English  260-­‐03:  Introduction  to  Short  Fiction  MWF  11:00-­‐12:50pm,  Xavier  Hall  Annex  203  

Spring  2013  (CRN:  25190)    Instructor:  Anthony  Cirilla   Phone:  314-­‐977-­‐3569  (email  

preferred)  Office:  Adorjan  209-­‐B3   Email:  acirilla@slu.edu  Office  hours:  MWF  12:00  to  1:00  pm  or  by  appt.   Mailbox:  Adorjan  249    Required  Texts  and  Materials    Charters,  Ann  (ed).  The  Story  and  Its  Writer.  8th  ed.  Bedford/St.  Martin's:  Boston,  2010.       ISBN:  978-­‐0312596231      Additional  required  readings,  along  with  course  handouts  and  worksheets,  will  be  sent  out  via  e-­‐mail.  Please  bring  a  copy  of  each  day’s  reading  to  class  with  you.      Course  Description  This  course  will  introduce  students  to  the  wide  array  of  literature  termed  short  fiction.  By  reading  works  from  different  periods  by  authors  from  a  variety  of  nationalities,  we  will  explore  the  different  forms,  styles,  and  genres  of  short  fiction,  including  older  forms  and  experimental  forms,  such  as  micro  fiction.  We  will  make  use  of  a  variety  of  critical  approaches,  including  historicist,  feminist,  post-­‐colonial,  and  reader-­‐response,  in  order  to  critically  interpret  and  discuss  the  works  that  we  read.        Course  Objectives  With  the  completion  of  this  course  students  will  be  able  to:  

- Describe  five  major  features  of  fictional  writing:  plot,  character,  setting,  style,  and  theme  

- Analyze  fiction  for  relevant  features  of  author,  form,  voice,  etc.  - Recognize  characteristics  of  different  fiction  genres  - Read  and  analyze  literature  from  a  variety  of  critical  approaches  - Place  fiction  within  its  multiple  contexts  and  understand  its  influences  - Identify  elements  of  fiction  that  you  find  appealing  and  why  

 Course  Requirements  and  Assignments  Course  requirements  include  short  weekly  responses,  two  formal  papers,  a  midterm  exam,  and  a  final  exam,  and  class  participation.    15%   Participation  10%   Quizzes    40%   Unit  Projects      15%   Midterm  exam      

20%   Final  exam          Participation  Participation  is  required  in  this  course.  I  strongly  encourage  you  to  share  ideas  in  class;  this  will  benefit  you,  your  classmates,  and  me.  If  you  are  very  concerned  about  speaking  in  class,  you  may  also  pass  me  notes  containing  reflections  on  the  reading  at  the  beginning  of  class  –  these  should  be  about  a  page  in  length.  There  will  also  be  impromptu  in-­‐class  writing  assignments  that  will  work  towards  participation.  Please  be  respectful  toward  your  peers  and  the  instructor  during  all  classroom  activities.    Be  responsible  with  electronic  equipment  (silence  and  put  away  cell  phones/mp3  players,  do  not  use  laptops  for  non-­‐class  activities,  do  not  sleep  during  class,  etc).    Disrespectful  behavior,  failure  to  participate,  and  poor  attendance  will  negatively  affect  your  final  grade.  Quizzes  Quizzes  will  be  brief  and  will  assess  whether  the  class  is  reading,  and  also  should  be  saved  as  study  guides  for  the  midterm  and  final  exams.  Provided  that  you  have  done  the  reading,  these  should  prove  no  difficulty.  I  reserve  the  right  to  increase  or  decrease  the  number  of  quizzes  each  week  depending  on  participation;  there  will  be  a  minimum  of  one  quiz  per  week.  Unit  Projects  Each  unit  focuses  on  an  angle  of  “methods  of  reading,”  reading  as  a  reader,  reading  as  a  writer,  reading  as  a  critic,  and  reading  as  a  citizen,  respectively.  In  tandem  with  this,  at  the  end  or  near  the  end  of  each  unit,  there  will  be  a  short  writing  project  which  employs  the  skills  we  have  learned  in  that  unit.  For  unit  1,  you  will  produce  a  4-­‐5  page  argumentative  story  review  which  evaluates  a  text  through  reader  response.  In  unit  2,  you  will  be  asked  to  write  a  story  that  illustrates  a  thesis  statement  concerning  a  text  you  have  read  in  class.  Unit  3  will  require  you  to  write  a  more  traditional  5  page  critical  analysis  of  a  text,  and  unit  4  will  contain  elements  of  the  previous  three  assignments.  As  we  draw  near  to  each  assignment,  more  detailed  instructions  will  be  given.  This  will  amount  to  approximately  20  pages  of  writing  by  the  end  of  the  semester.  Midterm  Exam  The  midterm  exam  will  be  a  take-­‐home  essay  exam  (2  to  3  pages).  You  will  receive  a  formal  prompt  for  this  essay  exam,  and  it  will  be  due  in  class  on  21  October.  Final  Exam    The  final  exam  will  be  a  short,  comprehensive  exam,  which  will  include  identifications,  definitions,  and  short  answer  sections.  We  will  discuss  the  details  of  the  final  closer  to  the  end  of  the  semester.  The  final  will  be  given  during  our  final  exam  period  on  16  December  from  noon  to  1:50  pm.    Attendance  In  order  to  foster  learning,  you  are  expected  to  attend  all  classes,  to  be  on  time,  and  to  be  prepared  for  class.  You  may  have  three  (3)  unexcused  absences  over  the  course  of  the  semester;  for  each  absence  after  that  your  final  grade  will  drop  one  level  (i.e.  A-­‐  becomes  B+;  B  becomes  B-­‐,  etc.).  If  you  miss  more  than  six  (6)  days  of  class  (2  weeks)  for  any  reason,  you  will  receive  an  AF  (failure  due  to  excessive  

