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English 463 Contemporary Novel in English English 463 Required Texts: (All books are available at the Little Professor Book Center on Placentia Ave. in the Kinko =s center.)Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus J.M. Coetzee, Foe Don Delillo, Libra Anita Desai, Clear Light of Day Jamaica Kincaid, The Autobiography of My Mother Toni Morrison, Beloved Philip Roth, American Pastoral William Styron, Sophie's Choice Lawrence Thornton, Imagining Argentina Jeanette Winterson, The Passion Course Requirements: 1. Read the assigned materials before class discussion. This is, after all, a reading course, and you will be doing a lot of reading, so be prepared. 2. Be prepared to participate in discussion of the readings every day. Ask questions; contribute ideas; challenge assumptions. Your responses are important; there is no such thing as a stupid question. 3. Take three take-home written essay examinations (two mid-terms and one final). Examination questions will be handed out one week before they are due. 4. Make one substantial presentation to the class on information pertinent to the background, culture, history, etc. of one of the novels we will be reading. You will be working with a small group on this project. Groups will be formed and novels assigned the first class meeting. 5. Attend class regularly.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is essential to your success in this course. If you miss six (6) or more class hours, you cannot receive a grade higher than a 'C' in the course, no matter how well you do on examinations and presentations. One third of your grade is comprised of class participation, which includes regular attendance. A warm body in the classroom is worth about 100 points; you must earn the other 100 points. Late Paper Policy: Assigned papers are due on the date assigned. If, for some very good reason which you have communicated to me in advance, you cannot get the paper in, you will have one week to complete the assignment without penalty. I will not accept any paper that is more than one week overdue. As for your presentation, you must be there on the day your group makes its presentation; if you do not appear, you will receive an 'F' for your presentation. Of course, if you have a true emergency, you will have to come to me and make arrangements for a separate and different make-up assignment. Grading Policy: Take home exams: 100 pts each 300 Presentation: 100 pts 100 Class participation: 200 pts 200 Total points 600Course Schedule:
Week #1: Introduction The Nature of Evil and the Consequences of Guilt Week #2: Sophie's Choice Presentation #1: Poland and the Holocaust Week #3: Imagining Argentina Presentation #2: Argentina and the Disappeareds Week #4: American Pastoral Week #5: American Pastoral Presentation #3: The United States, the Vietnam War, and the Student Rebellion Week #6: American Pastoral Week #7: The Weight of History and the Price of Colonialism Clear Light of Day Mid-term exam questions distributed Week #8: Things Fall Apart Presentation #5: 19th Century Missionaries in Africa Mid-term exam due Week #9: Foe Week #10: Beloved Presentation #6: The consequences of slavery. Week #11: The Search for Order in a Chaotic and Meaningless Universe
and the Hope for a New World Week #12: Libra Week #13: The Passion Week #14: Nights at the Circus Week #15: Nights at the Circus Final exam questions distributed Week #16: Final exam due Summing up
English 463 Groups
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