Week 1

Aug. 6

Studying Literature: Tools, Skills and Conventions

• Stephen Crane, "A Dark-Brown Dog," Cosmopolitan (1901; study guide)
  

Aug. 10

2: Language and Meaning in Fiction: Literary Conventions

Reading

• Stephen Crane, "A Dark-Brown Dog," Cosmopolitan (1901; study guide)

Discussion: point of view; character, characterization; irony; defamiliarization

Passage Explication: After continuing your active reading of (conversation with) the text of "A Dark-Brown Dog" from where we left off in Monday class to the end of the story, choose a passage to explicate to classmates. Organize and condense your findings so that you can speak for no more than three minutes. A sample explication is available on the study guide page for the story. In your close reading of the passage, here are some things to note and briefly explain:

• Context (where the passage occurs in the work, what significant incidents occurs within it or are associated with it)
• Structure (how the passage is organized, what movement, trajectory, or logical flow is evidenced in it)
• Diction (word choice, denotations—how the dictionary meaning of a word is used, connotations—how associative meanings of the a word is used)
• Figurative language (what similes, metaphors, symbols are used)
• Imagery (what sensory or cognitive perceptions are appealed to)
• Point of view (the viewpoint represented, shifts in perspective, information revealed or withheld within that point of view)
• Plot (conflicts, resolutions)
• Character (characters involved in the scene, their depiction, relationships)
• Setting (where the scene takes place, its significance)
• Other (irony; voice, tone, style; grammar, syntax; pace)

Week 2

Aug. 15

3: Crafting a World: Techniques and Choices

Reading

• Richard Connell, "The Most Dangerous Game" (1924; study guide)
  

Aug. 17

4: Driving a Narrative: Techniques and Choices 

Reading

• Richard Connell, "The Most Dangerous Game" (1924; study guide)
  

Discussion: imagery; diction; theme

Tracking Civilization v. Savagery: Trace textual indications of civilization and savagery in Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" for today's class. Be prepared to share in two minutes your findings about Connell's use of the civilized versus the savage in the work. A sample first page comparison list is available on the study guide page for this story.

Writing Practice 1: (40 minutes) General Zaroff, the “bit of a savage” Cossack who tries “to be civilized here,” mentions two ideas that abound in the story: civilization and savagery. What characters, actions, objects or qualities are associated with each? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each in this game? How do these two ideas play out? Discuss Connell’s use of civilized and savage depictions in “The Most Dangerous Game.” Download practice test 

Week 3

Aug. 22

5: Things and Meaning  

Reading

Aug. 24

6: Acts and Meaning 

Reading

• Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery" (1948; study guide)
• Shirley Jackson (short bio)
• Jonathan Lethem, "Monstrous Acts and Little Murders," Salon (1997)
• Joyce Carol Oates, "The Library of America Interviews Joyce Carol Oates about Shirley Jackson" (2010; pdf file)
  

Discussion: imagery; symbolism; theme; style; irony

Writing Practice 2: (40 minutes) To practice writing under pressure, time yourself for 40 minutes as you respond to the topic prompt of your group. After that, you can treat the response as your first draft and rework it for your first reading response, if you like. Download the questions .

Week 4

Aug. 29

7: Ideas at Play

Reading

• Alice Walker, "Everyday Use," In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women (1973; study guide)
  
• Student selections
• Naphatsorn: Guy de Maupassant, "The Necklace" (1884)
• Patteera: Guy de Maupassant, "A Dead Woman's Secret" (1884)
• Pimchanok: Ambrose Bierce, "One Summer Night" (1893)
• Nuttanun: Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour" (1894)
• Nuttida: Anton Chekhov, "Gooseberries" (1898)
• Prompiriya: Saki, "A Defensive Diamond" (1914)
• Panisara: O. Henry, "The Cactus" (1917)
• Nattakarn: Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (1973)
• Tam: Raymond Carver, "View Finder" (1978)
• Nopparuj: Benjamin Nugent, "God" (2013)

Discussion: student selected short stories; character, characterization; setting

Each student brings to class a short story that will make a good exercise for close reading. You can either e-mail me the story or a link to it online, or bring a hard copy to class.

