What is literature? Eagleton's answer . . .

Here’s one answer, taken from Terry Eagleton's Literary Theory: An Introduction 25th Anniversary Edition. (Malden, UK: Blackwell Pub, 2008) (that's Eagleton on the left). 

“ . . . by and large people term ‘literature’ writing which they think is good. . . .
It is not that writing has to be ‘fine’ to be literary, but that it has to be of the kind that is judged fine: it may be an inferior example of a generally valued mode. Nobody would bother to say that a bus ticket was an example of inferior literature, but someone might well say that the poetry of Ernest Dowson* was (that's Dowson on the right). The term ‘fine writing’, or belles letters, is in this sense ambiguous: it denotes a sort of writing which is generally highly regarded, while not necessarily committing you to the opinion that a particular specimen of it is ‘good’.

“With this reservation, the suggestion that ‘literature’ is a highly valued kind of writing is an illuminating one. But it has one fairly devastating consequence. It means that we can drop once and for all the illusion that the category ‘literature’ is ‘objective’, in the sense of being eternally given and immutable. Anything can be literature, and anything which is regarded as unalterably and unquestionably literature—Shakespeare, for example—can cease to be literature. Any belief that the study of literature is the study of a stable, well-defined entity, as entomology is the study of insects, can be abandoned as a chimera. Some kinds of fiction are literature and some are not; some literature is fictional and some is not; some literature is verbally self-regarding, while some highly-wrought rhetoric is not literature. Literature, in the sense of a set of works of assured and unalterable value, distinguished by certain shared properties, does not exist.” (9)

*Ernest Dowson (1867-1900) was an English writer.  I have never heard of him, but according to our good friends at wikipedia, he is responsible for the phrase “gone with the wind,” which appears in his poem: Non Sum Qualis eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae (which is Latin for "I am not what I was, under the reign of the good Cynara"). The following lines are taken from the third stanza of that poem (to hear the full thing, see below or click here):

I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind,

Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng,

Dancing, to put thy pale, lost lilies out of mind;

But I was desolate and sick of an old passion,

Yea, all the time, because the dance was long:

I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion

Reading Assignments

1. Read: "Addicted to Distraction" by Tony Schwartz.
Due: Before class, January 12.
2. Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Jane Eyre.
Due: Before class, January 14.

Unforgivable

Original sin and expulsion from the Garden of Eden" by Giovanni 

Are there any unforgivable sins in literature?
Click here for an answer--two, actually--from today's New York Times.

Spring 2016 Syllabus

Hum 2413:  Responding to Literature

Instructor:  Dr. Steve Benton                                                                  Office:  Faust 155, ext. 877

E-mail:  sbenton@ecok.edu                                                                          Office Hours:  M-TH 2-3

Course website:  www.bentonseculit.blogspot.com                                             and by appointment

How will my performance in this class be evaluated?

·         Daily reading journal entries (50%).

·         Four major writing assignments (50%; each assignment is worth 10 points; your best grade counts twice—so it’s worth 20% of your final grade)

What is required for the daily reading journal entries?  The reading journal entries are an accountability measure. They will be written in class. Journal entries will confirm whether students are keeping up with the reading assignments. Students who do not come to class on days when we write journal entries are responsible for sending me an entry via e-mail after they have read the text.  The e-mail should include the sentence: “I have read every word of the assigned text,” if the sentence is true.  If the sentence is not true, don’t send the e-mail.  Students who come to class on days when we write in-class journal entries without having finished all the text are responsible for sending me a journal entry via e-mail after they have read the text.  Read the full text by its due date and get me a journal entry by then and you will get full credit.  Read it late or turn in the journal entry late, and you get half credit.

What will the major writing assignments require?
The major writing assignments require responses of four different kinds:

1)     A personal essay that relates the text to your life and experiences.
2) An aesthetic analysis that answers the question: “Why does this text amuse/entertain/move readers? Why might an admirer consider it artful?”
3) An ideological analysis that answers the question: “What values does this text affirm or challenge?”
4) A literary response that carries forward either the theme or the style of the original text while translating it into a new mode. This response may take the form of poetry, a work of short fiction, a video, a live performance, or some other creative medium. It should also include an author’s comment, describing your approach, why your text is a response to the original text, and what effect you were seeking to have on your readers.

How long should the major writing assignments be?

