English 4W: Critical Reading and Critical Writing
UCLA,
Fall 2005
~Literature and Technology, or Literature's Technology~
Jessica Pressman
Course Description:
ENG 4 is an introduction to critical reading and writing practices as well as an introduction to literature and its analysis. The motivation and methodology of this class is two-fold: 1) to explore and examine a variety of literary genres, and 2) to acquire the critical and analytical skills needed to approach and articulate your interactions with the texts at a university-proficient level.
This is a writing-intensive course, and our focus will be on learning to construct a critical argument: a solid thesis statement and its supporting material. We will practice close reading and critical analysis as we enjoy exploring a variety of literary works all united by their thematic and formal engagements with technology. This theme provides an umbrella for approaching different genres across centuries of Western literature and numerous technological forms. Technology is here used in the broadest sense to describe communications technologies as well as transportation technologies; the works we will read illuminate the influences of diverse technologies in their narrative content and structure.
Reading List:
Dellilo, Don. White Noise
Deveare-Smith, Anna. Twilight: Los Angeles , 1992
Dos Passos, John. Manhattan Transfer
Eliot, T.S. The Waste Land
James, Henry. In the Cage and other Stories
O'Neill, Eugene . The Hairy Ape
Verne, Jules. Around the World in 80 Days
West, Nathanael. Day of the Locust
Course Requirements:
Four essays : 1 explication (1 page), 2 short (2-3 pages), 1 long (4-5 pages). Typed, standard 12-point font with double-spacing is required.
Three in-class quizzes: These unannounced quizzes will prompt short explications on passages from the readings.
Homework: Short assignments will range from the preparation of discussion questions to the construction of a thesis statement. They are due in class or on the website; late homework will not be accepted.
Participation: The success of this class and of your personal development depends on your active participation. This means that you will need to: (1 ) attend all class meetings; ( 2 ) participate in class discussions; ( 3 ) complete all required reading thoughtfully and thoroughly and be prepared to discuss the entire work on the first day that it is assigned. ( 5 ) bring the necessary material with you to class.
Grading
Essay #1 ..................................................... 10%
Essay #2 ..................................................... 15%
Essay #3 ..................................................... 20%
Essay #4 ..................................................... 30%
Quiz #1 ......................................................... 5%
Quiz #2 ......................................................... 5%
Quiz #3 ......................................................... 5%
Homework and Participation………… ……. ......10 %
Important Reminders:
Late papers will drop your grade by 1/3 of a letter grade for every day that it is late (including weekends). For example, a B+ paper would become a B after one late day. In-class quizzes cannot be made up.
Plagiarism , the use of someone else's words or ideas without proper acknowledgement, is a serious offense at UCLA. I am required to report any instances of plagiarism to the Dean of Students, which can result in suspension and/or expulsion. Make sure that you understand how to properly cite your sources . I am, of course, available for consultation on this subject.
Note
This is your class. I am here to help and encourage you to use my office hours and expertise to your benefit. I hope you will utilize the advantages of this small class, often rare at this large university, to develop your own thoughts and modes of thinking.
Reading Schedule
Week 1: Introduction: Literature and Technology, or Literature's Technology
October 3: Introduction
October 5: Around the World in 80 Days
Week 2: Technologies of Transportation and Communication
October 10: Around the World in 80 Days
October 12: Whitman: “Brooklyn Ferry” and “Passage to India ” (packet), James, “In the Cage”
Week 3: Technologies of Transportation and Communication
October 17: James, “In the Cage,” O'Neill, The Hairy Ape
October 19: O'Neill, The Hairy Ape PAPER 1 DUE
Week 4: Manhattan Transfer
October 24: Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer
October 26: Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer
Week 5: The City, Anonymity, and the Waste Land
October 31: Dos Passos, Manhattan Transfer
November 2: Eliot, The Waste Land, Pound, “In a Station of the Metro” (packet)
PAPER 2 DUE
Week 6: Radio, Simultaneity, and the Waste Land
November 7: Eliot, The Waste Land
November 9: Eliot, The Waste Land
Week 7: Film and the Culture Industry
November 14: West, The Day of the Locust
November 16: West, The Day of the Locust, Frank O'Hara, “Four Little Elegies” (packet) PAPER 3 DUE
Week 8: Television and White Noise
November 21: DeLillo, White Noise
November 23: DeLillo, White Noise
Week 9: The Media and its Mediations
November 28: Deveare-Smith, Twilight
November 30: Deveare-Smith, Twilight
Week 10: The Internet and Virtual Reality
December 5: Larsen, Disappearing Rain,
Selection from Janet Murray's Hamlet on the Holodeck (p. 27-9. in Packet)
December 7: Larsen, Disappearing Rain PAPER 4 DUE