English 1301: Composition and Rhetoric I - Van Piercy's Blog

Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
LSC-Tomball
Syllabus for ENGL 2342 Forms of Literature:
Horror, Ghost and Gothic Fiction
Instructor:
Van Piercy, Ph.D., Professor of English
Class Days and Times: TTh 12:30-1:50
Classroom:
S268
Sections: 31001
Office:
S-153J
Office Hours:
MW 11:00am-12:30pm; TTh 2-3pm. You are also encouraged to make an appointment with me for
other times.
E-mail:
1) van.a.piercy@lonestar.edu
Instant Messaging Meebo and Yahoo! instant messengers: vpiercy, vpiercy1
Mailbox:
S150
Office Phone:
(281) 401-1814 (my office); (281) 351-3300 (switchboard); (281) 351-3384 (fax)
Website:
http://vpiercy.wordpress.com; http://www.lonestar.edu/blogs/vpiercy
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites:
(one of the following) adequate score on SAT, ACT, TASP, COMPASS, or ASSET; passage
of required remedial class(es)
Combined Catalog Description for ENGL 2341 and 2342:
The college catalog describes this course as “[t]he study of one or more literary genres including, but not limited to,
poetry, fiction, drama, and film. Other forms might include mythic and religious writing, autobiographies and memoirs, and
polemics. Readings vary. Instructors are free to choose their own emphasis.” “This course examines a genre, or a
combination of genres, in [great] depth…. The literary genre or genres taught in this course emphasize the multicultural
competencies.”
Objectives, Rationale, and Format
English 2342 studies the origins, development, and themes of horror, ghost, and gothic fiction, fiction that utilizes
paranormal phenomena to tell its story and explore its content. Class meetings will consist of both lecture and discussion.
Two exams and one seven to ten page research paper will form the core of this course. Unannounced quizzes, and short
writing and research assignments, will make up the remainder. You are expected to read each assignment in advance
and come to class both prepared and willing to discuss it. Read for both general ideas and specific language details.
Exam questions may come from anything in the assigned readings, class discussions, or handouts, so take copious notes
and read closely and systematically. Your term paper should also reflect an understanding of the larger philosophical and
historical implications of the work you examine, so both your reading, class discussion, and attendance will be vital there
too.
CAUTION: English 2342's stories, novellas, and novel(s) hint at the human darkness that leaves audiences both disturbed
and fascinated. The material may be too graphic, sexually explicit, or “confined” (in the sense of claustrophobic and
paranoiac) for some readers—I urge those who may be over-troubled, offended, or even inspired by these fictional
treatments to consider another course. The “gothic” has among its meanings the overly done, the barbaric, and the
extreme; so by design “gothic,” and all the more so horror, literature may simply be too intense for some individuals or
tastes. Please take this course only with the acknowledgement of the inherent extremity of some of its content.
International writers are included wherever possible: our texts include authors from Germany, Russia, France, Denmark,
the Czech Republic, U.K, India, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, and Chile to name a few. Wherever possible I'd like us to ask
which conflicts, themes, characterizations, plots, and literary techniques reappear in terror literature around the world. Are
certain cultures enticed by particular forms of horror?
In terms of more specific objectives we'll 1) investigate why terror literature is popular, what new movements in it emerge
to reflect society's changing obsessions with sex or violence, and what cultural sub-texts can be disinterred from tales of
mystery, imagination, and suspense. 2) Read a few of its famous and obscure dark masterworks from our time and
investigate how they create a new myth pool. 3) Raise and attempt to resolve literary problems, psychological puzzles,
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
and cultural mysteries through close reading, class discussion, oral reports, and written analyses. 4) Ask what literary
techniques astonish us, making a story stand out among others in its subgenre.
By the end of the semester, you will be able to
Trace, interpret, and evaluate the cultural and literary development, and relations between, the subgenres of
“gothic,” “horror,” and “ghost” fiction, both in form and content, from the late 18 th century through to the present.
Interpret and evaluate a literary work through understanding its theme, situation, tone, structure, and style.
Recognize the aesthetic, moral, and intellectual values of the literature by applying and comparing relevant
cultural contexts.
Recognize some of the major themes of the literature.
Understand the distinguishing characteristics of various subgenres of “gothic,” “horror,” and “ghost” fiction.
Analyze texts logically in the context of writers’ diverse cultural backgrounds, values, and intertextual
relationships.
Write logical, well-organized, well-supported critical responses to literary works and show show a familiarity with
important scholarly commentary on those works.
Follow MLA guidelines in documenting sources
Required Materials
Baldick, Chris, ed. The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales. New York: Oxford, 1992, 2001, 2009.
Cuddon, J. A., ed. The Penguin Book of Horror Stories. New York: Penguin, 1984.
Olson, Danel, ed. Exotic Gothic 3. Ashcroft, British Columbia: Ash Tree Press, 2010.
Ryan, Alan. The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories. New York: Penguin, 1987.
