ENGL 1201C: Introduction to Principles of Literary Analysis
Section C
Winter 2024
Instructor: Jessica Hawkes (she/her)
[email protected] Office hours by appointment
Lectures: MWF 11:30AM-12:20PM (Atlantic Time)
Recognition of Mi’kmaq Territory: Mount Allison is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and
unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. Our relationship and our privilege to live on this
territory was agreed upon in the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1752, and we must
respect the Indigenous knowledges held by the Mi’kmaq People and the wisdom of their Elders
past and present. We are all Treaty people. To learn more about these treaties, go to the
following site: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/peace-and-friendship-
treaties
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the critical analysis of literature and the principles and
approaches that underlie this analysis. Simply put, it introduces the study of literature: what it
is, how it functions, and how to approach literary analysis at the university level. We will read
the three major forms of literature — poetry, drama, and prose fiction — and learn about some
of the ways in which literary works are analyzed and interpreted in the academic study of
English. The emphasis will be on learning how to develop original interpretations, analysis, and
arguments about specific works. By reading a diverse series of works by diverse authors, we will
go beyond examining various formal features of literature and approaches to literary criticism,
and will also focus on the themes of the works, and their ethical, political, and emotional
responses to and interventions in the wider world.
In addition to introducing you to a range of texts, forms, and authors, this class aims to
strengthen your critical thinking, reading, and writing abilities. Critical readers and critical
writers are not interested in superficial summaries of literary works, but seek to ask original
questions and to understand how a literary text produces meaning. To become critical readers,
we will learn how to become good close readers who pay attention to authorial word choices,
the difference between literary and metaphorical meaning, and the cultural assumptions
underlying texts from different periods or societies.
This class has a large writing component, where you will learn how to express your ideas clearly
and how to support them using textual evidence. We will learn how to relate apparently
disparate texts to one another, and to synthesize ideas that deal with multiple texts. We will
also focus on conventions of academic writing, and the grammar, stylistic, and organizational
skills that will help you to clearly articulate your ideas. The best way to improve your writing
skills is to practice writing, often. As such, the class format will not only rely on lectures and
discussion, but will also include frequent in-class writing and writing and peer-review
workshops, in addition to the formal essay assignments.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify the distinguishing features of poetry, drama, and prose fiction.
They will be able to identify specific literary devices and analyze their significance to assigned
works. They will be able to discuss the importance of literary language and the ways in which it
can produce ambiguity, complexity, irony, and multivalence in general. They will be able to
construct coherent arguments about literary works by writing essays that offer a thesis and
evidence in support of it. These outcomes are not exhaustive. Lectures, discussions, and
assignments will help students achieve these outcomes, but successful learning is ultimately
your own responsibility.
Method of instruction: Lecture and discussion
Course Texts
The Fifth Child – Doris Lessing (novel)
Burning Vision –Marie Clements (play)
Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi (graphic novel)
Shorter texts will be available through the Moodle page for this course.
Class and Reading Schedule* Class are synchronous, with the exception of Jan 8
M Jan 8 (Asynchronous Lecture) Intro to Course (Video posted to Moodle)
W Jan 10 Intro to Literature and Literary Analysis 1
F Jan 12 Intro to Literature and Literary Analysis 2
Module 1: Words of Power and the Power of Words
M Jan 15 Nam Le, “Love and Honor and Pity and Pride
and Compassion and Sacrifice”
W Jan 17 Ursula LeGuin, “She Unnames Them”
F Jan 19 Adrienne Rich, “Diving into the Wreck”
M Jan 22 M. NourbeSe Phillip, “Discourse on the Logic
of Language”
W Jan 24 Derek Walcott, “The Sea is History”
F Jan 26 Skill Development: Analytical Essays
Module 2: Narrative and the construction of identity
M Jan 29 Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing (pp. 3-87)
W Jan 31 Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing (pp. 88-153)
Essay 1 due
F Feb 2 Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing (pp.157-221)
M Feb 5 Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing (pp. 229-300)
W Feb 7 Skill Development: Close Reading
F Feb 9 Alice Munro, “Boys and Girls”
M Feb 12 T. S. Elliot, “The Lovesong of J. Alfred
Prufrock”
W Feb 14 Skill development: Academic Integrity
and Quote integration
F Feb 16 Midterm: In-Class Close Reading
Reading Week Feb 19-23
Module 3: Free/Form: Form and Content
M Feb 26 Intro to Graphic Novels
W Feb 28 Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
F March 1 Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
M March 4 Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
W March 6 Percy Bysshe Shelley, “England in 1819,”
William Wordsworth, “London, 1802” “Nuns
Fret Not”
F March 8 Claude McKay, “The White House”
Wanda Coleman, “American Sonnet 91”
Terrance Hayes, “I Lock you in an American
Sonnet”
M March 11 Skill Development: Common Grammatical
Errors and Style
W March 13 Marianne Moore, “The Fish”& Elizabeth
Bishop “The Fish”
Module 4: Anthropocene Writing: Making Sense of Worlds
F March 15
M March 18 William Wordsworth, “Tintern Abbey”
W March 20 Stephen Collis “Reading Wordsworth in the
Tar Sands”
F March 22 Marie Clements, Burning Vision
M March 25 Marie Clements, Burning Vision
W March 27 Marie Clements, Burning Vision
F March 29 Good Friday, No Class
M April 1 Final Essay Workshop
W April 3 Marie Clements, Burning Vision
F April 5 Warren Cariou, “An Athabasca Story”
M April 8 Exam Prep
Method of Evaluation
Assignment Weighting Due Date
Essay 1: A Seriously 10% Jan 31
Good Paragraph
Close Reading (In-Class) 15% Feb 16
Essay 2: Introduction 10% March 18
paragraph and thesis
Essay 3: Final Essay 25% April 5
Final Exam 20% TBD
Participation 10%
What I noticed and Why 10% Prior to Feb 28 and
it Matters Posts (2) April 8
Detailed guidelines for each of these written assignments are available on the Moodle page,
and will be reviewed in class. All assignments must be submitted to Moodle.
