Department of English
Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University
2202234 Introduction to the Study
of English Literature
Puckpan Tipayamontri
Office: BRK 1106
Office Hours: M 1–3 and by appointment
Phone: 0 2218 4703
Section
3 (Blackboard Course Page)
M
9:30–11:00
(MCS 401/18), W 8:00–9:30
(MCS 401/5)
Tentative Schedule
* Asterisk in front of an item indicates syllabus reading
* Pink asterisk in front of a session
indicates in-person class in rooms MCS 401/18 (Mondays), MCS 401/5
(Wednesdays) or BRK 414 (November 18)
Week
1 |
Aug. 10 |
Ways of Reading
1: Introduction: Texts,
Tools, Tastes and Conventions
Reading
Discussion: Different
ways of reading and how they affect the meaning of the
text; reflecting on one's approach to a text and its
effectiveness for a particular text; close reading;
structure of a poem; meter; rhyme scheme; rhyme; imagery
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Aug. 12 | No class (Mother's Day) |
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Week 2 |
Aug. 17 |
2:
Ideas of Poetry Reading
Discussion: Allegory; imagery;
hyperbole
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Aug. 19 |
3:
Construction of Poetry Reading
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Week 3 |
Aug. 24 |
4:
Expectations: Form Reading
Discussion:
The sonnet form; meter; stress; rhyme scheme; theme;
imagery
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Aug. 26 | 5: Expectations: Content Reading
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Week 4 |
Aug. 31 |
6:
Poetic Stories Reading
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Sep. 2 |
7: Making Connections Reading
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Week 5 |
Sep. 7 |
No class
(Songkran holiday observed)
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Sep. 9 |
8: Reading Small and Reading Big: Scenes and Structure Reading
Discussion:
The short story genre; narrative structure; plot;
rising action; denouement; conflict; plausibility;
symbols, symbolism; styles of fiction
Reading
response 1 due
(4 p.m.; 1 page, double-spaced; MLA format; prompt: The Ride of
Literature: Billy Collins's idea that a good poem
should take you somewhere "that's perhaps
disorienting, manipulative, or a little off-balancing"
("The Art of Poetry No. 83") can
apply to other literature as well. His essay "The Ride
of Poetry" suggests that "the poem can act as an
imaginative vehicle, a form of transportation to a
place unknown." "To view a poem as a trip," he says,
"means taking into account the methods that give a
poem vehicular capability. It means looking into the
way a poet manages to become the poem's first driver
and thus the first to know its secret destination."
Among the poems and short story that we have read thus
far, which especially "spirits [you] away to a new
conceptual zone"? Write about the ride that the work
has given you, its movements, trajectory, and speed,
paying close attention to how it begins (spatially,
temporally, syntactically, ideologically, emotionally,
visually, aurally, intellectually, etc.), where it
goes next, and next. How does it move into that
"somewhere," what transformation happens? Where does
the poem or short story take you? Where does it leave
off at the end?) Post your study to our response 1 discussion for
further exchange.
Passage
Close Reading: Each student chooses a passage
from O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and gives
a two-minute close reading of it to class. Notice the
order in which information is given in the passage.
What information is given (status, age, time, place,
thought, action, mood, name, nickname, history, etc.)?
About what (a person/people, culture, place, time,
behavior, relationships, the future, etc.)? How is it
given (through diction, sound, syntax, sentence
structure, style, imagery, simile, typography, pace,
etc.)? How usual or unusual is the word choice for the
type of information it conveys? Why is the order in
which information is revealed significant? What
connections does the passage make between disparate
things? What do these connections anticipate,
criticize, redefine, or confirm? How does the passage
fit into the larger story? What role does it play/what
function does it have?
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Week 6 |
Sep. 14 |
*9: Patterns and Particulars Reading
Discussion:
Characterization; character; dialogue; point of
view; irony; imagery
Fiction
Challenge: Students analyze classmates'
selected unseen short fiction.
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Sep. 16 |
10:
Text and Context Reading
Discussion:
Coherence, unity in structure and ideas; plot
(conflict, revelation, pace); character
(dimension, motivation)
Fiction
Challenge: Students analyze classmates'
selected unseen short fiction.
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Week 7 |
Sep. 21 |
11:
Ideas and Execution Reading
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Sep. 23 |
12:
Plot and Genre Reading
Reading
response 2 due (4 p.m.; 1 page;
double-spaced; MLA format; prompt: What is
the difference?: Read this student response
investigating what is different within one work,
Sarah Gailey's "A Lady's Maid." Now it's your
turn. Look at the same word, idea, technique or
feature in two works we have read and
examine the difference between them. How
differently are they used? How unlike are their
meanings and associations, and their role or
function in the works?) As usual, post your
examination to our section forum for further
discussion.
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Week 8 |
Sep. 28 |
*13: Themes
Discussion: Themes
Writing Practice: In groups
of three students, discuss the practice test questions and
answer part 1 together as a group, answer part 2
individually. Time yourself for the suggested minutes to
best simulate actual test pace. Submit your group and
individual responses at our discussion forum.
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Sep. 30 |
*14:
Life and Art Reading
Discussion:
Fiction Challenge:
Students analyze classmates' selected unseen short
fiction.