*Writing Practice 2 due (Download the questions . You can e-mail your practice writing to me or hand in a hard copy in class.)

Aug. 31

8: Ideas at Play

Reading

Week 5

Sep. 5

Drama Case Study  

9: The Language of Live Theater
Reading

• J. B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls (1947; study guide)

Sep. 7

10: Production, Direction, Performance, and Meaning 

Reading

• J. B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls (1947; study guide)

Week 6

Sep. 12

11: Reading Small and Reading Big: Scene Focus 

Reading

• J. B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls (1947; study guide)

Discussion: diction, irony, dialogue; humor, word play

*Writing Practice 3 (close reading of passage in Act 3) due (Download the prompt and scoring rubric .)

Sep. 14

12: Reading Small and Reading Big: Structure Focus  

Reading

• J. B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls (1947; study guide)

Week 7

Sep. 19

13: Themes and Interactive Meanings

Reading

Sep. 21

14: Themes and Contextual Meanings

Reading

• J. B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls (1947; study guide)

*Literary Discovery: Students each bring a new literary term they have discovered in a dictionary of literary terms or an introduction to literature like some of the titles below. Students tell the class about 1) their literary term, 2) positive features of the book they consulted, 3) negative aspects of the book they consulted, and 4) students bring up at least one question they have about the reading this first half of the semester.
Books with Literary Term Explanations

• Baldick, Chris. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. 4^th ed. Oxford: OUP, 2015. Print.
• Cuddon, J. A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. 5^th ed. London: Penguin, 2014. Print.
• Abrams, M. H., and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 11^th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.
• Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M. Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. 3^rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. Print.
• The Norton Introduction to Literature. 12^th ed. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2016. Print.
• Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 13^th ed. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Pearson, 2015. Print.
• The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 10^th ed. Ed. Michael Myer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.
• An Introduction to Literature. 16^th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William E. Burto, and William E. Cain. London: Longman, 2010. Print.
• The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 7^th ed. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.

Writing Practice 4: Review of short stories and play. Download prompt .

Week 8

Sep. 26

*Test 1 (Midterm week: September 28–October 2, 2015)
 
(9:30–11:00 a.m., 30 points, in class) In test 1 you will be discussing short stories. You will be asked to discuss Walker's "Everyday Use" in one of the prompts.

It is helpful to take a few minutes to plan an outline before writing your essays. Formulate a thoughtful thesis/argument in responding to the question that allows you to address effectively the requirements of the prompt. For each prompt, you do not need to answer every single question in the cluster in order and separately. The multiple questions are there to help you think about the topic. Cite specific acts, scenes, lines, or words in support of your argument. You will want to show us your critical and analytical skills: demonstrate that you have read closely and understood the material, that you can critically engage with that material, with discussion in class, and with the test question, that you can synthesize material and knowledge gained, and that you can write clear and effective prose. Give your essays a title if you like.

• Writing
  • Writing Prose (handbook on college writing, Yale University; pdf file)
  • Sources and Citation (Dartmouth College; pdf file)
  • AP Lit & Comp: Writing technique (flashcard style review)
  • Writing Guide
• Reading Strategies
• A General Study Guide
• Reading Strategies and LIE
• S.O.A.P.S. Document Analysis
• PDIDLS
• Tone and Detailed Explanation of DIDLS
• Close Reading
• Close Reading Guide
• Getting an A on an English Paper: Close Reading
• How to Do a Close Reading
• Francine Prose, "Close Reading," The Atlantic (2006)
• Essay Exam Tips
• Writing Exam Essays
• Pointers for Taking Essay Tests
• Writing Essay Exams (pdf file)
• Essay Exam Preparation (pdf file)
• Review literary terms (more online quizzes; see if you can beat the set champions)
• Quiz for AP Literature, Poetry Terms - Introduction
• AP Literary Terms (Expanded)
• All Literary Devices
• Mrs. Harnden's AP Lit Review
• Sample Essay Exam Questions and Responses
  • Writing practice 3 prompt and scoring rubric
    
