About


EN 490 Literary and Cultural Theory
9:30 AM TR; LIB110

Dr. Todd Comer
Email: proftod AT gmail DOT com (you must include "en490" in your subject)
Office hours: In Dana 6, by appointment:

"Whatever falls out contrary to custom we say is contrary to nature, but nothing, whatever it be, is contrary to her. Let, therefore, this universal and natural reason expel the error and astonishment that novelty brings along with it." --Montaigne

Course Description and Objectives: EN 490 Literary and Cultural Theory (3) The capstone of the English major. This course examines current trends in literary theory with concrete application to literary and filmic texts. Each interpretive theory will be examined comparatively with and against other theories. There will be special emphasis on self-identity, power, and textuality with additional attention to issues in the English profession. Prerequisite: EN 290 and senior standing. Offered in spring.

The center of the course will be a long segment on disability studies, a burgeoning multidisciplinary field that is beginning to complicate and (perhaps) displace race, class, and gender in recent literary studies. We will discuss the limits of social constructionism (with the assistance of Michel Foucault's History of Sexuality), literary and filmic representations of people with disabilities, the cultural work of freak shows, ableist ideology, and narrative theory. The course ends with a series of readings from David Richter's Falling into Theory, introducing students to basic issues in the discipline--the canon wars, hermeneutics (interpretation), and the politics of pedagogy. While there will be many short readings and essays, the major project of the semester will be a 20 page research essay analyzing the representation of disability in a text of your own choosing.

TEXTS

FILMS

Note about texts: Literary and filmic texts represent the world and the world, to say the least, is often not a pretty picture. It is necessary, however, to take a long, hard look at personal, social, communal misery in order to understand and imagine a way out of what can often be termed unethical, if not tragic circumstances. That, at any rate, is my basic ethical justification as I read any text. If you are offended by a course text, it is your responsibility to approach me prior to the discussion of the text and request a substitute reading assignment.

Literary Theory and Research English Major Outcome: The student will demonstrate understanding of research-and theory-based trends in literary and filmic criticism by the sustained application of a theoretical framework to a primary text(s) in an essay.

Helpful Resources:

Bibliography of Texts Used to Prepare for EN 490:

Grades

100-93 = A
92-90 = A-
89-87 = B+
86-83 = B
82-80 = B-
79-77 = C+
76-73 = C
72-70 = C-
69-67 = D+
66-63 = D
62-60 = D-
59-00 = F

Note about submissions: I have many students and this can easily lead to confusion. Please provide me with hard copies of your assignments on the day that they are due; do not trust me to keep track of email submissions, which I prefer not to receive.  Do label your drafts clearly and do not turn your assignments in early.

Paraphrases: For each text that we read, you will submit a short paraphrase and at least two questions to spark class discussion. Your paraphrase will be presented to the class with your questions. They should also include page numbers and be drawn from the entire text, not just the first few pages. You begin the course with full (100%) credit in this category. For each dropped P/Q your grade will be dropped by five points in this category.

Short papers: You will write three short essays on issues basic to the English profession. After reading two essays from FIT, you will synthesize their positions and take a position on the issues at hand. Each paper's response will be centered on the section theme listed in Falling into Theory (How We Read, Why We Read, etc.). Essays will be around four pages in length. 

Research Essay: You will write a 20 page research essay dealing with a literary text of your choice. Your essay must fall within the parameters of disability studies, integrating disability theory throughout your analysis. All topics must be approved by the instructor. You will be required to sign and abide by a plagiarism form. See the website.

Participation: Physical presence alone is not enough; you must come to work, not to watch. You must engage in conversation on class topics to receive any credit in this grade category. You must give your full attention to the demands of class discussions and collaboration. To make this as as concrete as possible: if you add only two comments to our conversation during the entire semester, you will earn a 0.0 in this grade category. If you talk fairly often (once a week at least), you will normally receive full credit. Participation also means the willingness to thoughtfully and respectfully discuss your own writing, that of your classmates, and any other class readings. You need not always agree with others' responses and evaluations (in fact, disagreement is often useful), but you must be willing to take everyone's opinion seriously and try to understand it on its own terms. Participation is not however solely in-class conversation. Participation may also include one-on-one conversation with your instructor, as well as your group participation.

