English 200: The Unspeakable: Disability in Literature
Fall 2008
Dr. Mary E. Martin
Office—208 Bancroft E-mail: martinme@winthrop.edu
Web address: http://faculty.winthrop.edu\martinme
Office phone: 323-4554 Home phone: 366-7795
Gena Smith, Program Director, Services for Students with Disabilities
Office--110B Crawford E-mail smithg@winthrop.edu
Office phone: 323-3290
Office Hours: MW 3:30-4:30 PM; T 6:30-7:30 PM; R 11:00-12:00 PM, and by appointment
Class Meetings:
TR 5:00-6:15 PM, Owens 203
KEEP THIS ALL SEMESTER!
Course Description and Goals:
This course will explore themes of disability in fiction, poetry, and drama from nineteenth and twentieth century authors. We will focus on the following questions:
How is disability presented in different works of literature?
Within the specific works we read, how does language shape our views of disability?
What assumptions about disability do we bring as readers of literature?
Goals:
1. Students will be able to recognize and evaluate literary qualities, as well as how these qualities are reflective of art and society.
2. Students will create and construct written and oral analysis of specific literary works. Written analysis will consist of essays. Oral analysis will consist of class discussion. Note: all writing assignments outside of class must be typed and follow MLA format.
Texts/Required Supplies:
1. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.
2. The Complete Stories, by Flannery O'Connor
3. The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
4. Sula, by Toni Morrison
5. Endgame, by Samuel Beckett
Poetry and other stories will be either accessed through the web site, or passed out in class.
Web Resources
The English Department Home Page: http://www.winthrop.edu/english.
The Writing Center Web Page: www.winthrop.edu/wcenter.
Additional information for many English courses: http://www.winthrop.edu/English/core.htm.
Grades:
Your semester grade will depend for the most part on the quality and quantity of writing and research you complete. However, your participation in workshops and class discussions will also contribute. Grades will be assigned according to the following “A” to “F” system: 94-100=A; 91-93=A-; 88-90=B+; 84-87=B; 81-83=B-; 78-80=C+ 74-77=C; 71-73+C-; 68-70=D+; 64-67=D; 0-60=F.
We will grade essay assignments according to the Department of English rubric found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/rubric.htm. Please print out a copy of this guideline for frequent reference.
Two In-class essays 30%
Out-of-class essay 25%
Service Learning Project 20%
Final Exam 20%
Class participation 5%
Class Requirements:
All assignments must be completed in order to receive credit for the class. I will email many assignments through Winthrop’s class listserv; please make sure you are on the listserv for this class. If you need to sign up manually, please visit http://www.winthrop.edu/acc/imailsrv.asp. Assignments will be posted on the web site as well.
Prepare all out of class assignments, unless otherwise directed, according to the MLA style demonstrated in the Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. You must use a typewriter, word processor, or computer with clear, legible print or ink. Papers must be double-spaced with a one inch margin on all four sides. Refer to page 408 in the current Prentice Hall Guide for a template for the first page; no extra cover sheet is necessary. And don’t forget, students who visit the Writing Center regularly will experience the benefits of more accomplished drafts.
Assignments are expected at the beginning of class on the due date. Any assignments turned in after the start of class will be considered late and will incur a penalty of one lowered letter grade. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for each class day late. If you are having difficulty completing your assignment, you must see or talk to me before the assignment is due. I do not accept assignments through email. You must turn in hard copies.
Be an active member of class. This is a collaborative class; we will be discussing and examining literature together, sharing in group exercises, and completing other work designed to help you become acquainted with literature. Not participating will hurt your grade. If you are shy, you’ll need t overcome it. Ask and answer well-considered questions during class. Above all, do the reading and keep up the workload.
Quizzes: Students may be given a quiz over assigned readings. Most quizzes will not be announced, but will be impromptu. There are no make-ups for not turning in a response or a quiz. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
In-class Essays: To practice your cognitive and analytical skills, you will be asked to respond to in-class prompts twice during the semester. These questions will be about the reading we have covered, the themes we've been discussing, and/or your ideas on how looking through the lens of disability informs our understanding of the literature assigned for class.
Out-of-Class Essay: Around midterm, I will be distributing paper assignments asking for thematic interpretation of the works with which we have discussed at that time. Thus, paper assignments will grow largely out of our in-class discussions; you should strive to go beyond rather than reiterate what we've said in those discussions. Your paper will be five-seven pages (typed, 10 to 12 point font, MLA format), turned in to me electronically through turnitin.com as well as a hard copy on the due date in class. You may meet with us in our offices to discuss the paper, and you may also wish to visit the English Department home page, located at http://www.winthrop.edu/english. From there you can find links to MLA to see how to cite materials correctly and to the English core page (http://www.winthrop.edu/english/core.htm ), which has helpful hints for writing papers. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for each class day late. If you are having problems completing the assignment, please see us before the paper is due.
Service Learning Project: Students will work in pairs or trios to connect with another student on campus who has a disability. Students in the class will interview/ get to know their interviewee so that the pair/trio can write life story experiences that show who the interviewee is in a unique and vivid way. You will learn more about this project soon!
Final Exam: The final exam will be cumulative and will require short passage identification and essay.
Your final exam meets Saturday, December 13, at 3 PM.
Attendance:
Each student is allowed five cuts in English 200. This is a collaborative class and not just a lecture course. We will develop the learning community together. If you miss over five classes, you will not pass the class. Being late to class three times equals one absence. THERE ARE NO EXCUSED ABSENCES. If you are sleeping during class or put your head down on the desk, you will be counted absent. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers while class is in session. No text messaging allowed. All cell phones should be removed from sight as well. If you engage with your cell phone during class, you will receive an absence for that day.
Plagiarism:
In this class, an essay that presents the ideas and writing of someone else as if they were the writer’s own will receive an “F,” and the student will fail the course. Also, the drafts and other preparations for your essay should reflect the content of that essay. I will not grade a paper that has no history, no preparations or drafts turned in with the assignment. The University Policy on Plagiarism is explained at http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm. under section V, “Academic Misconduct.”
Students with Disabilities:
Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Program Director, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please tell me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first {test/paper/assignment}.