Gender, Identity, and Literature › ... · gender (what we mean by masculinity and femininity) but...

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Evans ENGL 2550-02 (CRN 25039/Hons 27707/WGST 26644)

Introduction to Literary Studies ENGL 2550-02

CRN 25039 / Honors CRN 27707 / WGST 26644

Gender, Identity, and Literature

Spring 2018 TR 2.15 – 3.30 p.m.

Room: Des Peres Hall 111

SYLLABUS

Dr. Ruth Evans Office Hours: Tuesday 4 – 5 pm, Thursday 12 noon – 2 pm

I am always happy to meet and talk with you. My office is on the second floor of Adorjan Hall, Room 231. Please feel free to drop in during my office hours, or to ask for a meeting at other times. I’ll be really glad to help talk through ideas or questions, especially early on if you feel you need more guidance or information, or if you just want to talk about university life in general. You can email or text me at any time. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, though not always immediately.

Office: Adorjan Hall #231 E-mail: [email protected]

Phone or text: (314) 520-7067

Class Website: https://genderidentityandliteratureengl2550.wordpress.com/

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ENGL 2550-02 Gender, Identity, and Literature

What you need to know about thIs class at a glance Writing is important. 80% of the final grade is for yOur writing. Read the criteria by which I’ll judge your writing (p. 9). I am always happy for you to ask me for extra feedback and advice. Reading: approx. 100 pages per week. Bring the required text or texts to every class. Every class will start with a brief reference to gender and literature, or just gender, in the news. There is no midterm or final exam. First paper (4 pp.) 10% due 2/9 Second paper (4-6 pp.) 20% draft Due 3/9; revised due 4/6 Final paper (6-8 pp.) 30% due 5/11 Weekly c. 280-word (1-page) responses 20% Presentation 10% Participation 10% Email me ([email protected]) your assignments as Word doc or docx attachments. include your last name in the document title. Regular attendance is expected. You will be considered absent if you come to class more than 10 minutes late. You are responsible for asking a classmate for the notes when you miss class and for keeping up with the reading. cellphones, laptops, and tablets must be turned off during class. You may have two unexcused absences over the course of the semester. Starting with your third absence, your final course average will be lowered by 4.5 points for each new absence. So, if you have four unexcused absences, you lose 9 points from your final average. In that case, if your average were an 84, it would then become a 75.

mailto:[email protected]

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ENGL 2550-02 Gender, Identity, and Literature

Course Description What does it mean to have a gender? Is gender biological or cultural? To what extent is our gender written on the body? that is, is it dependent on our bodily appearance? We understand gender today in a variety of ways that differ from its understanding in the recent past. For example, we talk now not only about the cultural meanings of gender (what we mean by masculinity and femininity) but also about gender expression. Gender expression is the outward, culturally-determined signs of my gender: behavior, clothing, appearance, and name, signs that have traditionally been read in binary terms, as either masculine or feminine. My gender identity, in contrast, is my internal, deeply-held sense of my gender, which may be at odds with my biological sex (the basis for the sex I am assigned at birth): I may have been born a man, but inside I feel that I am a woman. My gender identity is also self-determined (I get to say what my gender is, which has certainly not always been the case in the past), is not necessarily visible to others, and may or may not be abiding. Today, there’s a proliferation of gender categories and identities besides masculine and feminine: genderqueer, bigender, transgender, transmasculine, intersex, nongender, agender, gender non-conforming, boi, and many other terms besides. Facebook now has more than 50 gender options to choose from. But despite the fluidity of gender today, in places around the world, and within our own communities in the US, gender identity and gender expression are still heavily policed and regulated, as they often were in the past. Gender is also always intersectional, that is, it is articulated with other categories: race, class, religion, disability. And understandings of gender shift historically. This course looks at the way that gender identities and gender expressions are represented in literary texts from different historical periods: in novels, plays, short stories, and poetry.