  • Mary Oliver, "Crossing the Swamp," American Primitive (1978)
  • 2004 AP English Literature and Composition Free-Response Questions (pdf file)
  • 2004 AP English Literature and Composition Scoring Guidelines and Sample Student Essays (pdf file)
  • 2004 AP English Literature and Composition Scoring Commentary (pdf file)
  • Sample Midterm & Answers (the gothic experience)
  • Example of Strong Responses (Romantic literature)
  • Sample Midterm Questions (pdf file)
  • Sample Midterm Essay Response
• What Is Plagiarism

Sep. 28

*Test 2 (Midterm week: September 28–October 2, 2015)
 
(8:00–9:30 a.m., 30 points, in class) In Test 2 you will be asked to respond to questions on An Inspector Calls. There will be a short answer/identification section and an essay.

• Reminders:
• Follow instructions. If the test paper asks you to "use 'Everyday Use' and the remaining short story to answer Question 2," don't discuss "Everyday Use" in question 1. If the instructions say to write in the answer sheets, make sure you write in the correct ones.
• Have a clear point to make in each of your paragraphs, and in the essay as a whole.
• Support your ideas with textual evidence. Cite specific acts, scenes, lines, or words to illustrate and substantiate your observations.
• Avoid plot summary. Order your discussion around the point you are making, not according to the the plot of the story. Mention only aspects of scenes or characters that you are going to develop in greater depth.
• Proofread. Sherly Jackson is not the author of "Everday Use," nor is Reinford a character in "A Most Dangerous Game."
• Follow academic conventions in writing about literature such as using the literary present tense and referring to authors by their last names. Avoid non-close reading tendencies in your discussion.
• Practice
• Writing practice 3 prompt and scoring rubric
  
• Writing practice 4 prompt 
  

Students who have ordered the spiral-bound photocopy of Atwood's The Edible Woman bring 130 baht (exact change, please) and pick up your copy after the test.

Week 9

Oct. 3

Reading and Writing: Academic Conversation

 
15: Observation

Reading

• Roger McGough, "First Day at School," In the Glassroom (1976; study guide)

Oct. 5

16: Love and Loss

Reading

Week 10

Oct. 10

17: Symbols of Love

Reading

Oct. 12

18: Symbolic Play

Reading

Week 11

Oct. 17

19: Old and New Forms

Reading

• "The Two Ravens" (c. 15^th C; study guide)
• David Watson Hood, "The Twa Corbies" (the Scottish version with English translation, analysis)
• Dudley Randall, "Ballad of Birmingham" (1968; study guide)
• Ballad
• "Forms of Verse: Ballad," Victoria and Albert Museum
  
• Ted Nellen, "Ballad," Cyber English (description of the folk and literary ballad)
• Al Filreis, "Ballad," The Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing
• Susan Tichy and Margaret Yocom, "Traditional Ballads," George Mason University (what is a ballad, web resources)
  

Oct. 19

20: Old and New Language

Reading

Week 12

Oct. 24

No class (Chulalongkorn Memorial Day observed)

Oct. 26

Narrative Long Form

21: Covering the Novel: Form and Content
Reading

Week 13

Oct. 31

22: Food, Metaphorical Food

Reading

Nov. 2

23: Eating, Literal and Figurative

Reading

Week 14

Nov. 7

24: Structure and Meaning

Reading

Nov. 9

25: Narrative

Reading

Week 15

Nov. 14

26: Context and Meaning
Reading

• Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman (1969; study guide)
  

Discussion:

