Literature by Women
English 274
Three Semester Credit Hours
Cheryl Saba – e-mail:csaba@capefear.cc.nc.us
http://cfcc.edu/csaba
Office Hours: MWF 2-3, TTH 10-11
Appointments Also Accepted
Semester: Fall 2000 Office: S301I
Section: 01 Telephone: 251-5931
Class Meetings: MWF 1:00-1:50pm Mailbox: S301
Required Texts:
Barreca, Regina, ed. Women of the Century: Thirty Modern Short Stories. New York:
St. Martin’s, 1993.
Lester, James D. Daughters of the Revolution: Classic Essays by Women. Lincolnwood:
NCT, 1996.
Heilbrun, Carolyn G. Writing a Woman’s Life. New York: Ballantine, 1988.
Martin, Wendy, ed. Essays by Contemporary American Women. Boston: Beacon, 1996.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1981.
Ngcobo, Lauretta. And They Didn’t Die. New York: Braziller, 1990.
Catalogue Course Description:
This course provides an analytic study of the works of several women authors. Emphasis is placed on the historical and cultural contexts, themes and aesthetic features of the individual works, and biographical backgrounds of the authors. Upon completion, students should be able to interpret, analyze, discuss, and write on selected works.
Prerequisites:
Course Objectives:
Given appropriate instruction, students should be able to:
Official Grading Scale:
A 92-100 D 68-75 WP Withdrawal Passing
B 84-91 F 0-67 WF Withdrawal Failing
C 76-83 I Incomplete NC No Credit
Attendance:
Because this is a discussion-based class, attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed only five absences in the class, and keep in mind that two tardies will be considered an absence. If you are ever tardy, you must request after that class meeting that I change your absence to a tardy. In addition, if you are either fifteen minutes late to class or leave fifteen minutes early, you will automatically be marked absent. If you incur more than five absences, you will be immediately taken off of my role sheet and you will be expected to fill out the appropriate paperwork through the registrar’s office to officially remove yourself from the course. Due to the emphasis on class participation and frequent in-class writing, you cannot earn a passing grade if you miss more than five class meetings.
If you know that you will be absent from class at any time, please notify me so that I can inform you of what you may miss. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to be aware of assignments given when you are absent so that you don’t fall behind on scheduled deadlines.
Course Presentation/Components
You are expected to read and be ready to discuss all the assigned readings that appear on the calendar. During class, emphasis will always be on discussion, with all of us offering differing opinions on the texts (and an occasional pop quiz that cannot be made up may be given at any time). We will compare our reading with those of our classmates to achieve a lively exchange of thoughts and ideas, which is what the course is designed for. In order for stimulating discussion to occur, everyone is expected to come prepared each day to comment on our readings. Because some of the readings may be difficult to decipher, I will often initiate discussion with questions and comments, and may often begin class with having you freewrite on the readings from the prior night, but the voices of all class members will be heard each day. Hence, if you are weary of reading each night and are hesitant to participate publicly, you may want to reconsider your choice of this class. On the other hand, we must all monitor our input and give each other appropriate time to speak and avoid monopolizing conversation. You may be interested to know that some of the readings are new to even me, so at no point will I play the expert, but will strive with you to become an informed scholar.
The essays you write for me outside of class are expected to be in complete MLA format; typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins, a cover sheet, and an appropriate works cited list when needed. On the day you lead class discussion, you must be professional and prepared to field questions and comments. Finally, remember that since the calendar tells you when essays are due, and I verbally assign due-dates to your additional writing, no late papers will be accepted.
Percentage Breakdown:
(2) Essay 20%
(2) Critical Article Summary 20%
Mid-Term Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Writing/Quizzes/Lead 10%
Attendance/Participation 10%
Important Reminders:
Remember that everything you submit to me is a direct reflection of you, so make sure it is complete, professional, and has been given your best possible effort. I expect great things from you, as you should from yourself. Be considerate to me and your classmates at all times, and try and work towards enhancing our academic development. Be prepared to make changes to the calendar every so often, for things may change last minute if I feel that, given the direction of the class, we forego a piece for a more applicable one that is not on the calendar. If this happens, I will give you as much advanced notice as possible, so check with classmates for alterations if you are ever absent. You will not be required to have paper topics approved by me, but it can never hurt to pass a rough draft through my hands if you feel the help would be beneficial to your analysis. If you should ever have any questions, do not hesitate to ask, for my door is (almost always) open to you. Above all, learn as much about the world around you as you can and test its boundaries, broaden your horizons beyond your norm, become a serious scholar of written and lived texts, and have loads of fun!