English 110----The Short Story

Class: MWF 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: James Plath      Office: English House 104      Phone: 556-3352

Hours: TTH 9:30-10:30 & by appointment    URL: http://titan.iwu.edu/~jplath

Email: jplath@titan.iwu.edu

Required text: An Introduction to Fiction 10th Edition, ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia

Course Objectives:

• To give students a sense of the history and characteristics of the short story, especially as it developed in America
• To help students develop their skills in critical analysis
• To give students ample opportunities to advance critical arguments in a series of critical papers

Course Requirements:

• Students are expected to read AND discuss the material. If you are physically present but inactive, you're not really present, are you?
• Attendance is mandatory. More than 3 unexcused absences affects grade.
• All writing assignments MUST be completed for students to receive a grade for the course. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Written assignments will be penalized one grade for every class period they are late.
• All papers must be typed, double-spaced, with standard margins, preferably in 12pt Times New Roman. No electronic submissions will be accepted.
• Two individual conferences required, more recommended.

Grades will be determined on the following basis:

Two short (4-6p) critical papers, MLA style-----------------------------------------------30% (15% each)

One longer (8-10p) critical paper, MLA style---------------------------------------------25%

Class participation (attendance, activities, and discussion)------------------------------20%

Final exam--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25%

Tentative Schedule:

Week of Jan 10, 12--Introduction: Fable, Parable, Tale, Anecdote, and Story

Week of Jan 15, 17, 19--Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart"

Week of Jan 22, 24, 26--Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Week of Jan 29, 31, Feb 2--Crane's "The Open Boat" and London's "To Build a Fire"

Week of Feb 5, 7, 9--Cather's "Paul's Case" and Mansfield's "Miss Brill"

Week of Feb 12, 14, 16--Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" and Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"; Due Feb. 16: First short critical paper

Week of Feb 19, 21, 23--Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

Week of Feb 26, 28, Mar 2--Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" and O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"

Week of Mar 5, 7, 9--Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" and Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing"; Due Mar 9: Second short critical paper

Week of Mar 12, 14, 16--SPRING BREAK

Week of Mar 19, 21, 23--Updike's "A&P" and Cheever's "The Five-Forty-Eight"

Week of Mar 26, 28, 30--Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" and Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

Week of Apr 2, 4, 6--O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Walker's "Everyday Use"

Week of Apr 9, 11, 13--Kincaid's "Girl," Mason's "Shiloh," and Carver's "Cathedral"

Week of Apr 16, 18, 20--Writing the long critical paper; peer review and conferences

Week of April 23--Wrap-up; Due: long critical paper

FINAL EXAM: Thursday, Apr 26, 3:30-5:30 p.m.