ENGL C145: American Literature: The Short Story
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Top Code | 150100 - English |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the American short story, emphasizing major American writers from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and from various cultures in modern/contemporary America. Included is a view of historical period and mindset, and the study of character, plot, theme, point of view, setting, tone, style, and other literary devices as they function within the context of the particular story. ADVISORY: ENGL C1000. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Analyze short stories in terms of plot, characterization, and theme.
- Evaluate each author's work in terms of narrative style and descriptive technique, language, tone or mood, and literary conventions.
Course Objectives
- 1. Compare a media presentation with the written short story and evaluate the success of one form over the other.
- 2. Formulate a relationship (if one exists) between significant events in an authors life and times and the development of his or her writing.
- 3. Examine and describe the principal characters in each short story, their actions, and their motives.
- 4. Analyze examples of literary stylistic devices used by the authors such as symbolism, imagery, and irony.
- 5. Analyze differences in styles of American writers.
Lecture Content
History of the Short Story in America Beginnings of the short story Evolution and trends in American stories Modern multicultural America reflected in stories Terms Used in Literary Discussion Basic "short story vocabulary" Terms relating to specific works Basic Elements of Fiction (to be analyzed in each story) Plot Setting Characters Point of view Theme Symbolism Tone Language Stylistic devices Individual Authors Biographies Individual Short Stories May Include Selections from the Following: Washington Irving Nathaniel Hawthorne Edgar Allen Poe Herman Melville Mark Twain Stephen Crane Bret Harte William Sydney Porter Richard Wright Langston Hughes Sarah Orne Jewett Kate Chopin Mary Wilkins Freeman Willa Cather Jack London Susan Glaspell Katherine Ann Porter Zora Neal Hurston F. Scott Fitzgerald Ernest Hemingway William Faulkner John Steinbeck Eudora Welty Toni Cade Bambara Raymond Carver Ursula LeGuin Maya Angelou Alice Walker Sandra Cisneros Gish Jen Amy Tan Louise Erdich Bobbie Ann Mason Ambrose Bierce Tom OBrien William Carlos Williams Edwidge Danticat Mary Gaitskill Mary Lavin
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
Instructor utilizes lectures, class discussion, workshops, small groups, or one-on-one consultations. Instructor may require students to submit compositions to external sites such as Turnitin. Instructor employs audio and video technology to appeal to different learning types. Instructor assigns homework.
Reading Assignments
Students will read short stories from a variety of perspectives, cultures, approaches, and styles.
Writing Assignments
Students will write multiple drafts of essays analyzing short stories. Students will brainstorm, map, and freewrite prior to outlining. Students will incorporate instructors feedback into their writing. Students may research literary criticism and integrate it into their writing.
Out-of-class Assignments
Students will be regularly assigned reading and writing homework. Instructor may also require attending a performance, watching a film, visiting a library, or other out-of-class enrichment activities.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Students demonstrate critical thinking by closely reading and analyzing texts. Students also exhibit critical thinking during class discussions about audience, stance, purpose, persuasive techniques, authorial intent, rhetorical techniques, and other literary elements.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Students will write essays and take quizzes and exams (may be free response, multiple choice, or fill in the blank). Students will participate in discussions. Students may give an oral report, debate, present, or participate in other projects, individual or group.
Eligible Disciplines
English: Masters degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Charters, A. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction, 10th ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2018 Rationale: . 2. Required Leighton, K. A. J. English C145 Course Readings, 2018 ed. Coastline, 2018
Other Resources
1. Coastline Library