Assignments
English 4900 Seminar of Language & Literature, Spring 2018
TR 2:00-3:15 p.m., Arts & Sciences 340A
Critical Approaches Essays
The two critical approach essays are designed to review your understanding of the various systems of interpreting literature, and they will help the class look at our literary works in multiple ways. Your essay should interpret the literary text using the questions and tenets of your chosen methodology. Include at least one theoretical source (i.e., an article of theory) and two interpretive sources (i.e., a scholarly journal article or book chapter that interprets the primary text). Attach to the paper (but not part of the page range) a 5-10 point list of the critical approach's key tenets for interpreting literature. In addition to submitting the written paper, you will also read the paper and critical approach tenet list to the class in order to get feedback on your paper as well as to broach class discussion of the text.
You may use any of the approaches below to interpret the work of literature; let your professor know of the approach you plan to use one week before the due date. You should not use the same approach in both essays, and you should consult with the other student who is scheduled to interpret the literary work to make sure that you employ different approaches.
- African-American criticism
- cognitive criticism
- ecocriticism
- existentialism and phenomenology
- feminist criticism and gender studies
- Marxism and cultural materialism
- New Criticism and Russian Formalism
- New Historicism
- postcolonial criticism
- poststructuralism and deconstruction
- psychoanalytic criticism
- queer theory and lesbian/gay criticism
- reader-response criticism
- structuralism (myth criticism, narratology, and semiotics)
Parameters
- Length: 6-8 pages
- Format: MLA style in Word format (I suggest using this template)
- Oral Due Date: You will read the paper to the class on the scheduled due date and engage in discussion. (Please also submit your essay to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Critical Approaches for those classmates who wish to follow along as you read.)
- Written Due Date: You can either submit the paper on the same day as the oral due date, or, If you wish to revise the paper after the class's feedback and discussion, you may submit the paper one week after oral due date. The paper is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Critical Approaches Essays.
- Grade: Your assignment will be assessed in terms of your understanding and application of the critical approach, as well as the quality of your thesis, interpretation, and research. Retrieve your graded essay in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Critical Approaches Essay approximately one week after you submit the paper. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I cannot return your graded paper unless you upload it to the Assignments dropbox.
Sign Up
Oral Due Date |
Text and Assignment |
Student |
|---|---|---|
T, 2-6 |
Marlowe, Literary Period |
Sami Strickland |
Marlowe, Critical Approach |
Abby Bishop (existentialism) |
|
R, 2-8 |
Marlowe, Critical Approach |
Bailey Freeman (structuralism) |
T, 2-20 |
Wordsworth, Literary Period |
Allie Owens |
Wordsworth, Critical Approach |
Sami Strickland (feminism) |
|
R, 2-22 |
Coleridge, Critical Approach |
Allie Owens (ecocriticism) |
R, 3-1 |
Thoreau, Literary Period |
Olivia Julian |
Thoreau, Critical Approach |
||
T, 3-6 |
Thoreau, Critical Approach |
Abby Bishop (structuralism) |
T, 3-13 |
Chopin, Literary Period |
Bailey Freeman |
Chopin, Critical Approach |
Megan Ray |
|
R, 3-15 |
Chopin, Critical Approach |
Olivia Julian (feminism) |
T, 3-27 |
Joyce, Literary Period |
Megan Ray |
Joyce, Critical Approach |
Bailey Freeman (psychoanalysis) |
|
R, 3-29 |
Joyce, Critical Approach |
Olivia Julian |
T, 4-10 |
Hughes, Literary Period |
Abby Bishop |
R, 4-12 |
Hughes, Critical Approach (you may submit your Research Paper Draft on Sunday, 4-15) |
Allie Owens |
R, 4-19 |
DeLillo, Literary Period |
|
DeLillo, Critical Approach |
Sami Strickland |
|
T, 4-24 |
DeLillo, Critical Approach |
Megan Ray |
R, 4-26 |
Research Presentations |
Bailey Freeman |
Megan Ray |
||
T, 5-1 |
Research Presentations |
Olivia Julian |
Sami Strickland |
||
R, 5-3 |
Research Presentations |
Abby Bishop |
Allie Owens |
Literary Period Project
While the critical approaches essays requires you to review the various ways too interpret literature, the literary period project compels you to review the major literary periods and authors'/texts' place within those periods.
