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Comp-Lit 397B: Writing for Comparative Literary Studies
Nikolina Dobreva, Fall 2005
Course goals and objectives
This class is based on reading, interpreting, discussing, and writing about literature. It is tailored specifically to teach advanced writing skills to students majoring in Comparative Literature. Students will learn how to 1) do a close reading of a poem, a short story, a novel, and a film; 2) approach a text through the lens of various literary theories; 3) organize their findings into a researched academic paper; 4) present their work in a formal setting. In addition, this course will help students prepare for a career (in the humanities) and/or apply to graduate school.
Required Texts
The following required books are available at Amherst Books, 8 Main St, Amherst. If you have your own copies, want to purchase the books at other locations, or can borrow them from the library, do so, but make sure that you have the right edition, that you do the reading on time, and that you have a copy of the text to bring to class.
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Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester and New York: Manchester UP, 1999.
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Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Ed. John Paul Riquelme. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002.
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Hill, John, and Pamela Church Gibson, eds. Film Studies: Critical Approaches. New York: Oxford UP, 2000.
A course packet containing the rest of the required texts is available at the CopyCat Print Shop, 37 E. Pleasant St, Amherst.
Further Reading
For a list of further readings on literary theory, literary analysis, and writing a research paper, please see the course packet.
Grading
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CV/resume and statement of purpose 15%
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Quizzes (lowest grade dropped) 10%
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Participation in class discussions, peer review sessions, and lightning rounds 15%
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Participation in theory trials 10%
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Conference paper abstract and annotated bibliography 10%
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Outline and rough draft of the conference paper 10%
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Final conference-length paper 20%
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Paper presentation at the JYW colloquium 10%
Notes: 1) Attendance is crucial to the successful completion of this class. After more than two absences (excused or not), your final grade will be lowered a full letter grade for each additional absence. 2) No makeup quizzes will be given; no late papers will be accepted. 3) All the requirements must be fulfilled in order to pass the class.
Plagiarism
The definition of plagiarism as stated in the Academic Honesty section of the UMASS handbook on Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities is "knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise." This means that you cannot present papers or even sentences written and published by others as your original work (including papers you might have borrowed from friends or found online). It also means that you need to cite properly your sources, including the books that you are discussing. Use MLA style for your bibliography. Academic dishonesty is considered a serious infraction of University conduct and will be dealt with accordingly.
Updated September 3, 2008
