[PDF] 1 Introduction to Literature Spring 2022 Classroom: Russell Sage

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Introduction to Literature, Spring 2022

Classroom: Russell Sage Laboratory 4203; Remote Delivery: via Zoom

63156/64027 LITR-2110-01/02

Monday/Thursday, 10:00-11:50 a.m.

4 Credit Hours, Communication Intensive

James P. Zappen, Professor

4406 Russell Sage Laboratory

Consultation Hours: Monday/Thursday 12:15-1:15 p.m.

Email: zappenj@rpi.edu

Skype: jimzappen

Web: http://www.rpi.edu/~zappenj/

Zoom: https://zoom.us

Course Description

A study of major literary works that introduces students to basic ideas and terminology in literary criticism. Students learn to read and interpret a selection of novels, plays, poetry, or other forms of writing to be determined each semester by the instructor. For Spring 2022, LITR-2110-01/02, students will be introduced to contemporary novels and short stories representing a range of genres and styles from realist/modernist to magical realist to postmodernist to post-postmodernist literature and a variety of perspectives on U.S. and Russian literature and culture, with Russian texts in English translations. The major themes will be the evolution of the American dream and the devolution of the Soviet dream of a Marxist utopia. Introduction to Literature has been approved as a Communication Intensive course and a partial fulfillment of the HASS Literature and Creative Writing Pathway.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will: Have read selected contemporary fiction and essays representing a range of perspectives on literature and culture, including international perspectives, Have developed analytical and interpretive skills and vocabularies, including both textual and contextual analysis, Have developed interpersonal communication skills through exploration and discussion of complex social, cultural, and intercultural issues, and Have developed basic writing and speaking skills in the formulation of arguments based on literary texts, including analyzing audiences and purposes; focusing on specific topics or ideas; stating claims, with main ideas first; identifying and using appropriate warrants and supporting data; developing logical patterns of organization; and writing and speaking in standard English. Students will receive regular and timely responses to reading quizzes, group project reports, and writing assignments, with grades, via email. 2

Course Requirements and Resources

Required Readings*:

Egan, Jennifer. A Visit from the Goon Squad. 2010. New York: Random House, Anchor

Books, 2011.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2004. Silber, Joan. Improvement: A Novel. Berkeley, California: Counterpoint, 2017. Whitehead, Colson. The Nickel Boys. New York: Penguin Random House, Doubleday, 2019.
*I will reference the page numbers in these editions. Page numbers or locations in other editions, either print or electronic, may differ. Additional Class Readings: Available via the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS)

Required: In-Person Class Attendance

Required: Zoom: https://zoom.us/ (with Video on and Microphone mute, except for questions and comments) Required: Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS): https://lms.rpi.edu. You must have access to LMS for in-class discussions and out-of-class readings, assignments, and other course materials. Required: Rensselaer Email Address: You must have an active and functional Rensselaer email address, and you must read it regularly for class notices, assignments, evaluations, and other class business. Required: MS Word with Track Changes set to All Markup.

As Needed: Skype: http://www.skype.com/en/

Class Discussions: Please speak and listen professionally and courteously to one another, respect others' opinions, even when you disagree with them, and avoid profane and vulgar language.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Jan. 10

Introduction to the Study of Literature and Culture; The Modernist Turn to Multiple Perspectives and Moral Relativity Academic Writing and "Argumentation" 1: Rensselaer's Communicative Competencies and the Structure of Academic Arguments Optional Reading: Stephen Toulmin, The Uses of Argument, pages 97- 107
The Study of Literature and Culture I: Modernist, Postmodernist, and

Post-Postmodernist Literature, Parts A. 1-4 and B

Class Activity: Zoom Practice Session

3

Class Activity: Self-Introduction (In Class)

13 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The Traditional American Dream of

Wealth and Social Status

Required Reading Due: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Chapters

1-3, pages 1-59

The Study of Literature and Culture II: The American Dream The Study of Literature and Culture III: Narrative Theory 1

Academic Essay 1 Assignment

Academic Essay 1: Sample Essay: "A Narrator's Blindness in Raymond

Carver's 'Cathedral'"

Class Activity: Discussion of The Great Gatsby

20 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The Traditional American Dream of

Wealth and Social Status

Required Reading Due: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Chapters

4-6, pages 61-111

Selected Readings on Modernist Literature, the Traditional American

Dreams, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald: Overview

Class Activity: Discussion of The Great Gatsby (continued) Class Activity: Coordination of Group Projects on Modernist Literature, the Traditional American Dreams, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

24 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The Traditional American Dream of

Wealth and Social Status

Required Reading Due: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Chapters

