English 3630
Haunted Texts: Haunting in English Fiction
Spring 2018
Dr. Melissa McLeod
CRN 20915
MW 3-4:15
Classroom South 510
Office: 25 Park Place #2319
Office hours: Mondays/Wednesdays 10:30-11:30; Tuesdays 11am-1pm; or by appointment
Phone: 404.413.6061
E-mail: mmcleod1@gsu.edu
Course Description: Hauntings (including ghosts, ghostliness, and mystery) have fascinated British readers since the nineteenth century (and before). Hauntings represent fears or anxieties that a society or an individual must address, and examining these ideas through the literature helps us learn something about the culture and the people who inhabit it.
Course Objectives:
- Identify time periods and literary movements associated with works of British literature from the 1920s to the present.
- Analyze British literature’s concern with anxieties produced by historical events, societal shifts, and cultural movements.
Required Texts:
Atwood, Margaret. Alias Grace
Ishiguro, Kazuo, Never Let Me Go
James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw
Forster, E.M. A Passage to India
Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway
Prerequisites: a “C” or better in English 1102 and good written usage of standard American English.
Course Requirements:
The first requirement for succeeding in this course is to read or view all the material carefully and thoughtfully. Other course assignments will be weighted as follows:
Blog posts 10%
3-5 pp. Close Reading 15%
Midterm Examination 20%
Final Examination 25%
Final Project 30%
Midterm & Final Examinations: Both are in-class exam; the final exam will be given according to the university exam schedule. http://registrar.gsu.edu/registration/semester-calendars-exam-schedules/spring-2014-final-exam-schedule/
Grading Scale:
A+ = 100-98
A=97-95
A- = 94-90
B+ = 89-87
B = 86-84
B- = 83-80
C+ = 79-77
C=76-74
C- = 73-70
Policies:
Attendance: Regular attendance is expected and necessary for good performance in the class.
Late work: I will accept no late work. If an emergency arises that prevents you from completing an assignment on time, please contact me immediately.
Schedule changes: Occasionally, the reading schedule will change depending on the needs of the class and time constraints. Changes will be announced in class and/or on the course blog. You are responsible for making yourself aware of these changes. While I will make every effort to announce changes on the blog, you shouldn’t depend on it. If you’re absent from class, please contact a classmate for information.
Etiquette: Please adhere to the following policies out of respect for your instructor and your classmates.
- Please arrive to class punctually. No arrivals 10 minutes after class time.
- Quiet munchies and beverages are fine. Please refrain from eating full meals in class.
- Please silence cellphones.
- Laptops and e-readers are acceptable as long as you’re using them to access the text we’re working with in class that day. If you’re using one of these electronic devices in class, you must show me before class that the text is on your device. Should I find that you’re using these devices for any other activities, you’ll forfeit your right to use these devices during this class.
- Please refrain from leaving during class. If something serious and important is going on in your life that might require you to take a phone call or go to the restroom, please let me know ahead of time and sit close to the door.
Accommodations for Students with Special Needs: Students who need accommodations are asked to arrange a meeting with the instructor at a mutually convenient time during the first week of classes, or as soon as possible if accommodations are needed immediately. Bring a copy of your Student Accommodation Form to the meeting. If you do not have such a form, but need accommodations, make an appointment with the Office of Disability Services (Suite 230 New Student Center, ext. 3-9044) to arrange for accommodations.
Portfolio Requirement for English Majors: All English majors must submit, as part of their graduation requirements, individual portfolios of their work as English majors. Students should collect several assignments each term to include in the portfolio. The main office of the Department of English can supply specific requirements for individual concentrations. Instructors and advisors can counsel students about portfolio inclusions.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to abide by the University’s policy on academic honesty, which is summarized on pages 54-57 in the current undergraduate catalog. Any plagiarized or otherwise academically dishonest work will receive a grade of zero, with no chance for revision. The instructors will assign a failing grade for the course to any student who submits academically dishonest work.
Calendar
(specific assignments may be added to, substituted for, or omitted)
Week One:
1/10 Introductions
Week Two:
1/15 MLK day
1/17 James, The Turn of the Screw
Week Three:
1/22 James, The Turn of the Screw
1/24 Freud, selection from Interpretation of Dreams
Week Four:
1/29 Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
1/31 Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
Week Five:
2/5 Forster, A Passage to India
2/7 Forster, A Passage to India
Week Six:
2/12 Bowen, “Demon Lover”
2/14 Midterm Review
Week Seven:
2/19 Midterm
2/21 Rushdie, “Imaginary Homelands”
Week Eight:
2/26 Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
2/28 Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
Week Nine:
3/5 Rushdie, Midnight’s Children
3/7 Feminism
Week Ten:
3/12 Spring Break
3/14 Spring Break
Week Eleven:
3/19 Carter, selection from The Bloody Chamber
3/21 Atwood, Alias Grace
Week Twelve:
3/26 Atwood, Alias Grace
3/28 Atwood, Alias Grace
Week Thirteen:
4/2 Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
4/4 Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
Week Fourteen:
4/9 Present final project ideas
4/11 No class—research & writing day
Week Fifteen:
4/16 Peer workshop final project drafts
4/18 Final Exam review
Final Exam: TBA
Final Project due