For the first three assignments listed above, you have options.  At least one of the responses listed above must be 4-6 pages in length; the others should be 2-3 pages in length (this does not include works cited listings, if you have any).
For the literary response, lengths will vary.

When are the major writing assignments due?

You may choose the order in which you turn in each major writing assignment, but the due dates are set.  If you do not turn in a major writing assignment on the due date, you will get no more than 50% credit for that assignment.  Each major writing assignment may be revised and resubmitted on the next due date.  This is optional.

1) The first major writing assignment is due Thursday, February 18th at 2 p.m.
Optional revision due: Monday, March 10th.

2) The second is due: Thursday, March 10th at 2 p.m.
Optional revision due: Tuesday, April 5th.

3) The third is due: Tuesday, April 5th at 2 p.m.
Optional revision due: Thursday, May 3rd.

4) The fourth is due: Tuesday, May 3rd at 11:30 (this is the time set for our final exam).

You may revise and resubmit one response (the first, second, or third) for a higher grade at the time of the final.

What criteria will be used to evaluate the major writing assignments?

Each assignment should be coherent, clear, artfully organized, and mechanically proficient.

Each assignment should also demonstrate careful attention to the particulars of the original text.

If the assignment is turned in on time and meets the word count requirement, it will get a minimum score of 50.

If the assignment is turned in late, it will get a maximum score of 50.

If the assignment needs considerable revision to achieve coherence, clarity, artful organization, and/or mechanically proficiency, of if does not demonstrate careful attention to the particulars of the original text, it will get a score somewhere between 50 and 80, depending on the extent of the revision required.

If the assignment is coherent, clear, artfully organized, and mechanically proficient, and demonstrates careful attention to the particulars of the original text, but I can still offer suggestions or questions that could lead to a meaningful revision experience, it will get a score of 80-90.

If I cannot think of any suggestions that could lead to a significant revision experience, it will get a score of 90-100.

How do you want our assignments formatted? All major writing assignments must be submitted in two forms: in the body of an e-mail and in hard copy form. Submission guidelines are specified on the course website.

What are the required texts for the course?

 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Norton 3^rd ed., 2000)

Paperback: 552 pages; ISBN-10: 0393975428; ISBN-13: 978-0393975420

Transfer by Naomi Shihab Nye (BOA, 2011)

Series: American Poets Continuum (Book 128)

Paperback: 128 pages; ISBN-10: 1934414522; ISBN-13: 978-1934414521

As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Cambridge UP 3^rd ed., 2015)

Series: Cambridge School Shakespeare

Paperback: 216 pages; ISBN-10: 110767512X; ISBN-13: 978-1107675124

Which texts should I respond to on the major writing assignments?

You may choose from any of the required texts listed above (including individual poems) that we have completed reading in class by the assignment due date OR any of the following literary and cinematic events that you have attended before the assignment due date:
1) Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus,” starring Tom Hiddleston (Fri., Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.);
2) “Phoenix” (Fri., Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.);
3) “PK” (Fri., Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.);

4) “Wild Tales” (Fri., Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.);
5) “The Beaux Stratagem” (Sun., Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.);
6) “Jane Eyre” (Sat., Mar. 26 at 2 p.m.);
7) Naomi Shihab Nye (Fri, Apr. 1 at 7 p.m.);
8) Any two sessions in the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival (Thu-Sat, March 31-April 2);
9) Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” (Sat., Apr. 23 at 2 p.m.)
Events 1-5 and 7 and 8 are free for ECU Students. Events 6 and 9 cost $5 for students.

Are there extra-credit opportunities?

Students who attend the entirety of any of the literary and cinematic events listed above and email the instructor an analysis of the most appealing or thought-provoking elements of that event (250 words minimum), may have their overall grade increased by one point for each corresponding e-mail.

Students who attend the entirety of “Jane Eyre” (March 26), “As You Like It” (April 23) or Naomi Shihab Nye’s reading (April 1) and email the instructor an analysis of the most appealing or thought-provoking elements of that event (250 words minimum), may have their overall grade increased by as many as 2.5 points for each corresponding email.  

What’s the attendance policy in this class?  Come to class ready to work.  If you have not completed a reading assignment by the time class starts, read the assignment first and come to class late if you have to.

Class will not meet on Thursday, March 10^th. Class will not meet on Thursday, March 31^st so that students may attend the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival.

