ENGLISH COMPOSITION 102

2001
Summer Quarter
Instructor: Dr. Bruce R. Magee

English 102-030
Room: GTM 205
Time: 9:15-10:45 M-F
E-mail: bmagee@LaTech.Edu
Web site: http://www2.latech.edu/~bmagee
http://garts.latech.edu/bmagee
Office: GTM 222
Phone: 257-3033
Hours: 7:45-9:15 M-F 
10:45-11:15 M-F 
or by appointment 
Textbooks
  • McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan Day, and Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. 6th ed. New York: Macmillan, 2002.
  • Troyka, Lynn Quitman.  Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. 6th ed.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Simon & Schuster, 2002.
  • A "good" dictionary.
  • Homer. The Odyssey. 
  • 102 Magee student packet.
  • Computer lab packet. 

Catalogue Description. Freshman Composition II. 0-3-3. Preq., English 100 or 101. Continues the work of Composition I; includes the preparation of a research paper from library sources.

Nature and Purpose

Departmental Writing Requirements
  1. Assign no fewer than five 500-700 word essays. At least one of the essays should be revised and rewritten completely after the initial evaluation, preferably for a grade. Topics for student essays should come from the literary works studied in the course.
  2. Assign a research paper of 1,750-2,000 words. The paper should be written on a literary or linguistic topic, preferably one selected from Literature, and should be drawn from a minimum of eight (8) sources, each cited at least once in the body of the paper. Documentation for the research paper should follow the new MLA style as demonstrated in both textbooks.
  3. The essays and research paper make up 70% of the course grade.
  4. An essay final of 350-450 words should be given during the last week of classes. Topics should not be given in advance but should be assigned at the beginning of the examination period.
Reading Requirements
Readings in Literature and the Writing Process.
General Requirements
Six essays, including a research paper and a final, will be assigned during the quarter. You should turn in your paper in class on time. A paper not submitted in class on the due date is late. Submit your essays on time. YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL SIX ESSAYS TO PASS THE COURSE. YOU MUST PASS THE FINAL TO PASS THE COURSE. COMPLETE ANY MAKE-UP WORK BEFORE FINALS WEEK.
Attendance Requirements Guidelines for a paper's form
  1. OUT-OF-CLASS papers MUST BE TYPED. Illegible handwritten papers will be returned ungraded; legible papers will be graded, but with a penalty assessed. I encourage you to learn to use a computerized word-processing program. It can save time, aid proofreading, and improve the appearance of an essay.
  2. In-class papers MUST be written in ink.
  3. Use one side of the paper only.
  4. Use standard 8 1/2" by 11" white paper. Loose leaf or typewriter paper please--no frazzled edges ripped from notebooks.
  5. All essays, whether hand-written or typed, must by DOUBLE SPACED.
  6. Use margins of at least an inch on each side of the paper. Leave a 1.5" margin on the right-hand side.
  7. Papers should be folded vertically with the following information on the outside cover: name, section, theme assignment, instructor's name, and date.
  8. KEEP A PAPER COPY OF THE FINAL DRAFT IN YOUR OWN FILES. It is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
  9. Turn in one 12 inch folder with your name, course, and section number on the tab.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS
Essays
Essay on Fiction June 11 5%
Essay on Fiction (In-class) June 13 5%
Essay on Poetry June 20 15%
Research Paper (1,700-2,000 words) June 25 25%
Poetry Essay (In Class) (350-450) July 3 10%
Essay on Drama July 5 10%
  70%
Reading
The Odyssey Test June 18 10%
Test on the Greek drama June 26 10%
  20%
Attendance   10% 
Total   100%

The grading scale is A: 90-100%, B: 80-89%, C: 70-79%, D: 60-69%, F: 0-59%.
 
Graded Material
In the event of a question regarding an exam grade or final grade, it will be the responsibility of the student to retain and present graded materials which have been returned for student possession during the quarter.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students needing testing or classroom accommodations based on  disability are encouraged to discuss those needs with me as soon as possible.

Honor Code
In accordance with the Academic Honor Code, students pledge the following: Being a student of a higher standard, I pledge to embody the principles of academic integrity.