REQUIRED TEXTS TO BUY 1. Janet E. Gardner and Joanne Diaz, Reading and Writing About Literature: A

Portable Guide, 4th edn, Bedford/St Martin’s, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-319-03536-5 2. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, any edition. There’s an Anchor Books

paperback, 1998. ISBN: 978-0385490818. 3. Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye, any edition. There is a Vintage International

edition, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-30727844-9. 4. Suzan-Lori Parks, In The Blood, any edition. I’ve got it in a collected edition,

The Red Letter Plays, Theatre Communications Group, 2001, but there is a mass market paperback acting edition, Dramatists Play Service, 2000. ISBN: 978-0822217565.

5. James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son, with a New Introduction by Edward P Jones, Beacon P, 2012. Paperback. ISBN: 978-0-8070-0623-8.

6. Antonia White, Frost in May, any edition. There is a Virago paperback, 2006. ISBN: 978-1-844-08378-7.

7. Roz Kaveney, Tiny Pieces of Skull, or A Lesson in Manners, Team Angelica, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-9569719-7-5

I will also ask you to read some additional texts (short stories; poems; essays, and critical essays). I’ll provide copies on the class website.

http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term-definitions/

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COURSE SCHEDULE

The set readings for each class session below are readings to be done in advance of the session, so that we can have a good class discussion. I will also ask you to read some critical essays in the course of the semester. I want to start every class with a reference to gender in the news, which we'll discuss for a few minutes at the beginning of every session. It would be great for you to take turns coming up with ideas. Thank you! Week 1 Tues Jan 16 Introduction. Class requirements. What is gender? What does it mean to talk about the representation of

gender in literature? Thurs Jan 18 Reading and writing about literature. Janet E. Gardner and Joanne Diaz, Reading and Writing About

Literature: A Portable Guide, Chapter 1 (4½ pp.) Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Epigraphs + Chapters 1 and 2 (10 pp.) Week 2 Tues Jan 23 Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Chapters 3-7 Thurs Jan 25 Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Chapters 8-14 Gardner and Diaz, Reading and Writing About Literature, Ch. 2. 1st weekly response due midnight Friday 1/26.

280-300 words, double-spaced, on the following: “How does the Republic of Gilead expect women to behave?” Base your answer only on the reading we have done so far, and remember to provide at least 2-3 examples from the text.

Week 3 Tues Jan 30 Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Chapters 15-29. Thurs Feb 1 Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Chapters 30-39. Presenter: Paige Searl Gardner and Diaz, Reading and Writing About Literature, Ch. 3. 2nd weekly response due midnight Friday 2/2. Prompt: “Once

women were free; now we are slaves.” Week 4 Tues Feb 6 Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Chapters 40-46 + “Historical Notes” Presenters: Samantha Parish, Jamie VandenOever Thurs Feb 8 Femininity, Masculinity, and Race: Kate Chopin, “Désirée’s Baby.” Gardner and Diaz, Reading and Writing About Literature, Ch. 5. Fri Feb 9 1st paper due midnight, i.e. between Friday and Saturday. Week 5 Tues Feb 13 Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye.

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Thurs Feb 15 Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye. Presenters: Hailey Barr, Danielle Luongo 3rd weekly response due midnight Friday 2/16. Week 6 Tues Feb 20 Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye. Thurs Feb 22 Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye. 4th weekly response due midnight Friday 2/23. Week 7 Tues Feb 27 Tony Morrison, The Bluest Eye. Presenter: Laurel Button Thurs Mar 1 Suzan-Lori Parks, In The Blood. Presenter: Stephanie Kim Gardner and Diaz, Reading and Writing About Literature, Ch. 7. 5th weekly response due midnight Friday 3/2. Week 8 Mar 5–9 University Spring Mid-Term Exams Week: no exam for this class. Tues Mar 6 Suzan-Lori Parks, In The Blood Presenter: Jessica Ziegemeier Thurs Mar 8 Suzan-Lori Parks, In The Blood Presenter: Katie Schoenfeld Fri Mar 9 2nd paper (draft) due midnight, i.e. between Friday and Saturday. Week 9 Mar 12-16 NO CLASSES: SPRING BREAK. Week 10 Tues Mar 20 Femininity, Religion, and the Family: Antonia White, Frost in May Presenter: Angelyn Chleborad Thurs Mar 22 Antonia White, Frost in May Presenter: Rachel Fox 6th weekly response due midnight Friday 3/9. Week 11 Tues Mar 27 Antonia White, Frost in May Presenter: Lucie Wood Thurs Mar 29 Easter Break – no class. Week 12 Tues Apr 3 Antonia White, Frost in May Presenter: Rachel McClanahan Thurs Apr 5 Class cancelled. Fri April 6 Revised 2nd paper due midnight, i.e. between Friday and Saturday.