Evaluation and Letter Grade Assignment
Two in-class papers = 10%
Draft of research paper = 5%
Research paper = 25%
Midterm Exam = 25%
Final exam = 25%
Quizzes and in-class work = 10%
Total = 100%
A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = 0-59
Late Work
Essays are due at the beginning of class. If the essay is not complete and printed out, you will have to turn in the essay at
the beginning of the next class period; the essay will be considered late. Only under special circumstances and only then
if you make prior arrangements with me, will I consider accepting essays e-mailed to me or turned in to my mailbox.
Regardless of the reason, five (5) points per class period will be deducted from late out-of-class papers unless, no later
than the day before the paper is due, you make arrangements for an extension. Unless I indicate otherwise, an essay
granted an extension must be turned in the following class period, after which the essay will be counted late. Finally,
UNLESS YOU MAKE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH ME AHEAD OF TIME, EXAMS AND QUIZZES CANNOT BE
MADE UP OR TURNED IN LATE I.E. YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT.
Research paper
A student who does not hand in a complete and acceptable research paper may receive a zero for the
assignment. The requirements for the research paper are provided in more detail on the course website linked from
http://faculty.lonestar.edu/vpiercy, but part of what constitutes a complete and acceptable paper is that it is a minimum
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
of 1500 words (excluding title page and Works Cited page) long and that it utilizes at least 7 acceptable secondary
sources.
Essay Formatting
1. All essays written outside of class must be typed. They should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and 10-
12 point font. Computers are available in E268, the Learning Assistance Center, and the library; printing costs ten
cents per page.
2. It is your responsibility to have a copy of your essay in case one of us loses it.
3. Staple (once) pages together in the upper left-hand corner, and please do it before class begins.
4. The following information should appear in the upper right-hand corner of in-class work and on the title page of
out-of-class essays:
o Your name
o Class and time
o Piercy
o Date
Classroom expectations
1. Don’t be rude to others. There is to be no reading of newspapers, PDAs (e.g., Palm Pilots), text messages, or
other non-class related materials while class is being conducted. Cellular phones and pagers are to be silenced
and put out of sight.
2. Avoid coming to class late. If you come to class late, please get class notes from someone besides me.
3. Please come prepared. Read the assignments before class. Do the assigned homework so that you may
participate fully in class discussion.
4. I do not mind if you have a drink or a coke or a cup of coffee and a snack bar or something that you can eat
quietly without drawing attention to yourself, but please do not bring a full lunch to class (whether that includes a
sandwich or plate of food or box of chicken with sides, along with bag of chips, drink, etc.). Please treat our
classroom and those within it in a professional and serious and respectful manner.
Attendance Policy
One of the keys to success in this course is consistent attendance. Listed below are the number of absences you are
allowed. If you are absent more than that number, you will lose two points to your final grade for each extra day that you
miss. 1 In addition, I may choose to drop you from the class because of excessive absences. Any variations from this
policy are strictly at my discretion. If you are late four times, that will count as an absence.
Class Schedule
Number of Absences Allowed
MWF 5
TTh or MW 3
Summer 2
Once a week 2
If you should miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain lecture notes and assignments from a classmate.
Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal from the course after the official day of record (see current catalog) will result in a final grade of “W” on the
student transcript and no credit will be awarded. If you decide you want to withdraw from the class before "W" day, it is
your responsibility to go to the admissions office and ask for a drop slip. Do not just stop coming to class and expect me
to drop you.
1
For example, if you miss a total of ten days for a MWF class, you will have exceeded the number of allowed absences by five days
and effectively decreased the best grade you can get in the class to a “B.”
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
Academic Integrity:
Below is the LSC statement on academic integrity from the LSC catalog:
LSC is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a
part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to
uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects,
cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials
or prerequisites when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another
student's exam, orally communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take
an exam or complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an
exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism
means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without giving proper credit by
documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that someone else has
prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed to be
completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of
cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, a faculty member will take disciplinary action
including but not limited to requiring the student to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a
grade of zero or "F" for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional
sanctions including being withdrawn from the course or program or expelled from school may be imposed
on a student who violates the standards of academic integrity. (Emphasis added)
In most cases in my class, intentional cheating, plagiarism, or collusion will result in an "F" in the course.
Requirements Met
This course fulfills either the LSC sophomore literature or humanities requirement along with the
multicultural requirement (that is, the course satisfies two requirements, only one of which can be literature or
humanities).
ENGL 2342 Horror, Ghost & Gothic Fiction Syllabus
Tues/Thurs Tentative Schedule (Fall 2010)
NOTE: All reading and writing assignments are to be completed on or before the date on which they appear on
the schedule. It is a good idea to mark the due dates of major assignments from all your classes so that you can
see what weeks will be especially busy. Also, expect a quiz over each story (that means there may not always be
a quiz but that you should be prepared for one). (G = The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales, H = The Penguin Book of Horror
Stories)
WEEK 1
Aug. 31
Sept. 2
WEEK 2
Sept. 7
Introduction to the course; discuss expectations, questions, and papers, and the some opening genre distinctions.
"Introduction" to The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales (G), pp. xi-xxiii
G pp. 82-84 J. Wadham, “Lady Eltringham….”