Annotated Bibliography
Research the literary period of your assigned author and text, and compile a 10-source annotated bibliography, composed of 1) a mix of 5-7 scholarly journal articles, book chapters, and books that conceptualize, describe, and frame the literary period and 2) a mix of 3-5 scholarly journal articles, book chapters, and books that argue the literary text and/or author's place within the literary period. Each annotation should be approximately 100 words long.
As a review, here's how to conduct literary research at our university.
Presentation
Your 15 minute audiovisual presentation should not only convey the research in your annotated bibliography (you could share annotations, for instance), but also synthesize the research by making your own informed claims about the period and the author's and text's place within the period.
Parameters
- Length: 10 source annotated bibliography, 15 minute presentation
- Format: MLA style in Word format (I suggest using this template)
- Due Date: Submit your annotated bibliography as well as a file or link to your presentation on the scheduled due date in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Literary Period Project
- Grade: Your assignment will be assessed in terms of your understanding of the period and author/text's place within it as well as the quality of your research and presentation. Retrieve your graded essay in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Literary Period Project approximately one week after you submit the bibliography. Due to GeorgiaVIEW limitations, I cannot return your graded project unless you upload it to the Assignments dropbox.
Sign Up
The combined critical approaches, literary project, and research presentation sign up sheet is here.
Research Project
Over the course of the semester, you will expand a short, non-research essay from a previous class into an 18-20 page research paper and 15 minute presentation.
First Research Project Workshop
The first stage of the research project will be to select an essay to expand. Choose two short essays from former classes that do not include research and post them to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Research Project Selection by Sunday, February 11 (failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final research project grade). Read your group members' short essays before class on Tuesday, February 13 and prepare to give them ideas for revision, research, and expansion. During the Tuesday's Research Project Workshop, groups will share ideas for revision, research, and expansion.
Here are the groups:
- Group 1: Abby Bishop, Bailey Freeman, Olivia Julian
- Group 2: Allie Owens, Megan Ray, Sami Strickland
Research Project Conference
After the Research Project Workshop, writers will 1) choose an essay, 2) compose a paragraph or two long research, revision, and expansion strategy, and 3) submit that plan to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Project Conference by Sunday, February 25 (failure to submit on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final research project grade). Instead of class on Tuesday, February 27, you will meet your professor for 15 minutes to discuss your research project plan.
Time |
Student |
|---|---|
10:30-10:45 |
Sami Strickland |
1:00-1:15 |
|
1:20-1:35 |
Olivia Julian |
2:00-2:15 |
Megan Ray |
2:20-2:35 |
Allie Owens |
2:40-2:55 |
Bailey Freeman |
3:00-3:15 |
Abby Bishop |
5:30-5:45 |
Annotated Bibliography
The annotated bibliography for your research project is due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Annotated Bibliography on Thursday, April 5. (Failure to submit the annotated bibliography on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final research project.) In addition to adhering to MLA style and being formatted in Microsoft Word, your bibliography should include 10 scholarly sources (a mixture of book chapters and journal articles) and each annotation should be approximately 100 words long. You will receive feedback on your bibliography approximately one week after submission, which you can use to revise the bibliography for final, graded submission during on Wednesday, May 9.
Second Research Project Workshop
On Thursday, April 12, the first draft of your research paper is due in two places: GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Research Paper Draft (for your peer group) and GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Project Paper Draft (for your professor). Your draft must be at least 9-10 pages long not including the Works Cited page, adhere to MLA style, and be formatted in Microsoft Word (Failure to submit the draft of sufficient length on time will result in a one-third letter grade deduction for the final research project.) Group members will read the papers before class on Tuesday, April 17 and provide feedback during the workshop session.
