English 184: Introduction to Literature – Self Discovery: The Journey Begins

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Dr. Steve Klepetar 

Office: Centennial Hall 209   Phone: 320-308-5642   Email: sfklepetar@stcloudstate.edu

This course, part of the DGS Learning Community along with College 150 (Profs. Adam Klepetar and Nona Wilson), College 110 (Prof. Victoria Willliams) and CMST 192 (Prof. David Warne), will use literature to help students explore their personal growth and development, while introducing the techniques of close reading, using short poems, short fiction, novels and films to consider issues like voice, word choice, image, metaphor, plot, character, setting, etc.  The main reading includes four novels dealing with the transition into adulthood: Neil Gaiman’s Stardust (1999), a magical story with strong folktale elements involving a seemingly ordinary young man and the mysterious star woman he meets beyond the boundaries of his village; Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (2006), novel (another spoiler alert: the book is narrated by Death itself), about an orphan girl growing up in the dark shadows, moral bankruptcy and turmoil of Hitler’s Germany; Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), a novel in diary form about a bright and talented Spokane Indian boy and his struggles with identity at an all white high school (spoiler alert: he’s also a cartoonist and a basketball player); and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake (2003) about the emergence into adulthood of an American boy born to immigrant parents (from Calcutta, India).

Course work and Grading:

 

1.      Short essays (1 – 2 pages) – there will be frequent assignments, eight altogether, responding to the course reading and discussion (25%).  These may be in-class or take home essays.

2.      A 3 – 5 page paper on The Book Thief, due on Tuesday, October 27 (20%).

3.      A final project in conjunction with COLL 150 dealing with your own journey of self-discovery, due by Tuesday, December 1 (25%).

4.      A presentation of your final project to the class during the last two weeks of the semester (10%)

5.      Class Participation (20%) – regular attendance and participation in class discussion and group activities is required for successful completion of this course.  Failure to attend and participate will lead to a reduced or a failing grade.  Please note that research has clearly shown that regular attendance is the number one factor keyed to success in college courses.  Students may miss two classes without question.  Absences in excess of two will lead to a reduced grade.

 

A few simple rules for getting along with me:

(This is quite easy, really – ask my wife).  Not much bothers me, but I do ask you to pay attention to a few basic issues of common courtesy:

I ask that you arrive on time and remain for the entire class, unless you notify me in advance with a good reason.  Arriving late and/or leaving early is rude and distracting.  Students who come late or leave early will be counted as absent unless arrangements are made in advance. Students who regularly come late or leave early will be asked to leave the course.

Please check to make sure your cell phones are switched off – I have been known to dance to cell phone music, and none of us wants that!

Please do not read newspapers; listen to music on laptops or other electronic media; check Facebook or do other social networking; do work for other courses; or sleep during the seventy-five minutes you are in this class.  If you are unable to stay awake for whatever reason, stay home and get the rest you need.  Reading and discussing literature requires concentration and focus, and it rewards careful attention.  Please do not leave class and return – this is rude and disruptive to me and to the other students in class. 

SCSU Performance Standards:

            GPA: 1 – 44 attempted credits (includes all credits for which you register, even if you withdraw) = 1.75; 45 and higher = 2.0

            Completion Percentage (credits earned at SCSU divided by credits attempted at SCSU) = 67%   

Ask Saint Cloud State – This link leads to the online student help line: http://stcloudstate.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/stcloudstate.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php

Calendar

 

August

Week 1

Class One, Tuesday 8/25 – Introduction and Syllabus; Interview Exercise.

Class Two, Thursday, 8/27 – Tour of the Write Place, the SCSU Writing Center; Writing ex. #1-- interview due

 

September

 

Week 2

 

Class Three, Tuesday, 9/1 – The Hero’s Adventure in myth and folktale: Campbell’s Model.  Stardust, Chapters 1 - 2

Class Four, Thursday, 9/3 – Stardust, Chapters 3 – 5.  Writing ex. #2 on Stardust due.

 

Week 3

 

Class Five, Tuesday, 9/8 – Stardust, Chapters 6 - 8

Class Six, Thursday, 9/10 – Stardust, Chapters 9 – 10 and Epilogue 

 

Week 4

 

Class Seven, Tuesday 9/15 – From the page to the Screen – discussion of Stardust as novel and film.  Writing ex. # 3 – reaction essay to film due.

Class Eight, Thursday 9/17 – Words Count – Analyzing Short Poems.

 

Week 5

 

Class Nine, Tuesday 9/22 – MBTI in class with Michelle Schmitz from Career Services.

Class Ten, Thursday 9/24 – Study Abroad Presentation from the Center for International Studies (about ten minutes(; Alice Munroe, “Boys and Girls;” Toni Cade Bambara, “Gorilla, My Love.”  Writing ex. #4 – in-class on the stories.

 

Week 6

 

Class Eleven, Tuesday 9/29 – The Book Thief, 1 – 80

 

October

 

Class Twelve, Thursday, October 1— The Book Thief, 81 – 170

 

Week 7

 

Class Thirteen, Tuesday, October 6 – The Book Thief, 171 – 303; Writing ex. #5 – Book Thief reaction paper in-class.

Class Fourteen, Thursday, October 8 – The Book Thief, 305 - 403

 

Week 8

 

Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15: Reading Week.  I will be at a conference this week, so there will be no class, but there is a lot you can do.  Your Book Thief paper is due after Fall Break and we begin discussing The Namesake that same day (October 27).  This week provides time to catch up with the reading, get working on the paper and on the next book. 

 

Week 9

 

Class Fifteen, Tuesday, October 20 – The Book Thief, 407 – 550

Thursday, October 22 – Fall Break, No class

 

Week 10

 

Class Sixteen, Tuesday, October 27 – The Namesake, 1 – 71; Book Thief paper due

Class Seventeen, Thursday, October 29 – The Namesake, 72 – 158

 

November

 

Week 11

 

Class Eighteen, Tuesday, November 3 – The Namesake, 159 – 218

Class Nineteen, Thursday, November 5 – The Namesake, 219 – 291

 

Week 12

 

Class Twenty, Tuesday, November 10 – film, The Namesake

Class Twenty-One Thursday, November 12 – finish film and discussion

 

Week 13

 

Class Twenty-Two, Tuesday, November 17 – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 1 – 76; writing ex. # 6 – reaction paper to The Namesake film

Class Twenty-Three, Thursday, November 19 – Diary, 77 - 158

 

Week 14

 

Class Twenty-Four, Tuesday, November 24 – Diary, 159 – 230; writing ex #7 – in-class reaction paper to Diary

Thursday, November 26 – Thanksgiving, No Class

 

December

 

Week 15

 

Class Twenty-Five, Tuesday, December 1 – Student Final Project Presentations

Class Twenty-Six, Thursday, December 3 – Student Final Project Presentations (I will be at a conference in Boston, but Profs. Adam Klepetar and Nona Wilson will attend the presentations)

 

Week 16

 

Class Twenty-Seven, Tuesday, December 8 – Student Final Project Presentations

Class Twenty-Eight, Thursday, December 10 – Student Final Project Presentations

 

Final Exam – Writing ex. #8 – reaction paper responding to two student presentations due by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 17, our final exam period.