Literary Theory – Spring 2023 – LIT 492/ENGL 505

ENGL 505 01/LIT 492 01 1 undergraduate course unit; 3 graduate credits Term: Spring 2023 Time: 5:00-7:30 p.m. Thursday (blended) Room: Bliss Annex 153 (when in person)

Prof. G. Steinberg Office: Bliss Hall 216 Office Phone: 609-771-2106 E-mail : gsteinbe@tcnj.edu

TEXTBOOKS:

• • Christopher Marlowe, The Complete Plays, ed. Frank Romany and Robert Lindsey (Penguin, 2003), ISBN 9780140436334
  • David H. Richter, ed., The Critical Tradition:  Shorter Edition, 3rd ed. (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016), ISBN 9781319011185

COURSE DESCRIPTION.
LIT 492:  This course offers a broad-based introduction to the discipline of literary theory including, but not limited to, New Criticism, reader-response criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, feminism, postcolonialism, deconstruction, poststructuralism, Marxism, cultural studies and New Historicism.

When the College went through a curriculum revision several years ago, the vast majority of undergraduate courses were “transformed” from 3-credit to 4-credit (1-unit) learning experiences.  While many of the classes continued to meet for only 3 academic hours per week (typically 150 minutes on the TCNJ schedule grid), it was understood that the “transformed” courses offered a depth of learning with additional learning tasks unfolding in the equivalent of a fourth hour, including, sometimes, an actual additional hour of class interaction.  For undergraduate students in this course, as the equivalent of the fourth hour,

F) the students are assigned additional learning tasks that make the semester’s learning experience more deeply engaged and rigorous, and no other additional classroom space is needed.

ENGL 505:  An introduction to scholarly methods necessary for graduate work in literature along with the study of theoretical frameworks important to contemporary literary criticism, including formalism, structuralism, Marxism, deconstruction,feminism, post-colonial studies, cultural studies, new historicism, and psychoanalysis.  The course will provide familiarity with major advocates of each framework and require application of theories to specific literary texts.

GOALS.  In terms of my goals for this course, I want you

1. 1. 1. to become more aware of your basic assumptions about language, culture, and literature,
      2. to question and enrich your basic assumptions about language, culture, and literature,
      3. to learn the major schools of thought on the nature and interpretation of literature,
      4. to position your own thinking on the nature and interpretation of literature in relation to the major schools of thought on the subject,
      5. to expand your critical vocabulary to include the terminology currently in use among professional scholars engaged in the discussion and study of literature, and
      6. to become more comfortable reading literary theory on your own,

and, in addition, for the ENGL 505 students,

1. 1. 1. to demonstrate facility with critical practices in research and writing in the field of English (at the M.A. level).

Also, the following goals for the English Department and the School of Humanities & Social Sciences apply in this course:

#1 Written Communication
#5 Critical Analysis and Reasoning: Ability to critique the arguments of others in the discipline and the construction of one’s own arguments in the discipline, using data/evidence are a focus of instruction and/or the ability to analyze linguistic and cultural patterns
#7 Interpret Language and Symbol
#12 Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with a range of critical, generic, and literary traditions (including recent theoretical approaches) that shape – and are shaped by – literary discourses and texts of particular periods or movements
#15 Students will be able to read a literary work and characterize its main aesthetic, structural, and rhetorical strategies in an argumentative, thesis-driven essay or in a writing workshop
#17 Analyze how creative texts, artworks, or performances reflect, shape, exalt, or challenge the values of a culture

and, in addition, for the ENGL 505 students,

#6 Information Literacy: Evaluating the validity and/or reliability of a source

REQUIREMENTS.  This course has the following graded assignments (for both undergraduate and graduate students):

1. 1. 1. ten discussion posts as assigned in Canvas (together worth 20% of your final grade),
      2. PAPER 1 (20% of your final grade),
      3. PAPER 2 (30%), and
      4. a comprehensive final exam (30%).