Here are the groups:
- Group 1: Abby Bishop and Olivia Julian
- Group 2: Bailey Freeman and Sami Strickland
- Group 3: Allie Owens and Megan Ray
Research Presentations
Your 15 minute audiovisual presentation should not only convey the research in your annotated bibliography but also share your informed interpretation and research-supported analysis of your topic. The combined critical approaches, literary project, and research presentation sign up sheet is here.
Research Paper and Annotated Bibliography
The final 18-20 page research paper as well as the final 10 source annotated bibliography are due in GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Research Project on Wednesday, May 9.
Career Preparation Portfolio
In order to prepare for the job, internship, or graduate school search, you will create a portfolio of writing: resumes and cover letters for jobs and internships or a curriculum vita and statement of purpose for graduate school. Writing will be workshopped in class and reviewed by the Career Center. Also, you will be required to attend a mock interview through the Career Center.
Resume or Curriculum Vita
Use the OWL at Purdue and guest speaker Pam Santamaria's January 30 Career Center packet for suggestions on how to write your Resumes and Vitas.
- In Class Workshop on Thursday, February 1: Before class, submit your resume
or curriculum vita (or both) to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Assignments > Resume or Curriculum Vita. Bring your laptop to class.
- Failure to submit will result in a 1/3 letter grade penalty on your Career Preparation Portfolio.
- Career Center Review Completed by Tuesday, April 3: Schedule a Resume and/or Curriculum Vita Review appointment, or drop-in for a Review with the Career Center. To schedule an appointment, select Career Center under the "Schedule an Appointment" menu in Unify. Under the following options menu, select "Resume/CV Review" service option for Career Center availability. The Career Center also offers 15-minute Resume/CV Review Drop-In Hours Monday through Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and various Resume Review Days in which no appointment is required:
- January 29 from 10:00am-4:00pm – 110 Lanier Hall
- January 30 from 10:00am-4:00pm – 110 Lanier Hall
- February 13 from 12:00pm-4:00pm – Health Sciences 3rd Floor Student Commons
- March 5 from 10:00am-4:00pm – 110 Lanier Hall
- April 11 from 10:00am-4:00pm – 110 Lanier Hall
- Failure to have your resume or cv reviewed by the Career Center will result in a 1/3 letter grade penalty on your Career Preparation Portfolio.
Job or Internship Cover Letter or Graduate School Statement of Purpose
Use the OWL at Purdue and guest speaker Pam Santamaria's Career Center January 30 presentation and packet for suggestions on how to write your job cover letter or statement of purpose.
- In Class Workshop on Thursday, February 15: By Tuesday, February 13, submit your cover letter or statement of purpose to GeorgiaVIEW > Course Work > Discussions > Cover Letter or Statement of Purpose. Read your peers' documents before class, and bring your laptop to class.
- Group 1: Abby Bishop, Olivia Julian, Megan Ray
- Group 2: Bailey Freeman, Allie Owens, Sami Strickland
- Failure to submit will result in a 1/3 letter grade penalty on your Career Preparation Portfolio.
- Recommended Career Center Review: It is recommended to make an appointment with the Career Center to review your cover letter or statement of purpose. You can make an appointment online in Unify, stop by 110 Lanier Hall, or call 478-445-5384.
Mock Interview
- Mock Interview Appointment Completed by Tuesday, April 3: Due to high demand, schedule a “Mock Interview for Class” Appointment by February 1. Select Career Center under the “Schedule an Appointment” menu in Unify. Under the following options menu, select “Mock Interview for Class” service option for Career Center availability. The Career Center cannot guarantee availability for mock interview appointments after the scheduling deadline. Student should have an active Career Connection account and can activate their account by clicking the “Career Connection-Student” link in Unify and completing their profile. The Career Center DOES NOT offer a drop-in service for mock interviews – an appointment is required.
- Failure to complete a mock interview with the Career Center will result in a one letter grade penalty on your Career Preparation Portfolio.