English 201 Syllabus(1)

English 201 Syllabus 1

California Polytechnic University, Pomona English 201, Section 1: Introduction to Modern Fiction

Spring Quarter, 2014 MWF 8:00-9:05am, Building 5 Room 130

Instructor: Niyiri Manougian Office Hours: T 1:45-2:30, W 9:30-10:15 Office: Bldg. 24E-1211B Email: [email protected] Phone #: (909) 869-2148 4 units, Lecture “…the teaching of literature does, in fact, teach a pattern or discipline for thinking that is applicable to every field of study and probably every complex human endeavor, and that can serve as a description of critical thinking in virtually every context.” (Blau, The Literature Workshop) Pre-requisites for course: English 104 or the equivalent Course Description: English 201 has been designed as an introductory course focusing on 19th and 20th century literature for non-English majors. It fulfills the GE Sub-area C3 requirement. Detective Fiction: these words probably conjure countless images in your mind. Some of you are thinking of a Holmesian type of character with tweed coat, deerstalker hat, and magnifying glass. Some of you are imagining scenes of death and gore. Some of you have conjured up a dark and dubious setting where danger lurks around every corner. But what all of us have in common is that we already come to class with a sense of what detective fiction is or might be, based on personal experience of the genre through books, comics, television, or the movies. Detective fiction is a form of popular fiction that has been around for over a century and that mass populations have had access to. It is precisely because detective fiction is so popular in our society that it warrants careful study. What at first might seem merely something fun to engage with has more to it than meets the eye—much like a crime-scene. To the untrained eye, the details might be lost, the scene seen, but never fully understood. In this course, we will learn to uncover the hidden clues in these pieces of literature. We will examine different types of detective fiction in order to understand and analyze what the authors convey with their who-dun-it stories, and how the sub-genres of Amateur Detective, Private Investigator, Police Procedural, and True Crime shape how the literature unfolds. We will conduct our analysis by looking at short stories, graphic novels, and television episodes in order to examine the extent to which detective fiction has permeated our society. Required texts: -The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction (ISBN#: 978-0-321-19501-2) -Green River Killer (ISBN#: 978-‐1-‐59582-‐560-‐5) -Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm (ISBN#: 978-0-7851-5329-0) Required Materials to successfully complete this course: Notebook (or binder) and writing implement Access to a Word processor Access to a Printer Online Access Current Cal Poly Pomona email address (I will use ONLY this email address to communicate with you via Blackboard) Course Objectives/Goals: While we sometimes read stories just to “see what happens next,” the reading and analyzing of literature requires us to go a step further. We must analyze literature in order to question the narrative point of view,


character(s), setting, plot, and theme. We in turn use these literary elements to develop an understanding, or one of many different readings, of a piece of literature. Every single person in the room is part of a community of learners and “our aim [is] not to reach a consensus about the meaning or value of the text, but to enter into a critical, sustained, and public interchange of views about it” (Harris 153). Each of us comes to this class with our own set of beliefs, values, and outlooks on life, society, and culture. Thus, each of us has something to add to the conversation as we discuss the literature during the course. As such, I, in the role of instructor, am not here to tell you what to think, but to facilitate that thinking; to provide a safe space for all learners to share their analysis of text and their interpretations regarding the literature we will explore together. I will not be lecturing over your readings. That is, I will give you information that you have not been assigned to read that will aid in the coursework, but I will not provide you with the necessary information that you should have received from the previous nights reading. All students need to come to class having done the reading and any assigned work, because class time will be used to EXTEND knowledge of the material by adding to it through class discussions and short writing assignments. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: • Articulate and distinguish among the conventions and cultural and historical backgrounds of detective fiction (Amateur, PI, Police Procedural, True Crime). • Analyze the assumptions behind the literary formula, and identify a contemporary range of variations. • Appreciate and enjoy the diversity of contemporary crime writing. • Develop the ability to read texts carefully and critically, and to use textual evidence to support interpretations

or opinions. You will have the opportunity to further develop the following transferable skills: • Critical reading, thinking, and inquiry skills • Analytical skills • Time management and organizational skills • Tolerance to and acceptance of different and multiple viewpoints and conflicting values DISCUSSION GUIDELINES 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- WHEN YOU NEED EXTRA GUIDANCE How to arrange for a conference: Walk-ins welcome during stated office hours. If you would like to meet with me outside of office hours, please email me ahead of time (not the day of, we will need a few days in order to work out both our schedules. PLAN AHEAD) and we can decide on meeting at a time that mutually works. I am more than willing to have discussions and look at outlines. However I will never look at any work in its entirety by email or look at them “one last time” the day they are due. Consulting on your writing is best done ahead of time and in person. PLAN AHEAD. Tutoring is also available at University Writing Center. Please see them with any questions you might have regarding writing.