We may also have ungraded quizzes on Dr. Faustus.  Whenever we need an example of a concrete piece of literature in order to test or practice the theories that we’re learning, we’ll use Dr. Faustus as our example.  As a result, it’s important that you are all familiar with Dr. Faustus through and through and that you retain that level of familiarity all semester.  Any quizzes that we have will cover the content of Dr. Faustus (main plot line, characters, settings, themes, important speeches, etc.) and will be ungraded, but I will look at them to see how familiar you are with Dr. Faustus.  The quizzes will be unannounced and may occur at any point in the semester all the way to the end of the term (or may not occur at all – if your familiarity with the play is obvious all semester long in class discussions).  Generally, I would say that you should be familiar with each and every scene in the main plot of the play (which major characters appear in the scene, the setting where it takes place, what its major events are, where approximately it appears within the overall plot of the play), and you should be ready to refer to scenes, characters, and other elements of the play in relation to the theorists that we’re reading.  An excellent way to gain and maintain your familiarity with Dr. Faustus is to use Dr. Faustus as an example in your discussion posts.  As you discuss a theorist’s ideas, look back over Dr. Faustus and relate the theorist’s ideas to Marlowe’s play.  If you’re looking at how a theorist talks about language, for example, think (and write) about how the theorist’s discussion of language does (or doesn’t) fit Dr. Faustus.  If you’re looking at what a theorist says about how we experience literature (how it affects its audience), think (and write) about how the theorist’s explanation of literature’s effect on its audience does (or doesn’t) fit Marlowe’s play.

Your final grade will be based on the following scale:  A = 93%-100%, A- = 90%-92%, B+ = 87%-89%, B = 83%-86%, B- = 80%-82%, C+ = 77%-79%, C = 73%-76%, C- = 70%-72%, D+ = 67%-69%, D = 60%-66%, and F = below 60%.  This scale is absolute.  Because the discussion posts are in a sense a form of extra credit built into this course from the start, I do not give extra credit at the end of the semester to help students raise their grade even a whisker.  So, even if, at the end of the semester, you are just .0001 points away from an A-, your final grade will be a B+.

PAPER 1.  Choose one theorist that we have studied thus far and one play by Christopher Marlowe (other than Dr. Faustus).  How do the theories of your chosen theorist change or enhance our understanding of Marlowe’s play?

• • LIT492:  Write a formal paper (4-6 pages) in which you argue a clear and specific thesis about Marlowe’s play in relation to your chosen theorist.  You need not use outside sources for this paper (that is, sources other than Marlowe and your chosen theorist); in fact, I would encourage you not to use outside sources (because I’d rather hear what you think than what some published scholar thinks).
  • ENGL 505:  Write a conference paper (8-10 pages with appropriate research) in which you argue a clear and specific thesis about Marlowe’s play in relation to your chosen theorist.  A conference paper should join and contribute to the current scholarly “conversation” on its topic.  So, you should find the most recent sources that address your topic (as well as any older sources that seem particularly influential on more recent scholars); you should briefly summarize for your reader what recent scholars have been talking about (the scholarly “conversation”), and you should position your own paper in relation to what recent scholarship has said (your contribution to the “conversation”).

I encourage you, a week before the paper is due, to submit a thesis paragraph (a draft introduction to your paper or just a paragraph that describes what you plan to write about) to me by sharing it with me as a Google Doc (making sure to give me “editing” or “suggesting” status, so that I can comment directly on what you submit); if you do so by the deadline noted in the course schedule below, I will give you feedback on your proposed thesis.

Your paper will be evaluated according to the following criteria (roughly in order of relative importance):

1. 1. 1. Does the paper have a clear, specific thesis?  Does the thesis offer an interesting perspective or “hook” that is provocative without being gimmicky or offensive?
      2. Does the paper exhibit a thorough and nuanced understanding of both the theorist and the literary text featured?
      3. Does the paper’s argument progress logically?  Does the paper have a clear and consistent overall organization that relates all the ideas of the paper together in support of the thesis with appropriate transitions to aid the reader (rather than simply a list of random observations without relation to one another or to the thesis)?  Does the paper have appropriate transitions to aid the reader in following the paper’s logic (rather than weak transitions, such as “The first…,” “Another…,” and “…also…”)?
      4. Does the paper provide relevant, concrete evidence and logically persuasive reasons for every assertion?
      5. Does the paper show sensitivity to the concrete historicity of the texts under consideration (rather than treat them as timeless museum pieces or reflect on them anachronistically)?
      6. Does the paper exhibit confidence and insight when analyzing texts not discussed in class?
      7. Does the introduction to the paper offer an interesting, helpful preview of the content, logic, and organization of the paper?
      8. Is factual information in the paper accurate?
      9. Is the writing in the paper clear, effective, and appropriate to an academic setting?

and, in addition, for the ENGL 505 students,

1. 1. 1. Does the paper join and contribute meaningfully to the scholarly “conversation” on its topic?  Are its scholarly sources current and appropriate?  Does the paper exhibit an understanding of what other scholars say (both individually and collectively)?  Does the paper add substantively to the scholarly discussion on its topic?

