Defoe. Dover edition.
Pride and Prejudice,
by Jane Austen. Dover edition.
Frankenstein,
by Mary Shelley. Dover edition.
Oliver Twist,
by Charles Dickens. Signet Classic edition.
Tales of Terror and
Detection, by Edgar Allen Poe. Dover edition.
Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn, by Mark Twain. Dover edition.
The Kreutzer Sonata
and Other Stories, by Leo Tolstoy. Dover edition.
Crime and Punishment,
by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Signet Classic edition.
The Awakening,
by Kate Chopin. Dover edition.
Various 20th-century
short stories on reserve.
Requirements/Grades
| 10 journal entries
(150 word minimum) |
25% of semester grade |
| 1 midterm exam |
25% |
| Paper (5-7 pages) |
25% |
| Final exam |
25% |
| Daily attendance |
Crucial |
Specifics
In class: At
times it will be necessary for me to do lots of talking: there will be brief
lectures providing background for the different eras, writers and works. Most
of our class-time will involve open discussion of the readings, so it is essential
that you come to class prepared.
The Readings: Our reading list
is ambitious—in
other words, the daily workload is demanding. To ease the burden I have tried
to select novels and short stories that are engaging and entertaining even as
they are "academically important." Tastes do vary, though. If you're not committed
to reading 200+ pages of small type each week, you should reconsider taking
this course.
Journals: informal writings roughly
a page in length (150 word minimum), responding to the readings before
we discuss them in class—that
is, journals are accepted only at the beginning the period for which they are
assigned. I will post specific journal questions
the period before we discuss each reading assignment: each journal assignment
is valid for one class period only.
Exams:
both the midterm and the final will consist of two parts: 1) paragraph-length
identification and commentary on the significance of specific passages, characters,
terms, etc.; 2) essays making connections in theme or technique between different
works and writers. You will have some choice in each of these areas: you might,
for instance, select 5 of 7 short answer questions and 2 of 4 essay questions.
Papers:
in 5-7 pages (1200 word minimum), you will explore
in some depth a topic you choose from a list of specific
possibilities (to be posted by mid-February). Papers must be typed and have
sources cited and documented according to MLA guidelines (Refer to the MLA
Handbook or chapter 34 in the Harbrace College Handbook). You may
be required to do some limited library research for the paper—i.e.
you could be asked to cite two or three secondary sources in addition to quoting
the primary work(s) you examine. You will have opportunities to meet with me
outside of class to discuss your papers before and while you are writing them.
Attendance: I
will not take attendance after the first few classes. However, I guarantee that
missing class will have an adverse effect on your grade: some of what we read
is difficult, and borrowing a classmate's notes is no substitute for attending
discussion yourself and raising questions in person.
Late work:
missed exams may not be made up—if
you cannot be in class during an exam, we can make other arrangements before
the exam date. Journals and papers will not be accepted late: deadlines are
real.
A promise: I'm
committed to helping with questions and assignments outside of class in person,
via email, or by phone. If you have questions or problems, don't be bashful
about speaking up. But do not count on me getting messages in my office.
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