Additional note: Students are also required to be part of the organizing committee for the Arts and Humanities symposium. Contact Dr. Harper for more information.

Class Decorum: The following activities are inappropriate in any classroom: text messaging, talking off-topic, listening to music, not listening to others, carrying on separate class conversations, checking email, sleeping, and/or studying for a separate course. Such rude activities annoy your classmates and professors. Keep in mind that your professors love what they do. Rude behavior is particularly frustrating in that light. Your participation grade will be severely penalized for such activities. Cell phones will be confiscated if necessary.

Attendance Policy: Regular class attendance is required. You are allowed two absences; save them for illness, religious observances, funerals, court dates, job interviews. For each additional absence, your final grade will be lowered five points. Six absences constitute immediate failure of the course. You must be present for the entire period (tardiness will count as half an absence). Should a medical or family emergency arise that will require your absence beyond four classes, please notify me as soon as possible. You will be expected to provide documentation from a physician or hospital and to make up missed work. If a conflict arises between your obligation to attend class and an obligation to the college community, it is your responsibility to see me in advance, to hand in all assignments on time, and to make up work missed during your absence. Consistent tardies will also count against your participation grade.

Attendance at the following is required at the following:

Students are required to present ten pages conference papers at the A and H symposium, April 10, 11 a.m.

Accomodation Policy for Students with Disabilities: Defiance College is committed to providing educational opportunities for qualified students with documented disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations, in compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504).  The purpose of accommodations is to provide equal access to educational opportunities without altering essential elements of programs or courses.  All requests for accommodations are evaluated on an individual basis after review and evaluation of documentation.  It is the responsibility of the student to request necessary accommodations and the student should do so as early as possible, as some accommodations may require time to implement. 

Students with a documented physical, psychological, or learning disability must submit appropriate documentation to Defiance College’s Accessibility Services Coordinator, Lisa Marsalek, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Career Development at Extension 2366 or lmarsalek@defiance.edu. Please refer to pages 20-21 of the Course Catalog for Defiance College’s Accommodations Policy for Students with Disabilities which includes the documentation required for accommodations (2010).  

Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of the integrity of the educational process and community. As the Defiance College Academic Integrity Policy states (see your student handbook), "All members of the DC community are expected to engage in their academic tasks with integrity and respect for others. A major part of the learning accomplished in college is the development of critical thinking skills, and these skills are only developed when each person's work reflects his or her own original thought.

Defiance College is committed to helping each student to understand and practice the highest degree of integrity in his or her academic work, and to take from that work the greatest intellectual and ethical benefit." Furthermore, "The basic rule for academic honesty is that a student's work should always be his or her own."

Plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, occurs when students use the ideas and/or language/wording of another without proper citation or quotation, irregardless of a student's intent. Students who recycle work from another course, passing it off as new work are also guilty of academic dishonesty. Students who commit academic dishonesty will fail the assignment, if not the course, and have their actions formally reported to the Academic Dean's Office.

A lengthier description of plagiarism can be found in your writer's handbook and on my web site. Please reference this page and/or talk with me if you have any doubts whatsoever about your use of sources.

Final Procedural Note: I make heavy use of email and the class site for announcements. You should check your email and the website daily.

Schedule: Readings are due on the day they are listed. Several readings (poetry and short stories, historical articles) are to be determined. In addition, the instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus and will notify students of any changes. Naturally, neither grading criteria nor major assignments are subject to change. Please note all of the online readings which are linked to. These are also required reading.

SCHEDULE

FIT=Falling into Theory
The Reader=The Disability Studies Reader
Race, Class, Gender, and now Disability Studies--why?

