This course is designed to
introduce you to the multifaceted discipline of English studies and provide you
with a solid foundation for future coursework in the discipline. We will focus
on the methods and theories that are used in the production, analysis,
interpretation, and assessment of a variety of texts, including works of
fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, life writing, and films. The course also
includes a general introduction to key themes in composition studies and
devotes time to an exploration of the basic concepts and methods in rhetoric.
We will also spend some time on the theories and methods associated with
cultural studies. You will also be given a chance to do a creative writing
assignment
One of our goals will be to
understand the aesthetic and social dimensions of written communication in a
number of historical periods. Throughout the semester, we will be placing
“classic” texts into dialogue with one another and with present-day
critical perspectives, emphasizing significant continuities throughout the
history of scholarship in literature and rhetoric and at the same time as we
are examining the critiques and transformations that basic critical concepts
and approaches have undergone in the course of their development.
Our particular focus will
be on the complex problem of interpretation. What critical concepts allow us to
grasp and to convey the meaning of what we read? How do we know that our
interpretations are valid? What are the social and political consequences of
our interpretations? In addition to providing you with a background in English
studies, this class is designed to build skills in careful reading, critical
thinking, and lucid argumentative writing.
Required Primary Texts
The print texts are
available at Revolution Books in Puck’s Alley: 2626 South King Street,
944-3106.
I will place DVDs for the
films on reserve at the Wong A/V Center in Sinclair Library. You are
responsible for viewing the films outside of class.
Michael Almereyda, Hamlet (film)
Alani Apio, Kāmau and Kāmau A‘e (dramas)
Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
(novel)
William Shakespeare, Hamlet (drama)
Kimberley Peirce, Boys Don’t Cry (film)
Wayne Kaumualii Westlake, Down on
the Sidewalk in Waikiki
Assignments
Midterm and Final Exam each
worth 100 points = 200 points
Short paper integrating
research and close reading = 20 points
Precis = 20 points
Creative treatment = 20
points
5 quizzes (20 pts each) =
100 points
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion
of this course you should be able to
examine
literary texts, films, orations, advertisements, and other forms of artistic
and persuasive
discourse critically, attending to details such as genre, narrative and
poetic structure, style, figurative language, allusions, and logic
situate
texts in their historical and social contexts, accounting for formal,
stylistic, thematic, and other relevant features in relation to these contexts
identify
and accurately employ key concepts in literary, rhetorical, and cultural theory
write
clear, coherent analyses of literature, film, oratory, or other forms of
discourse for an academic audience
use
available resources, physical and online, to conduct thorough and responsible
research
demonstrate
sound argumentation in your writing
document sources accurately and responsibly in your writing in
compliance with a standard academic style