Text Box: Criticism Professor Stefan Fleischer TTh 2:00 - 3:20 Reg. No. 346290 Text Box: 301 Text Box: Aims of the course: an introduction to the serious study of literature; to equip the student with essential tools and concepts, as well as a basic, usable critical vocabulary; attention to critical practices; the study of literature for pleasure and as an institutional practice within the American university; most important, to develop the student’s abilities as a close reader and as a solid, analytical writer. We will read widely productions of a range of cultures in a variety of media and genres. We’ll read plays, short stories, a work that’s philosophical in nature, and will study closely three films, one with subtitles. You must have the readings prepared before the class date indicated. There will be fairly frequent short quizzes on the readings. There will be frequent impromptu writing assignments in class, as well as three papers at home, two of which will be brief. Texts: Robert Atwan, Convergences; Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Required: highly competent access to Internet resources, for example--http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/glossary. Recommended: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, and Richard III. Available at the University Bookstore. Text Box: Criticism Professor Ming-Qian Ma MWF 8:00 - 8:50 Reg. No. 333342 Text Box: 301 Text Box: Designed as a survey class, English 301 is intended to introduce students to literary criticism of the 20th Century, with an emphasis on the post-1960s period. Chronological in approach, it will study the representative texts of various schools of criticism, focusing on the basic terms, concepts, and methodologies. The goals of this course are (1) to learn and understand the principles and paradigms of each kind of criticism; (2) to become critically aware of not only the ramifications but also the limitations of literary theory; (3) to rethink and question such notions as “innocent reading” or “purely spontaneous response”; and (4) to learn a range of interpretative methods. The primary texts for the course are: Literary Theory: An Anthology, edited by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, Blackwell, 1998. Billy Budd and Other Tales, by Herman Melville, with a new introduction by Joyce Carol Oates. Signet Classic. (ISBN: 0-451-52687-2) Class requirements include regular attendance, active participation in class discussions, quizzes, response papers to readings, and a 6-8 page term paper at the end of the course.