PAPER 2.  Repeat the same exact assignment as for PAPER 1 but with a different Marlowe play (other than Dr. Faustus) and with a theorist that we have studied since PAPER 1.  Your PAPER 2 will be graded according to the same criteria as PAPER 1.

DISCUSSION POSTS.  Under “Discussions” in Canvas, you will find ten discussion threads.  For each thread, you are required to write 3-4 substantial paragraphs in response to the prompt for the thread.  The prompts focus on major concepts and terms from the theorists that we are reading.  Your discussion posts should be completed before the deadline indicated within each thread (before the class meeting at which we will discuss the theorists featured in the thread).

You should read any submissions by your classmates already posted in the thread before writing your own.  While you may repeat and reinforce something that a classmate has said before you in a thread, you should add something new and substantial in order to get credit for your post.  This makes waiting until the last minute to do your posts dangerous.  If you procrastinate on posting, you may discover that your classmates have already said everything that you intended to say, and you’ll end up having to scramble – at the last minute – to find something new and substantial to add.

Your discussion posts are graded Pass/Fail, so they need not be a perfect, polished product.  Rather, your posts should be a thoughtful exploration.  Think about the terms that I have asked you to consider in the thread; look at what your classmates have already said (if any have posted before you); then write your own thoughts and ideas, adding something new and substantial.  Don’t worry about typos or comma splices or organization.  Don’t worry about answering every question that I ask in the prompt.  In fact, focus on the one question or topic or term that seems most interesting to you, and be as specific as you can, getting down as much as you can, as quickly as you can.  Treat your discussion posts more like a journal entry than like a formal paper.  I don’t want a five-paragraph theme.  Rather, I want an exploration – as detailed and specific as possible – of the terms in the thread.

Normally, as long as you submit a discussion post of suitable length, detail, and thoughtfulness (and as long as you submit it before the deadline on the assigned day), you will receive all the points that the discussion post is worth.  The purpose of the discussion posts is

1. 1. 1. to help you in your preparation for class discussion,
      2. to help me see where you’re struggling with the theories and readings for class,
      3. to help you develop your intellectual independence and your confidence as a reader of literary theory,
      4. to serve as a safe space for you to generate and experiment with potential ideas for your papers, and
      5. to help you broaden and enrich your understanding of the literary theories that we are exploring.

PROFESSOR’S AVAILABILITY.  My office is Bliss Hall 216.  My in-person office hours this term are 1:30-4:30pm on Thursdays and by appointment.  In addition, I can meet you over Zoom if that’s more convenient for you.  You may contact me by email (gsteinbe@tcnj.edu) or by calling my office phone (609-771-2106) and leaving a message (if I do not answer), but email is usually the best way to get in touch with me.  You may also leave a written message for me in my box at the English Department offices in Bliss Hall 124.

ATTENDANCE.  Regular attendance (whether in person or via Zoom) is a virtual necessity for successful completion of this class.  Class discussion constitutes important, useful preparation for your graded work.  If you miss a class, you will essentially lose out on that day’s contribution to your preparation, since it is never really possible to reproduce or recapture the dynamics and flow of information for a missed class meeting (even if you get notes from someone).  If, however, you positively must miss a class, I expect you to find out what you missed and to come fully prepared – without excuses – to the next class meeting.  For more information on the College’s attendance policy, please go to https://policies.tcnj.edu/?p=77.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY.  Academic dishonesty is any attempt by a student to gain academic advantage through dishonest means, to submit, as his or her own, work which has not been done by him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. Such dishonesty would include, but is not limited to, submitting as his/her own a project, paper, report, test, or speech copied from, partially copied, or paraphrased from the work of another (whether the source is printed, under copyright, or in manuscript form). Credit must be given for words quoted or paraphrased. The rules apply to any academic dishonesty, whether the work is graded or ungraded, group or individual, written or oral. TCNJ’s academic integrity policy is available on the web at https://policies.tcnj.edu/?p=130.