Research Paper Schedule

Conferences
Conferences are encouraged during the quarter. They will be used to discuss your specific writing strengths and/or weaknesses. Try to make your appointment when you have a rough draft so we can work on it together.
Note
You must sign the plagiarism statement for English 099/100/101/102 (located at the beginning of the Freshman Composition Course Packet) and turn it in by the second day of class.  Your work (journals, homework, in-class work, and papers) will not be accepted or graded until I receive the signed plagiarism statement.
HOC OPUS, HIC LABOR EST.
Period  
Registration Week (May 31)
Initial assignments
Period 1
  • Reading: Start reading The Odyssey and the four dramas in the packet.
  • Writing: Turn in one 12 inch folder with your name, course, and section number on the tab.
Week 1 (June 4-8)
Period 1
  • Reading: LWP (Literature and the Writing Process) 111, 164-172. "Young Goodman Brown." Packet 3, "Three Religious Lies." Browse through LWP for a topic for research. It must be a literary paper about a specific work in our text, or about one of our collateral readings.
  • Writing: Do the prewriting questions below.
    1. What is the significance of Goodman Brown's name? Of Faith's name? Goody Cloyse? Deacon Gookin?
    2. As you read the story a second time, make a list of all the qualifying words that Hawthorne uses to suggest that the events described may or may not be actually happening--words like seem, appear, perhaps, etc. What does Hawthorne achieve through this word choice?
    3. Consult an encyclopedia to find out exactly what the meaning of a Witches' Sabbath is. Is Hawthorne's description accurate?
    4. What causes Goodman Brown's tragedy? What is it that ruins his life?
    5. List at least 5 words that describe the setting of this story.
    6. Point of View. What kind of narrator does the story have? What does the method of narration imply for the impact of the story?
    7. Develop two outlines for an essay using two of the approaches discussed in part II of LWP (structure, imagery, viewpoint, etc.) or approaches discussed in class.
Period 2
  • Reading: Leviticus 16:6-10, Joshua 7:1-26, John 7:53-8:11. LWP 75-97. Packet 1, 5-9. LWP 778-786. Handbook 602-605.
  • Writing: Thesis exercises, packet p. 8.
    • Outline the essay on LWP 88-97.
    • Prewriting & thesis exercises, LWP 84-86.
    • Select a thesis regarding one of the stories (LWP 81: the "Lottery" theses need development) or write one of your own and outline the development for an essay.
    • Develop the outline into a rough draft. Bring the outline and rough draft to class today. Use LWP 778-785 to learn how to incorporate quotes into your draft.
Period 3
  • Reading: LWP 32-54. Begin work on your research paper. Read the work at least twice and begin the prewriting process to get ideas for a thesis.
  • Writing: 
    • Research paper. Submit two topics for research (in order of preference). I'll take these and approve one for your research paper. Select a literary work from the text or one of the collateral works.
    • Do revision checklists on LWP 34 & 50. Use the proofreading tips on pages 48-50 as you edit.
Period 4
  • Reading: LWP 704-705, 751-786. LWP 57-64, 98-100, 242-247 on point of view & Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." 
    • Packet 10ff Odyssey introduction.
  • Writing: Start bringing study questions for The Odyssey (Packet 10ff) to class.
    • In preparation for an essay on "A Rose," do prewriting questions below
      1. What does Faulkner achieve by disrupting the chronology of "A Rose"?
      2. How would you describe the point of view here? Is it effective? Why or why not?
      3. What are the social tensions portrayed in the story? What stereotypes?
      4. What kind of person is Emily Grierson? Why does she live in the past? How do the townspeople feel about her? How do you feel about her?
      5. What kind of person is Homer Barron? Why do the townspeople consider him not good enough for Miss Emily?
      6. Explain the function of dust and decay in the story?
      7. Why is Emily able to "get away with it"?  Does she really get away with it?
Week 2 (June 11-15)
Period 1
  • Reading: Class discussion on The Odyssey. LWP 778-786.
  • Writing: ESSAY ON "LOTTERY" OR "YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN" DUE.
    • Research paper prewriting.
    • Correct the bibliography in your packet, p. 16. Follow the guidelines on MLA form in LWP 778-786.
    • Submit a bibliography on your research topic consisting of 10 works (books & journal articles). Follow the guidelines in LWP 778-786. Compile the bibliography using the following sources.
      1. The card catalog
      2. The MLA Bibliography
      3. Essay and General Literature Index
Period 2
  • Reading: LWP 111-112, "Roman Fever" 195-203. Class discussion on The Odyssey.
  • Writing: Prewriting exercises, LWP 123-127 (Apply questions to "Roman Fever" insofar as possible).
      1. What was "Roman fever" in the time of Mrs. Slade's and Mrs. Ansley's youth? What is the metaphoric meaning of the term?
      2. List all the times Grace Ansley hints at her secret. How does the foreshadowing contribute to the effectiveness of the story?
      3. Contrast the characters of Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley. What sort of lives have these ladies led before their widowhood? Which one do you like better & why?
      4. Why does Mrs. Slade resent Grace Ansley?
      5. What is the function of setting in "Roman Fever"?
    • Research paper: Submit notes taken from 3 sources. Submit thesis (problem or purpose for research) and outline.
Period 3