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Week 9 |
Oct. 5 |
*Test
1 (Midterm week: October 5–9, 2020)
(Online,
open-book, 80 minutes, 20 points) Test 1 asks
you to respond to questions about an unseen poem and
to an essay-type prompt on the syllabus poems. It is
helpful to take a few minutes to plan an outline
before writing your essays. Formulate a thoughtful
thesis/point in responding to the question that allows
you to address effectively the requirements of the
prompt. The most coherent and logical organization of
your response may not be to answer every single
question in the prompt cluster in order and
separately; structure your essay to most suitably set
up, develop and support your argument/idea/points in
response to the prompt. Bullet points are not proper
paragraph or essay form. Cite specific lines or words
to illustrate and support your points and claims. 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 outside of 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 essay a title if you like. The test paper in PDF
form is posted on the course webpage at 9:35 a.m. A
safe way to work is to type out your answers in a
Microsoft Word document, saving frequently, and attach
the file to e-mail
to me when you are done. Responses should reach
my e-mail inbox when the 80 minutes are up (plus five
minutes grace period). This means that your mail
should arrive in my account no later than 11:00 a.m.
Room MCS 401/18 is reserved as usual for your use on
designated pink asterisked on-campus Mondays, and I
will be there as well as online to answer any e-mailed
questions you may have, but if you prefer to be
working from elsewhere and send in your work, that's
fine too.
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Oct. 7 |
*Test
2 (Midterm week: October 5–9, 2020)
(Online,
8:00–9:30 a.m., 20 points) Test 2
has one page with three prompt choices for
you to choose one to respond to in an
essay on the three syllabus short stories.
See below for more detailed instructions.
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Week 10 |
Oct. 12 |
15:
Theatrical Travel Reading
Discussion:
The structure of theater; how elements of theater convey
meaning
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Oct. 14 |
16:
Tennessee Williams's Plastic Theater and Truth Reading
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Week 11 |
Oct. 19 |
17:
Elements and Ideas Reading
Discussion: Elements of theater and
the small and big picture
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Oct. 21 |
18:
Symbolic Adventure Reading
Discussion:
Symbols; allegory; metaphor; imagery
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Week 12 |
Oct. 26 |
*19:
Form and Content 1: Design and Performance Reading
Discussion: Stage directions;
character, characterization; body language; voice; tone;
irony; dialogue; pace
Theater Study Run: Students sign-up for roles in scenes from Sons
of the Prophet to be performed in class (room MCS
401/18). Think about our "what makes meaning in live
theater" discussion and work with each other to put on a
performance that makes creative and meaningful use of the
tools of drama. Notice that some actors play multiple
roles and work with two troupes.
Practice Writing: Developing an
argument: Each student completes the argument formulating
exercise handout and brings his/her results
to October 28 class.
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Oct. 28 |
20:
Form and Content 2: Mediated Life
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Week 13 |
Nov. 2 |
21:
Form and Content 3: The Literary Long Form Reading
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Nov. 4 |
22:
Form and Content 4: Framing and Focus Reading
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Week 14 |
Nov. 9 |
23:
Novel: Old and New Stories Reading
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Nov. 11 |
24:
Genre Conventions and Author Originality Reading
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Week 15 |
Nov. 16 |
25:
Synthesis
Discussion: The novel
form; setting; allusion; symbols; imagery; diction; irony;
sound
Novel Challenge: Each student brings a
novel excerpt for the class to analyze as an unseen text.
You should prepare your excerpt so that it can be shared
easily on our Zoom classcast.
Writing Workshop: Peer Critique:
Students in each group critique the revised response of
your group members, making proofreading marks and giving
comments on the response paper, and fill out the workshop
sheet for each peer paper.
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Nov. 18 |
*26:
Review Reading
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Week 16 |
Nov. 23 |
Schedule
1.
The Action of Names Respondents:
1.
Phonphatcharin Simmathan 2.
Pantila Sothisophon 3.
Titaya Hongngern 2.
Three Variations in Repetition in Tennessee Williams's The
Glass Menagerie Respondents:
1.
Kawinthip Tatiyawarodom 2.
Phirunphat Leelarthapin 3.
Romravin Pantarak |
Nov. 25 |
Schedule
7:30–9:20 a.m. Themed
potluck breakfast hosted by section 3. Currently on the
menu: Eau Thailandia, not offensive half-black fudge cake,
Mr. Hicks's wings, What is pink? The Oreo is pink, A Good
Pizza Is Not Hard to Find, breads of the Prophet, Teenie
boy (Girl Meets Boy), blue potato chips, the potato
menagerie, Homey Nori Seaweed by Icarus (after he survived
from the sea), a Daintie from the Noblemans Table.
3.
The Dynamics of Setting 3.
“Setting Shifts in ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find,’” Amalina
Waha Respondents:
1.
Chulalak Thongrakkhao 2.
Manussanun Rienjaroensuk 3.
Chonnanart Chayametanon 3.
“The Service of Setting in The Glass Menagerie,”
Manussanun Rienjaroensuk Respondents: 1.
Thamonwan Phuklek 2.
Amalina Waha 3.
Charukit Ubolsaard
Reading response
4 due |
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Week 17 |
Nov. 30 |
Final Exam (online, Monday, November 30, 1:00–4:00 p.m., 60 points) The final exam consists of three essay-type questions, one on each of the works we have read in the latter half of the semester: The Glass Menagerie, Sons of the Prophet and Girl Meets Boy. See below for instructions.
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Last updated November 30, 2020