English 250 Introduction to Literary Study: Literature and the Environment

Dr. Kaitlin Mondello, Adjunct Assistant Professor City College, Fall 2019
Office Hours: By appointment Email: [email protected]

Course Description:​ This course offers an introduction for beginning English majors to the practices and concepts in the study of literature. We will think carefully about literature as a form of representation – about what literary texts mean as well as how they mean. The course will help students to develop a critical vocabulary and method for reading and writing about literature, as well as introduce them to the cultural contexts and backgrounds of various literary traditions. Our readings will explore a variety of genres and styles – short fiction, the novel, narrative and lyric poetry, and drama. Above all, this is a class in reading and (frequent) writing which will emphasize close reading techniques, interpretive approaches, the making of arguments, and the development of individual critical voices in order to prepare you to succeed in advanced English elective courses.

Learning Outcomes:

Students successfully completing this course will
1) acquire a basic understanding of tools and concepts in the study of literature;
2) sharpen critical and rhetorical skills through close textual analysis;
3) attain familiarity with a range of poetry, drama, and fiction from various periods in literary history; 4) communicate and defend claims orally and in writing; and
5) develop introductory skills in academic research and literary analysis.

Course Theme: ​We will read texts from a variety of time periods to consider the history of ideas about nature in order to better understand our own historical moment in the wake of climate change. Readings and class discussions will focus on literary representations of the environment in literature with an emphasis on racialized and gendered depictions of nature, as well as on human and non-human characters who are associated with nature in various ways. We will consider in what ways “nature” is a conceptual construction designed to other the nonhuman and to valorize or demonize those associated with its perceived purity or “savagery.” We will examine this fundamental paradox of the idea of nature as both savior and enemy for humanity.

Required Texts:

All our readings will be available online (not at the campus bookstore). If you can, please buy the longer texts below in hard copy (used editions are inexpensive online). Make sure you get the 1818 edition of Frankenstein.

Gardner, Janet E. ​Writing about Literature: A Portable Guide, B​ edford/St. Martin’s, 2009. (ISBN 9780312607579)

Shakespeare, William. ​The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy​, eds. Gerald Graff and James Phelan, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. (ISBN 0312457529)

Shelley, Mary. ​Frankenstein (Norton Critical Edition), ​ed. J. Paul Hunter. W. W. Norton Limited, 2012. (ISBN 0393927938).

Category   Approximate % of Final grade

Participation 10%
Blogs (5) 25%
Essay Components/Course Website 5%

Essays (3) 20% each

Rubrics​: All writing assignments are graded based on rubrics that will be provided in advance.

Participation:​ All of our time in class is designed to help prepare you for the graded assignments. Because of this, there is a ​strong correlation​ between attendance/participation and success in this course: the more you attend and participate, the better prepared you will be. Your participation grade is based on the ​quality​ of your participation, and is graded on a rubric that we will develop together as a class. Your participation grade also includes the informal work we do together in class, such as short writing assignments, which are sometimes collected, and group work.

Attendance​: You may miss up 2 class periods during the semester for any reason (health, family, travel, etc.) with no effect on your participation grade.​ ​If you are absent, you should consult a classmate for the material covered in class. If you have a medical emergency or a conflict that is likely to cause you to miss several class periods in a row, please get in touch with me so that we can work out a plan for you to keep up with the work of the course.

Late Policy:​ Frequent (late more than three times) and/or excessive lateness (more than 15 minutes late) will negatively impact your participation grade.

Preparedness:​ In order to participate in and benefit from the class discussion, you not only need to be present, but also prepared.​ ​This means that you need to have done the assigned reading prior​ ​to class and show evidence of this by actively engaging in class, voicing your thoughts, as well as actively listening and asking questions. ​You should come prepared to every class with a specific passage and question that you want to discuss. You must have our readings in front of you ​either in hard copy or electronically for every class period. Failure to have your readings prepared for class will decrease your participation grade. Likewise, being off-task—such as chatting, doing work for another class, or other activities that take your attention away from our class—will decrease your participation grade.

Grades follow the traditional scale below.

A+ 100 – 97 A 96 – 94 A- 93 – 90

B+ 89 – 87 B 86 – 84 B- 83 – 80

C+ 79 – 77 C 76 – C- 73 –

D+ 69 – D 66 – D- 63 – F 59 and below

Blogs:​ You are responsible for short blog posts (5) throughout the semester. The blog posts are intended to be informal and reflective on the texts and questions of the course. The course site on the CUNY Academic Commons is designed to showcase the work of the course and to share your work with a broader public. The blog posts will serve as a jumping off point for class discussion. You will be asked to add content to the course site periodically. You may opt out of the public component of the course blog if you are not comfortable sharing your work with a wider audience, but we will work together to prepare you for this kind of writing.