absence)  for  the  course,  unless  you  successfully  apply  for  a  grade  of  W  (withdraw  from  the  course).  Do  not  come  late  to  class.  Consistent  tardiness  (three  or  more  arrivals  after  I  have  taken  attendance,  for  whatever  reason)  will  be  reflected  in  your  participation  grade.    Excused  absences  include:  Religious  holidays,  participation  in  SLU-­‐sponsored  activities  (note  from  sponsor/coach  is  required  in  advance),  illness  (doctor’s  note  is  required),  civil  responsibilities  (documentation  is  required),  and  unavoidable  absences  deemed  reasonable  by  the  instructor  (documentation  is  required).    In  all  cases,  notify  me  of  your  absence  in  a  timely  manner  and  provide  timely  and  acceptable  documentation  if  it  is  to  be  excused.    The  best  way  to  contact  me  is  via  email  (Monday  –  Friday,  9am  –  5pm).    In  most  cases,  I  will  respond  to  your  email  in  24  hours.    Late  Assignments  All  assignments  must  be  turned  in  on  time.  Assignments  turned  in  late  will  be  docked  half  a  letter  grade  for  each  day  (not  class  period)  past  the  due  date.  Exceptions  will  be  made  for  valid  medical  excuses  only,  but  you  must  turn  in  a  doctor’s  note  with  your  late  assignments.  If  you  know  that  you  will  have  to  miss  class  in  advance,  you  are  responsible  for  making  arrangements  with  me,  in  advance,  to  turn  in  the  assignment  on  time.      Course  content  disclaimer  In  this  course,  students  may  be  required  to  read  text  or  view  materials  that  they  may  consider  offensive.    The  ideas  expressed  in  any  given  text  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the  views  of  the  instructor,  the  English  Department,  or  Saint  Louis  University.    Course  materials  are  selected  for  their  historical  and/or  cultural  relevance,  or  as  an  example  of  stylistic  and/or  rhetorical  strategies  and  techniques.    They  are  meant  to  be  examined  in  the  context  of  intellectual  inquiry  of  the  sort  encountered  at  the  university  level.    Writing  Services  I  highly  encourage  you  to  take  advantage  of  the  writing  services  in  the  Student  Success  Center;  getting  feedback  benefits  writers  at  all  skill  levels.  Trained  writing  consultants  can  help  with  any  writing,  multimedia  project,  or  oral  presentation.  During  the  one-­‐on-­‐one  consultations,  you  can  work  on  everything  from  brainstorming  and  developing  ideas  to  crafting  strong  sentences  and  documenting  sources.  These  services  do  fill  up,  so  please  make  an  appointment!  For  more  information,  to  make  or  cancel  an  appointment  call  977-­‐3484  or  visit  http://www.slu.edu/writingservices.xml.    Students  with  Special  Needs  –  Disability  Services  Students  who  believe  that,  due  to  the  impact  of  a  disability,  they  may  need  academic  accommodations  in  order  to  meet  the  requirements  of  this,  or  any  other,  class  at  Saint  Louis  University  are  encouraged  to  contact  the  Disability  Services  office  at  