7-9, pages 113-80

Reading Quiz 1: F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (4 points) Academic Essay 1: Sample Essay Outline 1: "Causal Connections in The

Great Gatsby"

Class Activity: Discussion of The Great Gatsby (continued) Class Activity: Research for Group Projects on Modernist Literature, the Traditional American Dreams, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

27 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The Traditional American Dream of

Upward Mobility

Required Reading Due: Philip Roth, "Goodbye, Columbus," in Goodbye, Columbus and Five Short Stories (pages 1-136 only) Reading Quiz 2: Philip Roth, "Goodbye, Columbus" (2 points)

Class Activity: Discussion of "Goodbye, Columbus"

4 Class Activity: Preparation for Group Projects on Modernist Literature, the Traditional American Dreams, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

31 Class Activity: Group Projects on Modernist Literature, the Traditional

American Dreams, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Class Activity: Review of Academic Essay 1 Ideas and Outlines Feb. 3 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness The Study of Literature and Culture IV: Intertextual and Contextual

Approaches to Literary Interpretation

Consultations on Academic Essay 1

Due Saturday, February 5, 12:00 Noon: Academic Essay 1: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and/or Philip Roth's "Goodbye, Columbus"

7 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream of Life, Liberty,

and the Pursuit of Happiness Required Reading Due: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Prologue and Chapters 1-6, pages 3-69

Academic Essay 2 Assignment

Academic Writing and Argumentation 2: Grammar and Style 1

Class Activity: Discussion of The Nickel Boys

10 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Required Reading Due: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Chapters 7-

11, pages 70-143

Selected Readings on Speculative Fiction; the New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; and Soviet/Post-Soviet

Russia: Overview

Class Activity: Discussion of The Nickel Boys (continued)

14 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream of Life, Liberty,

and the Pursuit of Happiness Required Reading Due: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Chapters 12-

16 and Epilogue, pages 144-210

Reading Quiz 3: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys (4 points) The Study of Literature and Culture V: Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia The Study of Literature and Culture VI: Genres of Speculative Fiction,

Parts A, B, and C

5 Class Activity: Discussion of The Nickel Boys (continued) Class Activity: Coordination of Group Projects on Speculative Fiction; the New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; and

Soviet/Post-Soviet Russia

17 Contemporary Russian Literature: The Soviet Dream and the Post-Soviet

Reality

Required Reading Due: Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, "The Shadow Life" and "There's Someone in the House," in There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby: Scary Fairy Tales (pages 108-14, 124-

38 only), and "Hallelujah, Family!" in There Once Lived a Girl Who

Seduced Her Sister's Husband, and He Hanged Himself: Love Stories (pages 65-74 only) The Study of Literature and Culture VII: Narrative Theory 2 Class Activity: Discussion of "The Shadow Life," "There's Someone in the

House," and "Hallelujah, Family!"

Class Activity: Research for Group Projects on Speculative Fiction; the New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; and

Soviet/Post-Soviet Russia

22 Contemporary Russian Literature: The Soviet Dream and the Post-Soviet

Reality

Required Reading Due: Victor Pelevin, The Yellow Arrow Reading Quiz 4: Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, "The Shadow Life," "There's Someone in the House," and "Hallelujah, Family!" and Victor Pelevin,

The Yellow Arrow (3 points)

The Study of Literature and Culture VIII: A Brief Introduction to

Existential Literature

Class Activity: Discussion of Gregory Pardlo's "Kierkegaard: He who does the work gives birth to his own father."

Class Activity: Discussion of The Yellow Arrow

Class Activity: Preparation for Group Projects on Speculative Fiction; the New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; and

Soviet/Post-Soviet Russia

24 Contemporary U.S. and Russian Literature: The New American Dream of

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness and Soviet/Post-Soviet Russia Class Activity: Group Projects on Speculative Fiction; the New American Dream of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; and Soviet/Post-

Soviet Russia

Class Activity: Review of Academic Essay 2 Ideas and Outlines 6

28 The Postmodernist Turn to Impossible Worlds, Chance and Uncertainty,

Irony and Moral Ambiguity

The Study of Literature and Culture I: Modernist, Postmodernist, and Post-Postmodernist Literature, Parts A. 5-6 and C through F

Consultations on Academic Essay 2

Due Thursday, March 3, 6:00 p.m.: Academic Essay 2: Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys and/or Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's "The Shadow Life," "There's Someone in the House," and/or "Hallelujah,