Essays (3)​: ​Assignment sheets (with prompts) will be distributed in advance of the due date. You have the option to develop your own prompt provided that you discuss it with me in advance of the paper’s due date. Essays should be​ approx. 4-5 pages (1000-word minimum).

Essay Components/Course site​: This is a completion grade that includes the scaffolded steps toward your essays: rough drafts, peer reviews, source summary, annotated article, research proposal, etc. It also includes the work we will do as a class to build the course site on the CUNY Academic Commons.

Creative Project (extra credit)
Choose any text that we have read in our class and respond to it creatively. We will discuss many options you can do for this such as create a picture, write creatively in a genre of your choice, develop a soundtrack, use digital or multimedia art, give/record a performance, write a found poem from our readings, etc. A brief write-up (150-300 words) should accompany your creative work explaining the connections that you made between the text you are responding to and your own work. You are required to post your work to the course blog and present it on the last day of class to receive full extra credit. You may do up to 3 of these for extra credit.

Assignment Processes and Details

Turning in assignments:​ You are required to turn in all assignments on the days they are due (by midnight) in order to receive full credit. Please submit all assignments via ​email​. Please DO NOT turn in hard copies. You will receive your papers back from me via e-mail with comments in a reasonable time period. If you have any questions or concerns about the comments on your paper or grades, please contact me or see me outside of class to discuss.

Late and Missing Assignments / Extensions:​ These policies are designed to encourage you to complete assignments on time to ensure that you do not fall behind rather than as something punitive. Reading, writing, and research require significant time and effort, so please be in touch with me about any issues you encounter as soon as possible so that we can come up with solutions. I do give a ​brief grace period in which I do not count work late if it is within 1-2 days of the original due date, but please do not make a habit of turning in work late as this risks points being deducted.​ Please ask for an extension in advance of the assignment’s due date r​ ather than submit it late if you need more than the grade period. I cannot accept work that is more than four weeks late. ​Please note that a 0 on any essay can cause you to fail the course,​ so you should turn in what you have even if it receives a low grade.

Course Policies

Classroom Community: ​Together as a class we will work to build an inclusive environment for learning for all students. This kind of community takes work and will require all of us to be open to learning from each other. All comments made in discussions need to be respectful. Our course content will address how groups (by gender, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.) have been wrongly marginalized and/or stereotyped in relation to what is “natural,” so it is important to avoid reproducing these harms in our classroom.

Office Hours: ​Because everyone’s schedule is different, I hold office hours as needed, including virtually if meeting on campus is not possible due to our schedules. Please let me know in person or via e-mail when you would like to talk one-on-one. I am always available for a short period right before and after class. I also will hold required or optional individual conferences around major assignments.

Academic Honesty Policies​: ​ Plagiarism (intentionally or ​unintentionally​ using someone else’s ​words, syntax, logic or ideas​ as your own without giving credit) is a serious academic offense that usually results in a failing grade on the assignment and potential failure of the course. We will discuss the details of plagiarism and proper methods of citation in class. It is essential that you engage with primary texts yourself, as well as learn how to correctly and meaningfully incorporate others’ views and outside information into your own work. Please keep in mind that online interpretation sites like ​Spark Notes or CliffsNotes, ​etc​. ​are never considered acceptable as sources in academic work.​ ​I am interested in ​your ideas about the texts we are reading and expect that any ideas you bring up in class or in your papers will be your own unless otherwise cited.

ADA Accommodations: ​Making sure that this class is fully inclusive and accessible to every student is a priority for me. If you encounter any barriers that hinder your learning, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can address these and we can come up with solutions together. The AccessAbility Center (​https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/accessability​) in ​NAC ​1​/​218 ​is available to you to assist as needed.

Classroom Etiquette​: Please be respectful and responsible, and refrain from doing anything disruptive during class. You may bring food and drink, but please be courteous and clean. Please do not record our class without talking to me first.

Technology Policy:​ Laptops, e-readers, and cell phones are permitted for the purposes of the course. These devices can be excellent tools for learning, but also sources of significant distractions, so please limit their use to course content.

E-mail Etiquette​: E-mail me anytime with specific questions or concerns, but please refrain from asking me what you missed if you were absent. You should consult our syllabus, online course materials and your classmates for information on anything you missed. I will respond to any e-mail as soon as possible. Please follow up with me if for any reason I do not get back to you by the next class period.

Writing Center:​ The CCNY Writing Center offers one-on-one support to help you develop your ideas and improve your writing. The writing center also conducts regular writing workshops. You can call (212) 650-8104 to make an appointment or do so online at ​https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/writing​.