977-­‐8885  or  should  visit  Busch  Student  Center,  Suite  331  (Student  Success  Center).  Confidentiality  will  be  observed  in  all  inquiries.      Academic  Integrity  and  Honesty  It is crucial that you use sources in an honest, responsible, and ethical manner, reflecting the accepted norms of citation for the genre and community in which you are writing. Thus, academic honesty and the avoidance of plagiarism, intentional or otherwise, are both expectations and requirements of this course. If you plagiarize or commit any form of academic dishonesty and are caught, you may face severe penalties, including, but not limited to, a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade in the course, or disciplinary action by the University. Evidence of academic dishonesty may also lead to a review of prior work submitted for this class. Please take this issue seriously and see me if you have any questions. Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct at any time is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information in examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes. Violations should be reported to your course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the policy on academic honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences. If the charges are found to be true, the student may be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion by the University.

College of Arts and Sciences Grading scale: Course Grading scale: 3.9 – 4.0 A 3.6 – 3.8 A – 3.2 – 3.5 B+ 2.9 – 3.1 B 2.6 – 2.8 B –

2.2 – 2.5 C+ 1.9 – 2.1 C 1.6 – 1.8 C – 0.9 – 1.5 D 0.0 – 0.8 F

94-100 A 90-93 A- 87-89 B+ 84-86 B 80-83 B-

77-79 C+ 74-76 C 70-73 C- 60-69 D 0-59 F

   Course  Calendar    

Unit  1:  Reading  as  a  Reader    Week  1    Mon.  Jan.  14  Introduction  to  Course    Wed.  Jan.  16  Read  Introduction:  The  Story  and  Its  Writer,  p.  1-­‐3,  Edgar  Allen  Poe,  “The  Importance  of  the  Single  Effect  in  a  Prose  Tale,”  p.  1684,  Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  “Young  Goodman  Brown,”  528      Fri.  Jan.  18  “A  Brief  History  of  the  Short  Story,”  p.  1742,  Edgar  Allen  Poe,  “The  Tell-­‐Tale  Heart,”  1128  

 Week  2    Mon.  Jan.  21  Martin  Luther  King  Jr.  Day  –  No  Class    Wed.  Jan.  23  “The  Story  of  an  Hour”,  283,  by  Kate  Chopin,  “Girl,”  760,  by  Jamaica  Kincaid;  “Interpreting  the  Variorum”  by  Stanley  Fish  (handout)    Fri.  Jan  25  Mark  Twain,  “The  Celebrated  Jumping  Frog  of  Calaveras  County,  ”  288,  Reader-­‐Response  Criticism  p.  1781-­‐82    Week  3    Mon.  Jan.  28  "The  Ice  Man,"  967,  by  Haruki  Murakami    Wed.  Jan.  30  "Everything  that  Rises  Must  Converge,"  1016,  by  Flannery  O'Connor    Fri.  Feb.  1  "An  Occurrence  at  Owl  Creek  Bridge,"  137,  by  Ambrose  Bierce    Week  4    Mon.  Feb.  4  Begin  Tolkien,  “Roverandom,”  p.  3-­‐48  (handout)    Wed.  Feb.  6  Finish  Tolkien,  “Roverandom”    Fri.  Feb.  8  "Sweat,"  564,  by  Zora  Neale  Hurston,  Short  Analysis  Due  by  11pm  via  email    

Unit  2:  Reading  as  a  Writer    Week  5    Mon.  Feb.  11  J.R.R.  Tolkien,  “Leaf  by  Niggle,”  (handout),  “The  Elements  of  Fiction,”  Plot  and  Character,  1726-­‐32    Wed.  Feb.  13  Ash  Wednesday  –  No  Class    Fri.  Feb.  15  “The  Lady  with  the  Little  Dog,”  266,  by  Anton  Chekhov;  “The  Lady  with  the  Pet  Dog,”  975,  by  Joyce  Carol  Oates    Week  6    Mon.  Feb.  18  "Videotape"  by  Don  DeLillo  (handout),  Elements  of  Fiction:  Style  and  Theme,  1738-­‐41    

