Course Syllabus

ENGL 2200 Introduction to Literature

Course Description

This course is an introduction to literary forms, to close reading of literature, and to the terminology of literature. The emphasis is on fiction, poetry, and drama. The course will emphasize a variety of literary traditions, historical time periods, various authors, careful reading, literary analysis, and thoughtful interpretation.

Justification

English 2200 is an introduction to the study of literary genres, specifically fiction, poetry, and drama. The course acquaints students with ways to think about and respond to literature. The course introduces students to literary terms, including their use and importance in discussing literary works. This course provides a solid foundation for the study of literature.

This course offers a General Education opportunity to students who would like to come to a greater intellectual and visceral appreciation of a variety of written works. This course provides a good introduction to literature for English and education majors.

The Humanities are a group of academic disciplines that study the many ways by which humans have attempted to understand themselves and their world. At Snow College, the Humanities focus on cultural traditions that are expressed largely through text or which have a strong textual component: languages, literature, and philosophy. The methods by which the Humanities study culture are at once analytical and interpretive, objective and subjective, historical and aesthetic.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. An important goal of this course is to foster an appreciation of literature in general. After completing this course, students are prepared to recognize and enjoy literary works for intellectual as well as visceral reasons. Students will read a variety of literature and use class discussion to explore the ways the writings represent different cultures and the ways they have influenced the development of civilization. Quizzes, writing assignments, examinations, special projects, and class discussions will ask students to consider readings in a variety of contexts.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will be able to closely read a variety of primary literary texts and use this reading as the basis for analysis along with consideration of secondary interpretations from outside sources. Students will demonstrate their close reading skills through class discussions, quizzes, exams, and projects/papers.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. The study of literature is inherently interdisciplinary because it connects the lived realities of social groups through literary expression. Students use insights from geography, history, sociology, gender studies, and other fields to read and analyze literature. They will demonstrate this learning through class discussions, quizzes, exams, and projects/papers.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students analyze written texts to form conclusions about artistic excellence, the formation of literature, and cultural norms. They will demonstrate this analysis on exams, quizzes, class discussions, and written assignments.
5. A student who completes the GE curriculum can communicate effectively through writing and speaking. Students will write and participate in class discussions both to respond and to create arguments. They will use effective writing processes to write about course readings and class discussions, and they will demonstrate these skills through critical thinking questions on quizzes, written assignments and on revised projects/papers.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Through the study of a selection of fiction, poetry, and drama, students will examine a variety of philosophical problems concerning human thought and experience (e.g., human nature, race and identity, individuality and society). Class discussions, essays, and essay-exams will allow students to demonstrate they can articulate ways in which authors writing literature have asked and answered various questions; they will also allow students to demonstrate they can participate in discussions about these questions. Through the study of a selection of fiction, poetry, and drama, students will examine a variety of philosophical problems concerning human thought and experience (e.g., human nature, race and identity, individuality and society). Class discussions, essays, and essay-exams will allow students to demonstrate they can articulate ways in which authors writing literature have asked and answered various questions; they will also allow students to demonstrate they can participate in discussions about these questions.
2. Understand how knowledge is created through the study of language systems, literature, and/or philosophy. Through the practice of close reading (literary analysis), from a range of literary texts, students will understand how knowledge is created within the field of literature. Students will be able understand how such elements as history, audience, authorial choices in relation to the text, and personal biases impact the reading of a text. Students will be asked to demonstrate their ability to read closely on exams and in written assignments.
3. Understand cultural traditions within an historical context and make connections with the present. Students will understand the cultural traditions that produced and that are represented in fiction, poetry, and drama. They will also be able to discuss literature in a historical context and be able to articulate connections with contemporary culture. Class discussions, quizzes, and exams will allow students to identify, contextualize, and explain various authors, works, and movements in literature.
4. Critically read and respond to primary texts (original, uninterpreted) from a Humanities’ perspective. Students will be able to read, interpret, analyze, and respond to a representative selection of primary literary texts. Reading strategies, writing assignments, discussion, and exams will allow students to demonstrate an ability to read critically in order to understand, explain, and evaluate literary texts.
5. Write effectively within the Humanities discipline to analyze and form critical and aesthetic judgments. Students will be able to write interpretive and analytic essays that are supported through textual analysis. They will be given feedback on written drafts in order to improve writing and thinking skills from one assignment to the next.

Course Content

A general literature anthology and/or additional readings of the instructor’s choice are used to present and illustrate some of the following literary terms and ideas and others: novel, short story, fiction, poetry, drama, plot, point of view, character, setting, tone, style, irony, theme, symbol, diction, imagery, figures of speech, rhyme, meter, tragedy, comedy. Course content will be delivered through lectures and a variety of class interactions. Course content will offer students the opportunity to see various ethnic, cultural, gender, regional, economic, and other perspectives.