Nov. 16

Review

Reading

Week 16

Nov. 21

Inspectors Call: Covering Literature

Tentative schedule

1.  Covering "The Most Dangerous Game": Traps—Physical, Mental, and Linguistic
9:30–9:50 a.m.
Presiding: Kukasina Kubaha
Speakers:
1.  “Physical Traps,” Naphatsorn Na Nakhon
2.  “Mental Traps,” Pimchanok Boonpok
3.  “Linguistic Traps,” Prompiriya Promsangkaha

Respondent 1: Nuttida Aderektrakarn
Respondent 2: Pimpun Jundaeng
Respondent 3: Surakan Kittiperakorn

2.  Covering "First Day at School"
9:50–10:10 a.m.
Presiding: Narawit Kongko
Speakers:
1.  “Covering Stanza 1,” Patteera Pimsarn
2.  “Covering Stanza 2,” Pattarapol Chanprasit
3.  “Covering Stanza 3,” Panisara Mankongprapai

Respondent 1: Tam Sothonprapakon
Respondent 2: Pornpatch Thanaprasitikul
Respondent 3: Nattakarn Tantiwanichpun

3.  Covering The Edible Woman
10:10–10:30 a.m.
Presiding: Panicha Akkaramongkolchai
Speakers:
1.  “Title,” Ramita Pumekate
2.  “Title,” Chanyanuch Panlainark
3.  “Title,” Warunporn Tiyabhorn
4.  “Title,” Pornpatch Thanaprasitikul

Respondent 1: Nopparuj Saadruks
Respondent 2: Nuttanun Puttanapun
Respondent 3: Panicha Akkaramongkolchai
Respondent 4: Naphatsorn Na Nakhon

Nov. 23

Inspectors Call: Covering Literature

Tentative schedule (download program)

4.  Theme Potluck Breakfast
8:00–9:25 a.m.
Theme potluck breakfast hosted by section 2. You are welcome to bring themed breakfast foods inspired by our course reading list to eat and share with friends Wednesday morning. Currently on the menu: Ivan's sweet tooth secrets (pryaniki, oreshki, and medovnik), "real" tomato juice.
 

5.  Covering Female Characters in The Edible Woman
8:00–8:25 a.m.
Presiding: Nuttanun Puttanapun
Speakers:
1.  “Title,” Pimpun Jundaeng
2.  “Title,” Tam Sothonprapakon

3.  “Title,” Narawit Kongko

4.  “Title,” Panicha Akkaramongkolchai

Respondent 1: Pimchanok Boonpok
Respondent 2: Kukasina Kubaha

Respondent 3: Panisara Mankongprapai

Respondent 4: Prompiriya Promsangkaha
 
6. Covering The Edible Woman: Finding Marian
8:30–8:55 a.m.
Presiding: Patteera Pimsarn
Speakers:
1.  “Marian in Wonderland,” Nattakarn Tantiwanichpun
2.  “Marian in Toronto,” Nuttida Aderektrakarn

3.  “Marian in Food,” Nuttanun Puttanapun

Respondent 1: Pattarapol Chanprasit
Respondent 2: Narawit Kongko

Respondent 3: Chanyanuch Panlainark
 
7. (Un-)Covering Myths in The Edible Woman
9:00–9:25 a.m.
Presiding: Naphatsorn Na Nakhon
Speakers:
1.  “Capitalistic Society and Its Implications on the Characters in The Edible Woman: Is It a Myth?,” Surakan Kittiperakorn
2.  “Deconstructing the Myth of Gender Identity in The Edible Woman,” Kukasina Kubaha

3.  “Exploring the Myth of Freedom of Action in The Edible Woman,” Nopparuj Saadruks

Respondent 1: Warunporn Tiyabhorn
Respondent 2: Patteera Pimsarn

Respondent 3: Ramita Pumekate

*Reading response 3 due (2 pp., MLA format)

• Writing in College
  
• Writing Prose (handbook on college writing, Yale University; pdf file)
• Sources and Citation (Dartmouth College; pdf file)
• Writing about Literature
  
• Getting an A on an English Paper: Close Reading

Week 17

Nov. 28

Final Exam (8:30–11:30 a.m.)