Formal Writing Assignments
All essays must be submitted to Moodle by 11:59PM on the day on which they are due. Always
be sure to save and back up electronic assignments. All assignments will be subjected to
plagiarism and AI detecting software.
Essays should be double-spaced and have one-inch margins. All essays should include full
bibliographical information: please follow the MLA style as outlined in “MLA Style 9 th edition,”
available as a PDF from the Dalhousie Library,
https://dal.ca.libguides.com/CitationStyleGuide/MLA
Brief Assignment Descriptions (see Moodle for more detail and assignment rubrics)
Essay 1: A Seriously Good Paragraph: (10%)
Due: January 31
For this assignment, you will respond to one of several questions (available on Moodle). This is
a short assignment (~300 words), in which you will develop a strong thesis that is supported
with textual evidence. This submission should be concise, clearly written, and closely edited. It
will be marked for the strength of its claim and supporting evidence, as well as grammar and
general structure. No secondary research is permitted for this assignment. Feedback on this
assignment should be used to guide your future submissions.
Close Reading
In Class February 16
This in-class writing assignment asks you to compose a short close reading of one of three pre-
selected passages. The close reading will be completed in class on February 16, and you will be
given the full 50 minutes to compose a well-formed close reading about the meaning and
significance of the selected passage. You will be provided with the passages beforehand,
allowing you to read and think about the passages ahead of time, but notes will not be
permitted.
Introduction and Thesis
Due: March 18
For this assignment, you are asked to compose a polished draft of the introductory paragraph
for your final argumentative essay (see below). You will be provided with a list of prompts by
February 10. The introductory paragraph should be not more than one page double-spaced,
and not less than three-quarters of a page double-spaced.
Essay 3: Final Essay: Revise and Expand (25%)
Due: April 5
In your final essay, you will expand your intro paragraph assignment into a full-length essay.
You must review the comments and corrections you received with your graded intro, and
submit a revised (and expanded) version of the paper. For the final argumentative essay, you
are asked to write an essay of 1500- 1750 words on one or two of the texts we have studied
this semester. The final paper should demonstrate that you have considered and incorporated
the feedback you received on the introductory paragraph and thesis statement assignment.
Form and content will be weighted equally in the assessment of the final essay. It will be
assessed based on the strength of your argument and how it is supported, the organization of
your claims and support, and the grammar and clarity of your writing. No secondary research is
permitted.
Final Exam
Date TBD
The exam will be a take-home exam. It will cover all material from lectures and assigned
readings. The exam will consist of three written parts: (1) definitions, (2) passage identification
and analysis, and (3) essay question. More information on the final exam will be provided in the
middle of term, and a short practice exam will be held online.
Participation (10%)
Classes will present the opportunity for discussion, exploration, and questioning; these are all
valid forms or participation, and all students are expected to participate. Participation comes in
many forms, from active listening to focused commentary, to completion of in-class writing
prompts. Academics participate in discussions across time and space through their writing, as
well as in person through collaboration or conferences. You all have valuable ideas or questions
to contribute, and I look forward to hearing them and learning from you in class. It is essential
that you read the assigned texts at least once before each class meeting and arrive on time and
prepared to have a conversation, or to participate in the writing workshops.
Class participation is not solely determined on attendance.
Participation grades will reflect the quality, not merely the quantity of student input.
Feedback about your participation throughout the term will be available upon request.
In-class writing prompts are assessed based on ideas, not quality of writing.