ACCOMMODATIONS.  The College of New Jersey prohibits discrimination against any student on the basis of physical or mental disability or perceived disability. The College will also provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations to enable students with disabilities to participate in the life of the campus community. If you require special accommodations, I will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your needs and to create an environment where your special abilities are respected. For more information, please go to https://policies.tcnj.edu/?p=145 and https://arc.tcnj.edu/.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. We are all enriched by greater diversity, and we all bring different perspectives to this class. I want to create a learning environment that supports diversity and honors your identities and perspectives (including your race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, mental and physical health, differing abilities, politics, etc.). If you go by a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your official records, please let me know. If you feel that your performance in class is being impacted by a hostile environment related to your identity outside of class, please don’t hesitate to talk to me. If something is said or posted in class (by anyone, including me) that makes you feel that your identity is being targeted, misunderstood, or disparaged, please talk to me about it. I will expect our whole class (including me) to strive always to honor every form of diversity. To see TCNJ’s official diversity statement, please go to https://diversity.tcnj.edu/campus-diversity-statement/.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING.  The TCNJ community is dedicated to the success, safety, and well-being of each student. TCNJ strictly follows key policies that govern all TCNJ community members’ rights and responsibilities in and out of the classroom. In addition, TCNJ has established several student support offices that can provide the support and resources to help students achieve their personal and professional goals and to promote health and well-being. You can find more information about these policies and resources at the “TCNJ Student Support Resources and Classroom Policies” webpage here:  https://academicaffairs.tcnj.edu/tcnj-syllabus-resources/.

Students who anticipate and/or experience barriers in this course are encouraged to contact the instructor as early in the semester as possible. The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) is available to facilitate the removal of barriers and to ensure reasonable accommodations. For more information about ARC, please visit:  https://arc.tcnj.edu/.

COURSE SCHEDULE.  Unidentified page numbers in the course schedule below are from The Critical Tradition:  Shorter Edition.  All class meetings will be held remotely over Zoom except for the four meetings highlighted in yellow, which will be held in person on campus in Bliss Annex 153.

This schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the professor.  Changes made after the beginning of the term will be shown in red.

Date	Assignment
Jan 26	MEETING IN PERSON Introductions Shklovsky (pp. 426-436)
Feb 2	Jung (pp. 328-338) and Saussure (pp. 492-502)
Feb 9	Lévi-Strauss (pp. 503-511) and Derrida (under “Files” in Canvas)
Feb 16	Bakhtin (pp. 352-369) and Barthes (pp. 512-519)
Feb 23	Freud (pp. 312-317), Brooks (pp. 656-666), and Lacan (pp. 643-655)
Mar 2	Marx (pp. 250-261), Althusser (pp. 738-746), and Williams (pp. 747-764)
Mar 9	MEETING IN PERSON Foucault (pp. 520-530 and 972-981)
Mar 16	NO CLASS (Spring Break)
Mar 23	Cixous (pp. 988-1000) and Kolodny (pp. 916-928) THESIS PARAGRAPH for PAPER 1 DUE (shared as a Google Doc) by 5pm
Mar 30	NO CLASS (I’ll be at the Sigma Tau Delta conference in Denver) PAPER 1 DUE in Canvas by 11:59pm
Apr 6	Butler (under “Files” in Canvas) and Sedgwick (pp. 1022-1029)
Apr 13	Herrnstein-Smith (under “Files” in Canvas, especially pp. 1560-1575) and Bourdieu (under “Files” in Canvas, especially pp. 29-43 and 55-73)
Apr 20	Jauss (under “Files” in Canvas, especially pp. 20-45), Fish (pp. 596-604), and Fetterley (pp. 605-612)
Apr 24	THESIS PARAGRAPH for PAPER 2 DUE (shared as a Google Doc) by 11:59pm
Apr 27	MEETING IN PERSON Du Bois (pp. 341-348) and Anzaldúa (pp. 1100-1108)
May 1	PAPER 2 DUE in Canvas by 11:59pm
May 4	Said (pp. 1066-1079) and Bhabha (pp. 1117-1131)
May 11	MEETING IN PERSON FINAL EXAM