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Week 13 Tues Apr 10 Masculinity and Race: James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son Thurs Apr 12 James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son Presenter: Gafur Gafurov 7th weekly response due midnight Friday 4/6. Week 14 Tues Apr 17 James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son + poems: TBA Thurs Apr 19 James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son Presenter: Joe Eckert 8th weekly response due midnight Friday. Week 15 Tues Apr 24 Roz Kaveney, Tiny Pieces of Skull Thurs Apr 26 Roz Kaveney, Tiny Pieces of Skull 9th weekly response due midnight

Friday. ___________________________________ Week 16 Tues May 1 Roz Kaveney, Tiny Pieces of Skull Thurs May 3 Roz Kaveney, Tiny Pieces of Skull Discussion of final papers. ___________________________________ May 9-15 University Spring Final Exams. No

exam for this class. Fri May 11 Final paper due midnight, i.e. between Friday and Saturday.

FINAL GRADES will be posted Thursday, May 17 by 5:00 p.m.

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THE WORKLOAD: ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING What work do I have to do?

a. Reading of the course material and active participation in class discussions. (10%)

b. Short, weekly responses to the reading (a page of about 280 words, double-spaced, 12-point font), due every Friday by midnight, unless otherwise specified (check schedule). I’ll grade these satisfactory or unsatisfactory. I’ll look for evidence that you’ve read the assigned material and thought about the question involved. I’ll provide you with questions. (20%)

c. Three papers. 1. A close reading of a passage from one of the primary texts studied so far (max. 4 pages, double-spaced): due: Feb 9 midnight (10% of final grade). 2. A response to a prompt that will ask you to argue a point about a text or texts (4-6 pages, double-spaced), will be ungraded: draft due Mar 9 midnight. I will return it to you with suggestions for revision, and you will then turn it in for a grade: revised second paper due Apr 6 midnight. (20%). 3. Instead of a final exam, you will submit a final paper (6-8 pages, double-spaced): due May 11 midnight. Present your work in MLA style (I’ll provide further advice). (30%). TOTAL: 60%.

d. Class presentation. Once during the semester you will lead the class discussion by offering a 10-minute presentation on the week’s reading and providing 3 questions for class discussion. Guidelines below. (10%)

GUIDELINES FOR CLASS PRESENTATIONS Leading the discussion and brief in-class presentation. Everyone will give one 7-10-minute class presentation with the goal being to introduce whatever the reading is for the day you are down to present, suggest an approach to it, and spark discussion. Your peers will also evaluate your presentation -- anonymously (see Peer Score Sheet below, p. 14). Do not simply summarize the reading. Instead, use your presentation as an opportunity to introduce points for consideration (including points of controversy), with close reference to the text, or texts, and to steer the class discussion. You will need to provide 3 thought-provoking questions on the text (or texts), to stimulate class discussion (you can put these on a final slide or on a handout. Your grade will be determined by your ability to present material succinctly and professionally, to suggest an approach, and to generate class discussion. It might help to think of this assignment as developing skills that will lead toward successful presentations in contexts outside the classroom.