What’s the administrative withdrawal policy?  After Thursday, March 3^rd (midterm), students may be involuntarily withdrawn from the class if their participation in the course is deemed inadequate as a result of a consistent failure to complete reading assignments or to complete writing assignments by their due date.

University Policies for Responding to Literature

General Education Learning Outcomes:

1.  Communication: Students demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in multiple contexts.

2.  Intellectual Skills: Students demonstrate the ability to comprehend and process concepts, to establish relationships within and among disciplines, and to interpret and evaluate information for knowledge-building and decision-making.

3. Information Literacy: Students demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and appropriately for any given learning situation.

4. Intercultural Knowledge: Students demonstrate the ability to recognize the complexity of culture, their own as well as others, and see themselves as members of a global community.

Written Communication Criteria:

1.  Students should use the various elements of the writing process.

2.  Students should write effectively for their intended audience.

3.  Students should write clear, coherent, organized and mechanically proficient prose.

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Statement:

“In keeping with the university’s emphasis on writing proficiency, all student produced writing will be expected to reflect clear content, coherent and organized structure, and adherence to the stylistic and mechanical standards articulated by the professor.”

Writing Center:

The ECU Writing Center offers free assistance for any student working on any writing task. The Writing Center is located in Faust Hall 147; you may reach them by phoning 580-559-5312 or visiting their website at www.ecok.edu/writingcenter

ADA Statement:

“East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under university policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. If any member of the class has a documented disability requiring academic accommodations, he or she should report to the Office of Disability Services, room 159 Administration Building, as soon as possible.  A student seeking reasonable accommodations originating from a documented disability must register with the Office of Disability Services so that said accommodations may be provided. Contact the Office of Academic Affairs if any assistance is needed in this process.”

Student Counseling Services: Free counseling services are available to all enrolled ECU students. The counseling center is located in room 137 of the Memorial Student Union and can be reached at 580-599-5714.

Academic Integrity: According to East Central University’s Policy on Academic Integrity, “Plagiarism is presenting the words, visual images or ideas of another as one's own. Except for what is called ‘common knowledge,’ any information taken from another source must be documented in the student's work. When a student interprets another’s ideas, credit must be given by an in-text reference. When a student uses an exact copy of another’s work, it must be delineated by use of quotations marks or indentation and referenced with the source.

Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

•  copying and/or presenting words, images or thoughts of others as one’s own work
• representing any information downloaded from the Internet as one’s own.
• copying content in work without providing appropriate quotation marks or documentation
• copying words with minor changes even if the source is given
• expressing another’s ideas as one’s own
• reusing papers or presentations from a file of any previously written papers
• submitting the same paper or substantial portions of a paper for multiple courses without the permission of the primary professor”

If you violate the university’s policy, you will receive no credit for the assignment, and the violation will be reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Each student

is individually responsible for knowing and upholding academic integrity by scrupulously

avoiding any conduct that would lead to violation of the Policy on Academic Integrity. The complete text of the policy can be found here: https://www.ecok.edu/sites/default/files/siteContent/administration/academic-affairs/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.pdf

Official University Policy on Approved Absences:

Absences caused by the following will not count against you in this class:  1. Travel which is a required part of an instructional program of the university, including field trips which are part of an instructor‘s course syllabus, presentations of research or artistic performances under the supervision of faculty at a conference or sanctioned meeting, etc.; 2. Participation in activities formally sponsored by the university (or an established unit within the university), including but not limited to athletic team travel to games, debate team travel to competitions, dance program travel to official competitions, presentations of research or artistic performances at conferences or sanctioned meetings, official choir performances off-campus, etc.; 3. Military obligations as required by law; 4. Serious illness or injury as documented through the office of academic affairs; and 5. Death or serious illness in immediate family as documented through the office of the provost and vice president academic affairs.

General Education Program Learning Outcomes

1. Communication. Students demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in multiple contexts.

2. Intellectual Skills. Students demonstrate the ability to comprehend and process concepts, to establish relationships within and among disciplines, and to interpret and evaluate information for knowledge-building and decision-making.

3. Information Literacy. Students demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and appropriately for any given learning situation.

4. Intercultural Knowledge. Students demonstrate the ability to recognize the complexity of culture, their own as well as others, and see themselves as members of a global community.