POLICY STATEMENT Late papers/work: We are on a quarter system. We move fast. I do not accept any late papers/work, NO EXCUSES. Please stay on top of your work for this class (and for all your classes) so that you don’t fall behind. If you are struggling, come and see me before you fall behind so we can discuss some strategies to help you. Coming to see me after you fall behind won’t help make up for lost time. Please do not ask for exceptions. Make-ups: If you have a valid AND DOCUMENTED excuse, please see me outside of class hours for making up work. A valid excuse is an emergency, and it is up to instructor discretion to determine if an excuse is valid (i.e. scheduled doctor’s appointments don’t count as an emergency). Exams: Exams need to be completed on the day scheduled. They cannot be made up for any reason. Please make every effort to be present on the day of the exam Use of electronics: • Cell phones must be turned off during class. If I can hear it, so can your classmates. It’s distracting. • Laptops and tablets: If you wish to use these devices to take notes, you are welcome to. HOWEVER:

o Anyone who choses to use a laptop or tablet to take notes must sit in the front of the room. o The type of classwork that I have us do in class will mostly have to be done on paper so I can

collect them. o Any use of Internet and social sites not connected to class note-taking are not only distracting to

you, but those that sit around you. (see Tardies below) *It is not fair to have one student disturb the thought process and flow of a class. Everyone in this class deserves and is entitled to the full and UNINTERUPTED class-time. Tardies and Absences:

ALL students are expected to attend and participate in class regularly. Every student will need to bring their book and any assignments to class for each meeting. You must be in class and ready to participate in order to be considered present. Arriving late and early departure from class will be recorded as a tardy. If you miss than 20 minutes of class, it is an absence. 3 tardies=1 absence. Falling asleep (even for 2 minutes) or being otherwise disengaged will be recorded as a tardy (see use of electronics above). Students who miss more than 4 classes (have 5 absences) will be given a FAILING GRADE for the course. If you must miss class, make sure you get good notes from another student; you are responsible for keeping up with what we’re doing. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to let me know you are in class to avoid being marked absent (at the end of the class period).

Drops/Adds, Course Withdrawals:

Students who wish to withdraw from the course must do so officially using the system or by petition. Academic Accommodations:

All students are expected to meet the minimum standards for this course as set by the instructor. Students with learning disabilities who may need accommodations should first discuss options and services available to them in Disability Resource Center – Cal Poly Pomona (Office: 909-869-3333). They will in turn contact professors with official notification and suggested classroom accommodations, as required by federal law. Approved documentation must be provided by the student and placed on file with Disabled Student Services prior to the beginning of the quarter.

Academic Integrity:

Each student is expected to complete EVERY assignment to the BEST of his/her ability. The work must be complete, legible, and original. Plagiarism will NOT be tolerated.

Plagiarism is intentionally or knowingly presenting words, ideas or work of others as one's own work. Plagiarism includes copying homework, copying lab reports, copying computer programs, using a work or portion of a work written or created by another but not crediting the source, using one's own work


completed in a previous class for credit in another class without permission, paraphrasing another's work without giving credit, and borrowing or using ideas without giving credit. Consequences for academic dishonesty is a failing grade for the class. Further information can be found at CPP’s website at http://www.dsa.csupomona.edu/judicialaffairs/academicintegrity.asp

Academic Policies in Professional Behavior:

We are a community of learners. To maintain an optimal learning environment as well as the professionalism of our classroom community, all members of this class are expected to practice self-discipline, fair and independent judgment, and responsibility for their actions. I reserve the right to exclude from class and/or pursue formal disciplinary actions through the Office of Judicial Affairs against students who are: 1) compromising the rest of the class’ opportunity to learn; 2)disrupting the orderly conduct of the classroom; 3)behaving (in conduct and/or expression) in a threatening manner to either themselves or to others; or 4)using without authorization (or misusing) campus property. Problems with inappropriate classroom conduct are extremely rare; should such a problem occur during our time together, one warning before pursuing formal disciplinary action is what most situations will merit and usually resolves the problem.

Grades: Assignments 20% These can be any homework or classwork assignment

(including writing and quizzes) whether collected and graded or just checked off for completion (i.e. given ✓, ✓-, or ✓+) Any homework assignment (including study questions) must be turned in typed—I do not accept handwritten homework.

Blogs 20% I grade these on a 10-point scale. All blogs need to be written in complete sentences, in addition to being well thought out and articulated. They are due by 8 pm the night before class. So if a blog is assigned as homework for class on Wednesday, it is due by 8pm on Tuesday. If the syllabus asks you to print a copy for class, make sure you print or save a copy before 8pm. Please post your responses in the blog itself, NO ATTACHMENTS. Follow all directions carefully. 10-Activity is completed in a thoughtful and thorough manner 5-Incomplete or if completed with only moderate levels of success and care so as to demonstrate familiarity with the assigned reading/assignment 0-Not completed at all or if it is obvious that the student has not thought in depth about the assigned reading or assignment

Participation 20% I take into account the following: attendance, tardiness, and class discussions/preparedness. Rubric for Participation below.