Family!" and/or Victor Pelevin's The Yellow Arrow

Mar. 3 The Postmodernist Turn to Impossible Worlds, Chance and Uncertainty,

Irony and Moral Ambiguity

Required Reading: Kurt Vonnegut, "Report on the Barnhouse Effect," in Welcome to the Monkey House (pages 173-88 only); Thomas Pynchon, "Entropy," in Slow Learner: Early Stories (pages 79-98 only) Literature and Culture Notes 1: Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow Discussion of "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" and "Entropy"

14 The Post-Postmodernist (Re)Turn to Authenticity and Sincerity

Required Reading Due: Steven Millhauser, "Eisenheim the Illusionist," in The Barnum Museum (pages 215-37 only); and David Foster Wallace, "Good Old Neon," in Oblivion (pages 141-81 only) Reading Quiz 5: Kurt Vonnegut, "Report on the Barnhouse Effect," Thomas Pynchon, "Entropy," Steven Millhauser, "Eisenheim the Illusionist," and David Foster Wallace, "Good Old Neon" (3 points) Literature and Culture Notes 2: David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest Class Activity: Discussion of "Eisenheim the Illusionist" and "Good Old Neon"

17 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest

for Improvement Required Reading Due: Joan Silber, Improvement, Chapters 1-3, pages 1- 89
Optional Reading: Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, pages 30-40 The Study of Literature and Culture IX: Narrative Theory 3

Class Activity: Discussion of Improvement

Class Activity: Coordination of Group Projects on Postmodernist Literature, the Dream of Improvement, and the American Dream Today 7

21 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest

for Improvement Required Reading Due: Joan Silber, Improvement, Chapters 4-6, pages

91-164

Academic Essay 3 Assignment

Academic Writing and Argumentation 3: Grammar and Style 2 Selected Readings on Postmodernist Literature, the Dream of Improvement, and the New American Dream - Education, Technology, and the Economy: Overview Class Activity: Discussion of Improvement (continued) Class Activity: Research for Group Projects on Postmodernist Literature, the Dream of Improvement, and the American Dream Today

24 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest

for Improvement Required Reading Due: Joan Silber, Improvement, Chapters 7-8, pages

165-227

Reading Quiz 6: Joan Silber, Improvement (4 points) Class Activity: Discussion of Improvement (continued) Class Activity: Preparation for Group Projects on Postmodernist Literature, the Dream of Improvement, and the American Dream Today

28 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest

for Improvement Class Activity: Group Projects on Postmodernist Literature, the Dream of

Improvement, and the American Dream Today

Class Activity: Review of Academic Essay 3 Ideas and Outlines 31
Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest for Redemption The Study of Literature and Culture I: Modernist, Postmodernist, and

Post-Postmodernist Literature, Part G

Consultations on Academic Essay 3

Due Saturday, April 2, 2:00 p.m.: Academic Essay 3: Kurt Vonnegut's "Report on the Barnhouse Effect," Thomas Pynchon's "Entropy," Steven Millhauser's "Eisenheim the Illusionist," and/or David Foster Wallace's "Good Old Neon" and/or Joan Silber's Improvement

Apr. 4

Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest for Redemption 8 Required Reading: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, pages 1-

83 (Chapters 1-4)

The Study of Literature and Culture X: Affect Theory in Literature and

Social Media, Parts A and B

Class Activity: Discussion of A Visit from the Goon Squad 7 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest for Redemption Required Reading Due: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, pages 84-165 (Chapters 5-8)

Academic Essay 4 Assignment

Academic Writing and Argumentation 4: Grammar and Style 3 The Study of Literature and Culture XI: The Society of the Spectacle,

Simulation, and Simulacra

Class Activity: Discussion of A Visit from the Goon Squad (continued) 11 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest for Redemption Required Reading Due: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, pages 166-233 (Chapters 9-11) Selected Readings on Post-Postmodernist Literature, Media Culture, and the Future of the American Dream: Overview Class Activity: Discussion of A Visit from the Goon Squad (continued) Class Activity: Coordination of Group Projects on Post-Postmodernist Literature, Media Culture, and/or the Future of the American Dream

14 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Quest

for Redemption Required Reading Due: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad, pages 234-340 (Chapters 12-13) Reading Quiz 7: Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad (5 points) Class Activity: Discussion of A Visit from the Goon Squad (continued) Class Activity: Research for Group Projects on Post-Postmodernist Literature, Media Culture, and/or the Future of the American Dream 18 Contemporary U.S. Literature: The New American Dream and the Pursuit of Happiness: Love, Sex, and Marriage Required Reading Due: Raymond Carver, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" in Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? Stories (pages 1-16); Richard Ford, "Under the Radar," in A Multitude of Sins: Stories (pages 9

141-52 only); and Jennifer Egan, "The Watch Trick," in Emerald City:

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