  • Reading: Carefully review "A Rose for Emily" and "Roman Fever." Be prepared to write an in-class essay on one of these stories. Bring LWP and the packet to class, along with a dictionary and your handbook.
  • Writing: IN-CLASS ESSAY ON "ROMAN FEVER" OR "A ROSE." Research paper: note checks in class.
Period 4
  • Reading: "Ulysses"  by Tennyson and Dante
    • "Venom" 459 
    • "Mending Wall" 513. 
    • Packet 1b-2, "Leda & the Swan," "Leda"
  • Writing: Research paper: note checks in class.
    • Bring  the answers to your Odyssey study guide questions.
Questions on "Ulysses" (LWP)
  1. Outline the main ideas of each section of the poem.
  2. What does Ulysses want? How does this contrast to what he wants in The Odyssey? What is his attitude toward his life ruling the island Ithaca?
  3. How does Ulysses contrast himself to his son?
  4. What do you think of Ulysses' views on how life should be lived?
Questions on "Leda and the Swan" and "Leda"
  1. What myth do these poems deal with? How does that myth relate to the Odyssey? To Agamemnon's death?
  2. What is the focus of "Leda and the Swan"? Of "Leda"? How do the titles relate to these foci?
  3. Why does Yeats describe the swan as "feathered glory" and "the brute blood of the air"? How does this relate to the swan's identity?
  4. How would you answer Yeats' last question? How does Van Duyn in "Leda"?
  5. What motivates the swan in the two poems? How do the motives differ?
  6. How does Van Duyn contrast Leda's fate in "men's stories" with her actual fate? How do artists go about selecting the portions of life they depict? Why?
Questions on "Mending Wall"
  1. In what ways do "Good fences make good neighbors"?
  2. In what ways do they not?
  3. What is it that doesn't like a wall?
  4. Why do the men repair the fence?
Week 3 (June 18-22)
Period 1
  • Reading:
  • Writing: BOOK TEST ON THE ODYSSEY.
    • Research paper: note checks in class.
    • Bring the outline of your entire research paper and a brief introduction to your paper. This should state your thesis, purpose, and organization.
Period 2
  • Reading: "Daddy" 566 
    • "Supermarket in California" 560
  • Writing: Research paper: note checks in class. 
    • Submit a ROUGH DRAFT of the RESEARCH PAPER.
Questions on "Daddy"
  1. Who does the speaker compare her father to? Her husband? How are the two phenomena similar?
  2. How has the speaker tried to free herself from her father?
  3. List some words describing the tone of the poem.
  4. What happened to Plath when she was 10? What was going on in world history at the time? How does Plath relate world history to personal history?
  5. How do your attempts to balance your family and individual identity compare to Plath's? (let's hope favorably)
Questions on "Supermarket in California"
  1. What similarities exist between Ginsberg & Whitman? How much time elapsed between their works?
  2. What do Ginsberg's assumptions about Whitman reflect about his own identity?
  3. Look up Charon & Lethe. Explain the last paragraph of the poem.
  4. Why does Ginsberg imagine he sees Whitman? Why in a grocery store?
  5. Pick a famous person you would like to see & a fitting place to see him/her.
Period 3
  • Reading: Class discussion on The Oresteia Trilogy.
    • LWP 602-651. Packet 24ff (King, Plato, Aristotle)
  • Writing: ESSAY ON POETRY DUE.
    • LWP 641-645, prewriting exercises; 651, answer questions on essay.
      1. Using Aristotle's analysis, which type of government does Thebes start with? What type of government does it become?
      2. In the Creon-Antigone debate, which author tends to support Antigone? Creon?
Period 4
  • Reading: Class discussion on Greek drama.
  • Writing:
Week 4 (June 25-29)
Period 1
  •  Reading: Class discussion on Greek drama
  • Writing: RESEARCH PAPER DUE. 
Period 2
  • Reading:
  • Writing: BOOK TEST ON GREEK DRAMA.
Period 3
  • Reading:
  • Writing: Work on drama essay in class.
Period 4
  • Reading: Packet 22a "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd."
  • Writing: Bring rough draft of drama paper to class.
    • Answer the following questions using your research skills. (This means I want you to go to the Library and do some Research. Really)
      1. What are the occasion & purpose of the poem?
      2. Read Catullus XCVI, CI, & CII (packet 23--the right side of the page is in English). Look up the term "elegy." How do the elegies of Catullus differ from "Lilacs"? How are they similar?
      3. What is the real star Whitman considers? What does the star symbolize? The thrush? The lilac? Where are the lilacs? Be specific.
      4. What is the "black murk that hides the star (line 9)?
      5. Who is in the coffin? What is the action described in sections 5 & 6?
      6. Where is the train coming from? Going to?
      7. Where are the "chamber walls" of section 11? What does the speaker want to hang there? Why?
      8. What is the relationship between the season of the poem and the mood of the poem? Is this the mood normally associated with the season?
      9. Who are the other dead of section 15? Why does he mention them?
Week 5 (July 2-6)
Period 1 Reading:
Writing:
Period 2 Reading:
Writing: IN-CLASS ESSAY
Period 3 Reading:
Writing: ESSAY ON DRAMA DUE.
Period 4 Reading:
Writing:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
"Scapegoat." Encyclopedia Britannica 1
"He's Watching You" 1
"Leda and the Swan" 1a
"Leda" 2
"Three Religious Lies" 3
"The Persuasive Principle" 5
Odyssey study guide 10
Odyssey introductory material 11
Bibliography exercise 16
"Gaudeamus Igitur" 17
Criteria for grading 18
"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" 22a
Catullus 23
King 24
Plato 31
Aristotle 40
Introduction to Tragedy 49
The Oresteia Trilogy  
Prometheus Bound