Midterm 20% Week 5, in class, no make-ups (see schedule of readings below for details)

Take-Home Final 20% Due Monday of Finals Week (see schedule of readings below for details)


Grading Scale: A+ = 100-97 A = 96.9-93 A- = 92.9 – 90 B+ = 89.9 – 87 B = 86.9 – 83

B- = 82.9 – 80 C+ = 79.9 – 77 C = 76.9 – 73 C- = 72.9 – 70 D+ = 69.9 – 67

D = 66.9 – 63 D- = 62.9 – 60 F = Below 60

Participation Rubric: A=consistent and meaningful, voluntary responses during general group discussions as well as peer group work; thoughtful responses when called on in class B=good responses when called on in class; some initiation of responses during general discussion and/or group work C=adequate responses that demonstrate some thought, but minimal voluntary participation D/F=non-responsiveness when called on or working in groups; no voluntary participation Tips for success:

• This syllabus serves as a mutual contract between the instructor and students. Know it well. Don’t lose it, as it’s your roadmap to the course.

• Take notes as you read assignments (either marginal notes or in a double-entry journal). • Focused reading takes time. The stories might engage you, but don’t speed through them. Enjoy them,

but don’t forget to look at them critically as well. • Problems in texts are what we are looking for…they are what make the texts interesting. If you

encounter something that you don’t understand, bring it up during class discussion. Usually the most interesting class discussions have stemmed from someone’s confusion with the text or a “problem” that seemed unsolvable.

• Email is the best way to contact me. Please remember that email is an extension of class, and as such professional behavior should extend to email as well. Write as if you are writing to a potential employer, not your best friend. Make sure that your email has a subject line, your name, and the class that you are taking with me. I will respond as soon as possible.

Tentative Schedule of Readings and Assignments: Please note that all readings and homework assignments (including blogs) need to be completed before class. It is essential that the assignments be completed so that you can actively participate in class and earn participation points. All homework materials will be posted on Blackboard or handed out the previous class session.

DATE DAY READING TO BE DONE BEFORE CLASS

CLASS DISCUSSIONS

4/2/14 Day 1 Syllabus: Print and bring to class Introductions and Welcome

4/4/14 Day 2 Syllabus: re-read and be ready for a quiz Lecture: Conventions of Detective Fiction


4/7/14 Day 3 Some classmates missed Day 2’s lecture on “What is Detective Fiction.” Please write them a letter explaining the essentials of detective fiction so that they are all caught up. Use your lecture notes to guide your letter. Print and bring to class. Optional: Powerpoint of Formula of Classic Detective Fiction on Blackboard (print to use during lecture)

Formula for the Classic Detective Story

UNIT 1 THE AMATEUR DETECTIVE 4/9/14 Day 4 Please log onto one (or both) of the

following websites to explore. We will use this to start discussion. (type and print responses to the following questions: What kind of person is the author? What makes you think this? Do you trust this author? A lot? A little? Not at all?) The Poe Museum http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore http://www.eapoe.org/ *Don’t forget your anthology for class

Foundations of Detective Fiction

4/11/14 Day 5 Poe “Murders in the Rue Morgue” pg. 54-81 Make predictions with given pages.

Poe’s Structure

4/14/14 Day 6 Character Claims Chart for Poe (on Blackboard)

Poe’s Dupin

4/16/14 Day 7 Blog: Look very carefully at how the narrator describes Dupin in “Rue Morgue.” In a paragraph or more, write a description of the narrator from the perspective of one of his friends, trying to capture the same features as in the description of Dupin. In a sentence or two, list the features you tried to mimic. *This is meant to be a mini-creative writing project.

Poe: Farewell (for now) to the “Father of Detective Fiction”

4/18/14 Day 8 Doyle “Silver Blaze” pg. 81-101 Prediction chart (on Blackboard)

The Most Famous Detective of All


4/21/14 Day 9 Blog: Go to the Sherlock Holmes (BBC) blog website http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws. Feel free to explore as much as you want, but pay particular attention to “The Personal Blog of Dr. John Watson” at the following link http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/ After reading through the blogs and the various comments on the blogs, how would you characterize the relationship between Watson and Holmes. Between Watson and other characters? Between Holmes and other characters? How does the fact that this is a blog and not a serialized story (like the original Holmes stories) change how we as readers interact with the text? How much is the blog a reflection of our own times and society versus a reflection of the stories that were written in the late 1800s? (answer all questions)