Wed.  Feb.  20  "Happy  Endings,"  54,  by  Margaret  Atwood,  "The  Use  of  Force,"  1384,  by  William  Carlos  Williams    Fri.  Feb.  22  "Hills  Like  White  Elephants,"  539,  by  Ernest  Hemingway    Week  7    Mon.  Feb.  25  Short-­‐short  stories  and  flash  fiction:  Selection  of  flash  fiction  (handout),  Twitter-­‐fiction  (140-­‐character  stories)  (handout)    Wed.  Feb.  27  “Kew  Gardens,"  1395,  by  Virginia  Woolf    Fri.  March  1  “The  Gift  of  the  Magi”  by  William  Sydney  Porter  (O.  Henry),  "The  Way  We  Live  Now"  by  Susan  Sontag    Week  8    Mon.  March  4"Battle  Royal"  by  Ralph  Ellison    Wed.  March  6  Fri,  4  Nov:  "Miss  Fur  and  Miss  Skein"  by  Gertrude  Stein  (handout);  “Rip  Van  Winkle”  by  Washington  Irving    Fri  March  8  Midterm  Exam    Week  9    March  11-­‐15  SPRING  BREAK:  NO  CLASS    

Unit  3:  Reading  as  a  Critic    Week  10    Mon.  March  18  “The  Yellow  Wallpaper”  by  Charlotte  Perkins  Gillman,  Handout  on  Structuralism    Wed.  March  20  J.R.R.  Tolkien,  “Farmer  Giles  of  Ham”  p.101-­‐129  (handout)    Fri.  March  22  Finish  “Farmer  Giles  of  Ham”    Week  11    Mon.  March  25  "The  Dead"  by  James  Joyce,  Handout  on  Poststructuralism    Wed.  March  27  "Gimpel  the  Fool"  by  Isaac  Bashevis  Singer  (handout)    Fri.  March  29  NO  CLASS  

 Week  12    Mon.  April  1  NO  CLASS    Wed.  April  3    Bakhtin  excerpt,  "The  Necklace”  by  Guy  de  Maupassant    Fri.  April  5  "To  Build  a  Fire"  by  Jack  London    Week  13    Mon.  April  8  C.S.  Lewis  reading  on  criticism  (handout),  "The  Overcoat"  by  Nikolai  Gogol    Wed.  April  10  "A  Rose  for  Emily"  by  William  Faulkner    Fri.  April  12  "The  Cask  of  Amantillado"  by  Edgar  Allan  Poe  (1846);  “The  Dunwich  Horror”  by  H.  P.  Lovecraft  (handout),  Short  Analysis  Paper  due  by  11pm    

Unit  4:  Reading  as  a  Citizen    Week  14    Mon.  April  15  Gerald  Graff,  “Hidden  Intellectualism”    Wed.  April  17  “Prisoner  on  the  Hell  Planet”  by  Art  Spiegelman,  "This  Way  for  the  Gas,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen"  by  Tadeusz  Borowski    Fri.  April  19  "The  Garden  of  Forking  Paths"  by  Jorge  Luis  Borges    Week  15    Mon.  April  22  Adorno  and  Horkheimer  (handout)    Wed.  April  24  "The  Metamorphosis"  by  Franz  Kafka    Fri.  April  26  "Bloodchild"  by  Octavia  Butler  (SG),  "The  Ones  Who  Walk  Away  from  Omelas"  by  Ursula  K.  Le  Guin    Week  16    Mon.  April  29  George  MacDonald,  “The  Imagination:  Its  Function  and  its  Culture”    Wed.  May  1  J.R.R.  Tolkien,  “Smith  of  Wooton  Major”    

Fri.  May  3  "A  Very  Old  Man  with  Enormous  Wings"  by  Gabriel  García  Márquez  Final  Analysis  Paper  Due  by  11pm  via  email    Week  17    Mon.  May  6  –  FINAL  EXAM  REVIEW