Week 1 1.09
* T Syllabus, intros, coffee, etc. View The Unusual Suspects: How Society and People with Disabilities Regard Each Other (30 min). Discuss.
* R Read Colin Barnes' "A Brief History of Discrimination and Disabled People" in Reader (20). Paraphrase due. Handout major research essay assignment and facebook assignment. 

Week 2 1.16
* T  Tom Shakespeare's "The Social Model of Disability" in Reader (266). Paraphrase due.
* R Read Simi Linton's "Reassigning Meaning" (223) in Reader. Paraphrase due. View Psycho over weekend (on reserve at library). 

Narrative Prosthesis
plot, conflict, disability

Week 3 1.23
* T Read "Screening Stereotypes" (Paul Longmore, handout). Paraphrase due. Discuss Psycho.
* R Read "Aids and its Metaphors" (193) in Reader. Paraphrase due. 

Week 4 1.30
* T Read "Narrative Prosthesis and the Materiality of Metaphor" (Snyder and Mitchell) in the Reader (274). Paraphrase due; Read "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" (link)
* R Go to library and locate Rosemarie Garland-Thomson's "Disability and Representation" in PMLA, and read it. Research your possible text for research essay; Students will choose a text to focus on by this date (do a MLA Bib search to locate materials and gauge level of secondary materials available).

Ideology and disability
Constructing Normalcy and the Body
The Novel as Ideology
Freak shows

Week 5 2.06
* T Read Leonard Davis' "Constructing Normalcy: The Bell Curve, the Novel, and the Invention of the Disabled Body in the 19th Century" (3) in the Reader. Paraphrase due.
* R Read portion of intro to Extraordinary Bodies and (most importantly) entirety of "The Cultural Work of American Freak Shows, 1835-1940 (Garland-Thomson, handout). Paraphrase due.

Submit an MLA-formatted page works cited page for your research essay; it should include ten sources, (mainly) secondary sources dealing explicitly with your topic as well as (a few) important theoretical texts.

Week 6 2.13
* T View  Tod Browning's Freaks; Read the short story, "Spurs" (link)
* R Discuss.

State Power and Biopower

Week 7 2.20
* T Read part 1 and 2 of Foucault [next time make just one part due on day one; then 2 and 3 on day two]. Paraphrase due (each following paraphrase should just focus on the sections listed; do not merge all of your paraphrases; do clearly label each portion).
* R  Read first 50 pages of From Hell. 

Three page rough draft due of research essay (thesis statement included). 

Week 8 2.27
* T Read first half of From Hell
* R Finish From Hell

Week 9 3.05
* T Read part three of Foucault. Paraphrase due. 

* R Read part four of Foucault. Paraphrase due.

Week 10 3.19 
* T  Read part five of Foucault. Paraphrase due.
* R   Foucault cont. Watch Brokeback Mountain over the weekend.

Eight page draft due of research paper on Friday.

Week 11 3.26  (could be overflow for Foucault)
* T Read  "Cripping Heterosexuality" in Reader (443). Paraphrase due. 
* R Read "A Critical Analysis of Wilfred Owen's "Disabled" (link) Paraphrase due.  

THE ENGLISH PROFESSION
Why We Read
What We Read
How We Read

Week 12 4.02
* T Read Freire (68) in FIT. P/Q due. Read "introduction" to FIT on page 1
* R Read Vendler (31) in FIT (WHY WE READ). Paraphrase due. Read the introduction to the WHY WE READ section on page 15. 

Twelve page rough draft of research essay due on Friday.

Week 13 4.09
* T Read Said (189) and Bloom (225) in FIT (WHAT WE READ). Paraphrase due. Read intro. to this section as well. 

A and H Symposium today after class at 11 am.

* R First Paper due (WHY WE READ). Papers will be presented.

Week 14 4.16
* T Read Fish (267) and Rabinowitz (257) in FIT (HOW WE READ MODULE). Paraphrase due. Read intro. to this section as well.
* R Second Paper due (WHAT WE READ). Papers will be presented.

Week 15 4.23
* T Third Paper due (HOW WE READ MODULE).