A New Sherlock Holmes? Screening of Psych

4/23/14 Day 10 Blog: Go somewhere and sit for a few minutes observing someone or something very carefully (but not so carefully that police are likely to be called on a stalking/casing case). Make detailed notes about what you saw. In a sentence or two, explain whether the place/person was particularly boring, pretty normal, or particularly interesting. (Post both notes and explanation)

Psych Continued

4/25/14 Day 11 Blog: How does Psych fit into the amateur detective sub-genre? How does it not fit the amateur detective sub-genre? Use specific examples to explore your ideas. (minimum 2 substantial paragraphs)

Module Wrap-Up + Introduction to Exploratory Notes

4/28/14 Day 12 Exploratory Notes Draft Due Typed, double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman. (MLA format) Bring a copy to class. We will use some class time for revision. You will benefit from a highlighter during class revision.

Exploratory Notes Workshop

4/30/14 Day 13 Christie “The Witness for the Prosecution” pg. 101-118 Study Questions done for homework (use these to guide your reading)

Christie and The Golden Age of Detective Fiction

5/2/14 Day 14 Due: Continuing the Story exercise Christie and The Golden Age continued + Midterm Review


5/5/14 Day 15 Revised Exploratory Notes Due Study for Midterm (Pay close attention to what makes up the Amateur Detective genre and how you would apply it to our various readings) Please Bring Art materials (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.) for the second part of the Midterm. As you can probably guess, it will involve some artwork.

MIDTERM

UNIT 2 THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

5/7/14 Day 16 Hammett “The Gutting of Couffignal” pg. 229-253 Optional: Powerpoint of Hardboiled Detective on Blackboard (print to use during lecture)

Pattern of the Hardboiled and Hammett

5/9/14 Day 17 Bio Poem on Continental Op on Blackboard Finish Study Questions from class

Hammett Continued

5/12/14 Day 18 Chandler “Trouble is my Business” Pg. 253-294

Chandler…The Other Hammett?

5/14/14 Day 19 Grafton “The Parker Shotgun” pg. 294-308 Be ready for a quiz on Grafton. If you have done a careful reading, this should be easy points for you. Blog: What similarities are evident between Kinsey and Holmes?

Gender and Hardboiled-ness

5/16/14 Day 20 Haywood “And Pray Nobody Sees You” pg. 319-331

Ethnicity and the PI

UNIT 3 THE POLICE PROCEDURAL 5/19/14 Day 21 Crofts “The Hunt Ball” pg. 364-373

Blog: Your thoughts about “the police.” The rise of the modern “police force.” Have you watched a “police drama” on television with any regularity? Summarize the appeal of police dramas (Law and Order, NYPD Blue, CSI, etc.). “The Hunt Ball” Giving Advice Activity posted on Blackboard (type and print)

Organized Crime-Solving

5/21/14 Day 22 Simenon “Inspector Maigret Deduces” pg. 373-383

The Bourgeois Police?


*Disclaimer: Sometimes class discussions and student interest in certain topics become overwhelmingly apparent. As such, I reserve the right to change the reading schedule to accommodate class needs. If this happens to be the case this quarter (and it is not necessarily true that it happens each quarter), I will inform you ahead of time of any changes. However, all assignment due dates and exam dates will remain as they are in this syllabus.

Contact info: 1- 2-

5/23/14 Day 23

Hillerman “Chee’s Witch” pg. 411-419 Select a quote from “Chee’s Witch” that catches your attention and interest. It might be a quote that you had difficulty with or in some way made you stop and think. You don’t have to fully understand what it’s saying or why you think it’s important. Print it out and bring a copy to class

Ethnicity and the Police Procedural

5/28/14 Day 24 Castle Deadly Storm The Private Eye and the CIA 5/30/14 Day 25

Look at Castle website http://www.richardcastle.net/ Blog: How would you characterize this website?

The Show About the Fictional Author (Meta-fiction) Screen Episode of Castle

6/2/14 Day 26 Blog: Pick one of the stories we have read thus far. Write a short scene (or description of a scene) from the criminal’s point of view. In a sentence or two, reflect on how writing from the criminal’s perspective is different from the detective’s point of view. Be sure to note which story you are using.

Castle Continued

UNIT 4 TRUE CRIME

6/4/14 Day 27 Jensen Green River Killer pg. 1-136 When Crime Gets Real

6/6/14 Day 28 Jensen Green River Killer pg. 136-end When Crime Gets Real Continued

6/9/14 FINAL EXAM

Take-Home final. Due Monday between the hours of 8-10am in my office. I do not accept late work or excuses regarding failure of electronics. Please plan to have it ready and printed a few hours in advance so that if there are any problems you have time to troubleshoot.

English 201 Syllabus(1)

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