G pp. 3-6 Anna Laetitia Aikin, “Sir Bertrand”
G pp. 70-81 Petrus Borel, "Andreas Vesalius the Anatomist"
G pp. 435-465 Ray Russell, "Sardonicus"
G pp. 218-244 Thomas Hardy, “Barbara of the House of Grebe”
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
Sept. 9
WEEK 3
Sept. 14
G pp. 12-22 Anon. “The Friar’s Tale”
G pp. 23-26 “Juvenis,” "Raymond: A Fragment"
G pp. 51-59 Isaac Crookenden, “The Vindictive Monk….”
G pp. 85-101 Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”
"Introduction" to The Penguin Book of Horror (H) pp. 11-58
H pp. 59-61 Anon. “The Monk of Horror….”
Sept. 16
WEEK 4
Sept. 21
Sept. 23
WEEK 5
Sept. 28
Sept. 30
WEEK 6
Oct. 5
Oct. 7
Short Story Analysis #1 (written in class)
H pp. 97-113 Balzac, “Le Grande Bretêche”
G pp. 158-164 Bret Harte, "Selena Sedilia"
H pp. 78-88 Prosper Mérimée, “Mateo Falcone”
V pp. 1-6 Lord Byron, “Fragment of a Novel,” Penguin Book of Vampire Stories (V)
V pp. 7-24 John Polidori, “The Vampyre”
V pp. 203-213 Algernon Blackwood, “The Transfer”
V pp. 25-35 “Varney the Vampyre, Or, The Feast of Blood”
V pp. 334-348 Fritz Leiber, “The Girl With The Hungry Eyes”
V pp. 138-162 Mary Elizabeth Braddon, “Good Lady Ducayne”
V pp. 451-504 Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, “Cabin 33”
V pp. 441-450 Charles Grant, “Love Starved”
WEEK 7
Oct. 12
Oct. 14
WEEK 8
Oct. 19
H pp. 131-141 Guy de Maupassant, “Who Knows?”
H pp. 391-401 Lord Dunsany, “The Two Bottles of Relish"
V pp. 72-137 J. Sheridan Le Fanu, “Carmilla”
G pp. 249-263 Charlotte Perkins Stetson, “The Yellow Wall-Paper”
G pp. 316-321 H. P. Lovecraft, “The Outsider”
Midterm Review
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
Oct. 21
No class
WEEK 9
Oct. 26
Midterm Exam
Oct. 28
H pp. 545-556 Dorothy K. Haynes, “Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch…”
H pp. 510-520 Ray Bradbury, “The Dwarf”
H pp. 587-598 J. N. Allan, “The Aquarist”
WEEK 10
Nov. 2
G pp. 407-423 Frederick Cowles, "The Vampire of Kaldenstein"
G pp. 502-518 Patrick McGrath, “Blood Disease”
Nov. 4
G pp. 386-406 F. M. Mayor, “Miss de Mannering of Asham”
G pp. 466-477 Alejandra Pizarnik, "The Bloody Countess"
H pp. 254-276 Franz Kafka, “In the Penal Colony”
WEEK 11
Nov. 9
G pp. 483-497 Angela Carter, “The Lady of the House of Love”
G pp. 498-501 Joyce Carol Oates, “Secret Observations on the Goat-Girl”
G pp. 302-315 Ellen Glasgow, “Jordan’s End”
Nov. 11
Meet in class, then go to N-103 for Calliope readings.
WEEK 12
Nov. 16
In-class response paper #2 (written in class)
Nov. 18
Draft Workshop: Research Paper (response papers returned)
H pp. 361-371 William Faulkner, “Dry September”
H pp. 415-432 Geoffrey Household, “Taboo”
WEEK 13
Nov. 23
Draft of Research paper due (bring 2 copies, typed. Peer critique.)
Latin American Gothic
G pp. 478-482 Jorge Borges, "The Gospel According to Mark"
G pp. 519-526 Isabel Allende, "If You Touched My Heart"
Nov. 25
No class--holiday
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Fall 2010 LSC-Tomball--English, Education, and Mathematics Division Van Piercy
WEEK 14
Nov. 30
Southern Gothic
G pp. 424-434 Eudora Welty, "Clytie"
G pp. 322-330 William Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily"
Dec. 2
EG3 pp. vii-xi Danel Olson, Preface: “More Shivers and Whispers”; and Danel Olson, “The Gothic Takes a
Holiday” Preface from Exotic Gothic vii-xi, and Preface from Exotic Gothic 2: “A Twenty-first Century Gothic,” pp.
vii-x (handout)
EG3 pp. 66-78 Steve Duffy, “The Suicide Wood”
EG3 pp. 129-145 Isobelle Carmody, “The Stranger”
WEEK 15
Dec. 7
Final Draft of Research paper due
EG3 pp. 195-200 Milorad Pavic, “From Paper Theater”
EG3 pp. 16-27 Lucy Taylor, “Sanguma”
Dec. 9
EG3 pp. 3-15 Robert Hood, “Behind Dark Blue Eyes”
EG3 pp. 79-89 Tunku Halim, “Keramat”
Review for Final Exam
WEEK 16
Final exam
Thursday, Dec. 16, 12:30 P.M.-2:20 P.M.
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