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You may give the presentation from note cards, bullet points, Prezi, or PowerPoint. You can, if you want, provide handouts with quotations or images. If using PowerPoint, please email the presentation to yourself so that you can download it in the classroom, and remember that the best PowerPoint presentations make use of the slides as prompts that you talk about and around. For more information about my expectations, see the Peer Score Sheet below (p. 14). Please see me if any of the criteria aren’t clear. Submitting Your Work and Late Assignments Assignments are due on the date and at the time specified on the schedule. Please email me your assignments electronically as a Word doc or docx attachment, with your last name in the document name so I can identify who it’s from. Provided I have acknowledged that I have received your assignment, then there is no need to provide it in hard copy. If you cannot complete a written assignment on time but have extenuating circumstances, please e-mail me in advance of the class ([email protected]) and I will grant an extension for a true emergency. An assignment turned in after the due date (without an agreed extension) will be marked down one letter grade for each weekday after the due date. How will my grade be determined?

Grading SLU Grading Scale for calculating GPA

First paper 10% Second paper 20% Final paper 30% Weekly responses to the reading 20% Presentation 10% Participation 10%

A 4.00 (100-93) C+ 2.30 (79-77) A- 3.70 (92-90) C 2.00 (76-73) B+ 3.30 (89-87) C- 1.70 (72-70) B 3.00 (86-83) D 1.00 (69-63) B- 2.70 (82-80) F 0.00


https://sites.google.com/a/slu.edu/registrar_resources/grades/scale

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Department of English Writing Expectations

• Readability and Audience Awareness: Papers are designed to appeal to a particular audience, whether that audience is the scholarly community, professionals, students, the instructor, or the general public. They therefore must be readable. Readability refers to the clarity of the paper itself. Readability is influenced by the use of proper grammar and mechanics, but readability also relates to the relative clarity of ideas expressed, and the extent to which a writer uses language and tone in ways appropriate to the intended audience.

• Clarity of Objective, Argument, or Thesis Statement: All assignments serve a purpose. Within a given class, a paper is designed to address one or more key objectives. Papers with a clear objective, purpose, or thesis statement sufficiently explain what the paper sets out to accomplish and why that argumentative goal is significant.

• Support, Analysis, and Critical Thinking: All papers serve a particular purpose. Elaborating on the objective, purpose, or thesis statement requires the writer to provide examples or evidence to support that objective, purpose, or thesis statement. Carefully-chosen examples and evidence demonstrate that the writer can think critically about the paper topic. When outside resources are required, the paper will provide appropriate documentation, typically using MLA style.

• Organization: An organized paper models a clear progression of ideas. The writer moves from idea to idea in a deliberate, not a haphazard way, effectively and persuasively transitioning from one topic to another. In addition, for a given topic or class, effectively organized papers will logically structure the key sections required for the assignment

Arthur Tress, American, 1940

Hermaphrodite, East Hampton, 1973 Gelatin silver print (printed 1995), 19 x 18-3/4 in. (483 x 476 mm)

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of Steve Rifkin and Carol Stephens Rifkin. 97.185.21 ©Arthur Tress. All rights reserved. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art

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Assessment and Submission of Work The Saint Louis University Department of English is committed to excellent and innovative educational practices. In order to maintain quality academic offerings and to conform to relevant accreditation requirements, we regularly assess our courses and programs for evidence of student learning outcomes achievement. For this purpose, we keep on file representative examples of student work from all courses and programs such as: assignments, papers, exams, multimedia presentations, portfolios, and results from student surveys, focus groups, and reflective exercises. Thus, copies of your work for this course—including exams, presentations, submitted papers or other assignments—may be kept on file for institutional research, assessment and accreditation purposes. All samples of student work will be anonymized before they are used in assessment exercises. If you prefer that the Department of English does not keep your work on file, you need to communicate your decision in writing to your instructor. INTRODUCTORY LITERATURE COURSES (2000 LEVEL): GENERAL OBJECTIVES These courses are taken to satisfy the lower-division Core literature requirement of the College of Arts and Sciences. Each course is centered around a core theme through which students explore important theories and methods of literary and critical analysis. Through close reading, seminar discussion, lecture, and written analysis, students explore a diverse selection of imaginative and cultural texts, developing an enhanced appreciation of their structure and of the rich significance of their language and modes of representation. When appropriate, an instructor may assign or approve projects in new media, performance, debate, or other student work in lieu of more traditional writing. Reading and Interpretive Practices: Students will

• Read texts or view films by authors from a variety of periods and nationalities.