What I Noticed and Why it Matters Posts (2 posts, 5% each)
Due: Prior to February 28 and April 8
These Moodle discussion posts are brief, less than 200 words. You’ll write two posts on any of
our shorter readings throughout the term. These paragraphs let you share your observations and
questions without the formality of a major assignment. As the assignment's title implies, the
point here is to briefly discuss some detail you notice about the text (think about its images, title,
characters, voice, spacing, plot, anything you find funny or obnoxious or confusing, etc.) and
explain why you think it matters. You’ll post these reflections to Moodle before we discuss the
corresponding text in class. They will be available for everyone to read and will help guide
course discussion; as such, these paragraphs cannot be made up for or submitted later. Any
plagiarism on these paragraphs will result in an automatic F.
Tips for Strong Assignments
All assignments will be explained in class and through tailored assignment descriptions
complete with grading rubrics. Here, however, are some general MLA-Style guidelines you are
expected to apply to all class assignment:
• All submissions must be .pdf files. If I can’t open the file you upload through Moodle, I won’t
mark it.
• Always double space your work
• Assignments must use MLA-Style for in-text citations and works cited lists. We will discuss
MLA citation style in class, but please note that MLA-formatted documents do not have
title pages
• Your Works Cited list does not count towards your total word count
• Submit assignments with 1” margins (check your settings: this is not the default margin size
in most word processing programs)
• Set your type to a professional (i.e. Times New Roman) 12 pt. font
• Include page numbers and a header with your last name in the top right corner of each
page.
• Always keep a digital copy of any formal assignment you submit in case something happens
to the original.
• The 24-Hour Rule: wait 24-hours after an assignment is returned before discussing it with
me. This gives you enough time to read and consider the comments we have made on
your paper and relax any emotional response you may have upon initially seeing a
grade. Please come prepared to discuss specific issues in a professional manner.
Course Policies
Late Assignments + Extensions
It’s important to hand essays in on time so that I am able to give you feedback before the next
assignment is due. However, I recognize that life happens and this is not always possible. As
such, you have seven free extensions you can use in for any combination of assignments over
the course of the semester. To use an extension, indicate the number of days you are using at
the top of your assignment submission. If assignments are submitted late without the use of
an extension, the grade will be reduced by one-third letter grade per day (a B becomes a B-
then a C+ and so on).
Note on Email Communication
Email is an authorized means of communication for academic and administrative purposes
within MtA. The university will assign all students an official email address.. This is the only
email address that will be used for communication with students regarding all academic and
administrative matters. Any redirection of email will be at the student's own risk. Each student
is expected to check their official email address frequently in order to stay current with
Dalhousie communications.
Note: You can expect a response to your email within 24 hours on weekdays. I will not always
respond to emails on weekends, or after business hours on weekdays. You should check your
email regularly for course updates and information. Email will be used to communicate any
course updates.
Tips for a Successful English Class
Respect is paramount to academic work and discussion, and can be practice in various ways:
respond constructively and kindly to your peers’ comments, learn your classmates’ names, and
listen attentively when they speak. Recognize that we are all here to learn from one another,
and that everyone has something valuable to contribute to this class. Thoughtful contributes
are not only welcome, but encouraged. Take risks! (That is, don’t worry about being perfect;
don’t hesitate to share a half-formed idea; don’t hesitate to raise a question, rather than
providing an answer). I don’t expect you to be an expert. This class is about learning together,
and that requires the sharing of ideas, both in discussion and writing.
To prepare for this class, I encourage you to take notes as your read: underline passages you
find interesting, inspiring, troubling, or confusing. Look up and write down the definitions of
new words. Google references you may not be familiar with. Read the assignment descriptions
on day one: read with these questions in mind, and consider how you might respond to them. If
you do not understand the course content (lecture or readings), I expect you to come to me or
Aisha. Do not turn to google to help you understand the texts for your written assignments; this
could lead to accidental plagiarism. Rather, set up a meeting with us.
Keep an open mind. Your classmates’ lives, knowledge, and ideas will differ from your own. Be
generous and compassionate. The works we are reading address racism, colonialism, climate
change and environmental damage, and mental illness, subjects that we relate to very
differently based on personal experience and knowledge. We will proceed through these topics
in ways that are careful and respectful.
Letter Grades and Their Meanings
Letter Grade Descriptor GPA Equivalent
A+ Outstanding 4.3
A Excellent 4.0
A- Very Good 3.7
B+ Good 3.3
B Good 3.0
B- Good 2.7
C+ Satisfactory 2.3
C Satisfactory 2.0
C- Satisfactory 1.7
D+ Conditional (non-continuing) 1.3
Pass
D Conditional (non-continuing) 1.0
Pass
D- Conditional (non-continuing) 0.7
Pass
F Failure 0.0
