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Fall 2001 | |
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English 138 (4519/4520) |
Rice 8, (440) 775-8661 |
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-01: TuTh, 9:35-10:50,
AJLC 104 |
Office hours: TuW,
4:00-5:00 pm, |
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E-mail: Ben Pauley@oberlin.edu |
This course examines questions about the relation of the present to the past by tracing variations on a character type -- the "detective" -- through a variety of texts from different periods. All of these texts portray characters seeking to learn the truth about past events and to make sense of what they find. Through careful reading and discussion of these works, we will consider questions such as: to what extent is it possible to recover the past? how does our understanding of the past shape our understanding of the present? how do our beliefs about the present shape our approach to the past?
In addition to several shorter assignments (1-2 pages), students will produce three essays (of approximately 5 pages) over the course of the term. The writing exercises will emphasize: identifying and imagining a reader, constructing an argument, and presenting evidence to develop a persuasive claim. With the exception of the final paper, written work should be handed in in class the day it is due. The final paper should be submitted to me by noon on December 22, the last day of exam week. Any requests for extensions should be made at least 48 hours before the day the work is due. Late papers will be received for reduced credit.
The class is organized as a hybrid discussion seminar and writing workshop. Most of the students' time will be spent discussing the works we have read, but students will also devote significant time to reading, commenting on, and discussing each others' written work, both in small groups and as a class.
Grading
Written Work
All work should be word-processed or typed.
With the exception of the final paper, all assignments should be handed in to me in class the day they are due. The final paper will be due Monday, December 17 by 5pm. Any requests for extensions must be made (preferably via email) at least 48 hours before the assignment is due. Late papers will be received for reduced credit, going down a third of a grade for each day they are late (e.g. from B+ to B, B to B-, B- to C+, etc.).
>Important Proviso: I would much rather have you present and contributing in class than typing frantically in your room or the computer lab. For this reason, I will not lower the grade on an assignment that is turned in within 24 hours of its due date -- even if you have not previously asked for an extension -- provided that you come to the class at which the assignment is due. After that first 24 hours, the regular penalty for late papers applies.
I would much prefer that you submit your paper to me in hard copy. If you have to email a paper to me (e.g. because of a printer problem), however, attachments should be in Microsoft Word format. I'll use the time stamp on your email to confirm that your paper was submitted on time.
Attendance
Because this is a seminar, attendance and participation in discussion is crucial -- both for you and the other members of the seminar. I understand that emergencies arise, but if at all possible, please let me know ahead of time if you will be absent so I can plan accordingly. More than two unexcused absences will begin to erode the participation portion of your grade. More than six unexcused absences (i.e. more than 20% of the class meetings) will constitute a "No Entry" for the course.
Part I: Curiosity
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WEEK 1 |
Tu 9/4 Th 9/6 |
Introduction Sophocles, Oedipus the King (in its entirety) |
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WEEK 2 |
Tu 9/11 Th 9/13 |
Sophocles, Oedipus the King, re-read pp. 201-232 Sophocles, Oedipus the King |
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WEEK 3 |
Tu 9/18 Th 9/20 |
Godwin, Caleb Williams, pp. 1-138 Godwin, Caleb Williams, pp. 138-239 |
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WEEK 4 |
Tu 9/25
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Godwin, Caleb Williams, 239-341 Yom Kippur -- No Class |
Part II: Tales of Ratiocination
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WEEK 5 |
Tu 10/2
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Todorov, "The Typology of Detective Fiction"
(CourseInfo) Poe, "The Purloined Letter" (in Tales of Terror and
Detection) |
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WEEK 6 |
Tu 10/9
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Doyle, "Silver Blaze," "The Musgrave Ritual," and "The Reigate Puzzle" (CourseInfo) Doyle, "Silver Blaze," "The Musgrave Ritual," and "The Reigate Puzzle" (CourseInfo) |
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WEEK 7 |
Tu 10/16 Th 10/18 |
Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
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WEEK 8 |
10/20-10/28 |
FALL RECESS |
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WEEK 9 |
Tu 10/30 Th 11/1
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Chandler, The Big Sleep, pp. 3-76 Chandler, The Big Sleep, pp. 76-169
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WEEK 10 |
Tu 11/6
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Chandler, The Big Sleep, pp. 169-231 Chandler, The Big Sleep |
Part III: Detection and Narrativity
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WEEK 11 |
Tu 11/13
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Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49, pp. 1-43 Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49, pp. 44-145 |
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WEEK 12 |
Tu 11/20
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Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49, pp. 146-183 Thanksgiving -- No Class |
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WEEK 13 |
Tu 11/27
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Byatt, Possession, pp. 1-165 Byatt, Possession, pp. 166-296 |
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WEEK 14 |
Tu 12/4 Th 12/6 |
Byatt, Possession, pp. 297-413 Byatt, Possession, pp. 414-555 |
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WEEK 15 |
M 12/10 Tu 12/11 Th 12/13 |
5-7pm, Mudd 050; Evening Screening: The Usual Suspects The Usual Suspects Conclusions |