• Read closely and critically, learning to interpret literature, film, and modes of rhetorical argument in ways that are both intellectually rigorous and personally significant.

• Discuss their own written reflections on literature, film and rhetorical argument in group settings, enriching their ability to express clearly their points and insights.

Writing and Cognitive Practices: Students will have the opportunity to write in both formative and summative modes: they will be able to practice their critical writing, with formative feedback, and they will also be expected to write high-caliber critical essays or creative responses (or their equivalent) that keep to word limits. They will:

• Write a minimum of 12 pages of formal and informal graded prose (3,750 words), with one opportunity for revision.

• Develop analytical thinking and writing skills through papers, quizzes, exams, and active participation in discussion.

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Course Outcomes Students who complete this 2000-level course will be able to:

• Generate engaged and responsive close readings of texts;

• Describe and analyze the various ways in which texts reflect and help shape wider cultural conditions;

• Construct clear spoken and written arguments that demonstrate an awareness of purpose and audience.

Library The English Liaison Librarian at Pius Library is Jamie Emery: 314-977-3591, [email protected]. She is fantastically helpful. Contact her if you need help in using the Library and finding books. Class Etiquette Please do the reading in advance for the day listed and always bring your copies of the required text or texts to class with you, together with any other critical reading that I may have assigned. I require that you have your text with you in class because I rely on the close reading and close discussion of specific passages. Unless I say otherwise, cellphones, laptops, and tablets must be turned off during class. I make exceptions for students requiring accommodations. As you prepare for each class, read the text carefully, making annotations, jotting down notes or questions, and generally preparing yourself for a discussion. Please arrive promptly for class. Do not be late – or leave early – unless you have told me in advance. If you miss a class, you are responsible for asking a classmate for the notes and for keeping up with the reading. Attendance Policy Regular attendance is expected, and is fundamental to your success in this class. We will be working constantly with your writing, so your presence is very important. Because it is so important for your success in the course, the Writing Program has instituted a program-wide attendance and tardiness policy. You may have two unexcused absences over the course of the semester. Starting with your third absence, your final course average will be lowered by 4.5 points for each new absence. So, if you have four unexcused absences, you lose 9 points from your final average. In that case, if your average were an 84, it would then become a 75. If you are able to do so, please let me know in advance of a class if you expect to miss it. If you have been ill, please provide a doctor’s note. It is expected that you will be at class for your class presentation. Missed presentations will result in a fail for the assignment except in the case of a true emergency, in which case you must talk to me as soon as possible (before you miss class if at all possible) and we will address the situation based on the circumstances.


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___________________________________ Title IX Syllabus Statement Saint Louis University and its faculty are committed to supporting our students and seeking an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have encountered any form of sexual misconduct (e.g. sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic or dating violence), we encourage you to report this to the University. If you speak with a faculty member about an incident of misconduct, that faculty member must notify SLU's Title IX coordinator, Anna R. Kratky (DuBourg Hall, room 36; [email protected]; (314) 977-3886) and share the basic fact of your experience with her. The Title IX coordinator will then be available to assist you in understanding all of your options and in connecting you with all possible resources on and off campus. If you wish to speak with a confidential source, you may contact the counselors at the University Counseling Center at (314) 977-TALK. To view SLU’s sexual misconduct policy and for resources, please visit the following web address: http://www.slu.edu/general-counsel-home/office-of-institutional-equity-and-diversity/sexual-misconduct-policy www.slu.edu/here4you. Student Success Center In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are available on campus. The Student Success Center, a one-stop shop, which assists students with academic and career related services, is located in the Busch Student Center (Suite, 331) and the School of Nursing (Suite, 114). Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out more about:

• Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your course instructor.

• University-level support (e.g., tutoring services, university writing services, disability services, academic coaching, career services, and/or facets of curriculum planning) by visiting the Student Success Center or by going to www.slu.edu/success. See also Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning: www.slu.edu/cttl.

Disability Services Academic Accommodations Students with a documented disability who wish to request academic accommodations are encouraged to contact Disability Services to discuss accommodation requests and eligibility requirements. Please contact Disability Services, located within the Student Success Center, at [email protected] or (314) 977-3484 to schedule an appointment. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. Once approved, information about academic accommodations will be shared with course instructors via email from Disability Services and viewed within Banner via the instructor’s course roster. University Writing Services We encourage you to take advantage of university writing services in the Student Success Center; getting feedback benefits writers at all skill levels. Trained writing consultants can help with writing projects, multimedia projects, and oral presentations.

http://www.slu.edu/here4you

http://www.slu.edu/success


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University Writing Services offers one-on-one consultations that address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources. For more information, call (314) 977-3484 or visit the University Writing Services website. Academic Integrity Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible conduct in all academic endeavors. The mission of Saint Louis University is “the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.” Accordingly, all acts of falsehood demean and compromise the corporate endeavors of teaching, research, health care, and community service via which SLU embodies its mission. The University strives to prepare students for lives of personal and professional integrity, and therefore regards all breaches of academic integrity as matters of serious concern. The governing University-level Academic Integrity Policy was adopted in Spring 2015, and can be accessed on the Provost’s Office website. Additionally, each SLU College, School, and Center has adopted its own academic integrity policies, available on their respective websites. All SLU students are expected to know and abide by these policies, which detail definitions of violations, processes for reporting violations, sanctions, and appeals. Please direct questions about any facet of academic integrity to your course instructor, the chair of the department of your academic program, or the Dean/Director of the College, School or Center in which your program is housed. Specific College of Arts and Sciences Academic Honesty Policies and Procedures may be found at: http://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/student-resources/academic-honesty.php While not all forms of academic dishonesty can be listed here, examples include copying from another student, submitting materials authored by or revised by another person as the student’s own work, copying a passage or text directly from a published source without appropriately citing or recognizing that source, taking a test or doing an assignment or other academic work for another student, and colluding with another student or students to engage in academic dishonesty. All clear violations of academic integrity will be met with appropriate sanctions. In this class, (1) the penalty for an act of academic dishonesty is a grade of F for the assignment, which will be factored into the student’s final grade for the course; (2) a report will be filed with the Department Chair, who will advise the student of the penalty and the method of appeal.

https://www.slu.edu/retention-and-academic-success/university-writing-services

https://www.slu.edu/retention-and-academic-success/university-writing-services

http://www.slu.edu/Documents/provost/academic_affairs/University-wide%20Academic%20Integrity%20Policy%20FINAL%20%206-26-15.pdf

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ENGL 2550 Gender, Identity, and Literature Presentations

Peer Score Sheet Student Name …………………………………………………………………………………….

Title of Presentation ……………………………………………………………………………..

Date of Presentation ……………………………………………………………………………..

Category Points Comments

Argument and explanation of topic: presentation has a clear focus and thesis statement; topic is related to the course, i.e., the representation of gender in literature; answers the “so what?” question, i.e., why the audience should care about the topic; clear examples to back up the thesis

out of 50

Medium: uses the chosen presentation format (PowerPoint; Prezi) appropriately; timing is right; clear transitions

out of 10

Visuals: effective images that convey central ideas; linked clearly to the thesis statement; appropriate and thoughtful for the topic; audience was informed and entertained

out of 10

Commentary: presented clearly, is knowledgeable about the subject, sounds relaxed and confident; made eye contact; spoke at appropriate pace; was interesting

out of 20

Questions and discussion: gave us good questions; answered questions well

out of 10

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