Literature and Human Values: Labor, Power, Class
English 2099G; sophomore-level; 3 credits; 7 students
Instructor: Anne Zahlan, Ph.D., Professor of English
Eastern Illinois University; Charleston, Illinois
Honors College Dean: Bonnie Irwin, Ph.D.
Instructor: Anne Zahlan, Ph.D., Professor of English
Course Description: This course involves reading, discussing, and writing about plays and novels that raise questions as to how societies are organized: Who orders whom around and by what authority? Which groups are respected and which groups despised? How is work assigned and whose labor is valued and rewarded?
The course examines how language and literary form reflect, shape, or undermine the ideologies that determine social realities. It helps students acquire insight into the literary representation of social order and requires them to engage in critical thinking and intellectual questioning about issues of labor, class, and power. The course is writing intensive.
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale
Karel Capek, R.U.R.
Charles Dickens, Hard Times
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty
Nawal El-Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
Suggested: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition
(Each student should also have a Handbook of usage and a collegiate desk dictionary.)
Dr. Z’s Office Hours: Tuesdays: 2-5; Thursdays: 2-4
Syllabus
| Date | Topic |
| Week 1 |
Introduction and Assignments; |
| Week 2 | Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (Have the novel read for today.) Assignment of Paper I |
| Week 3 |
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest |
| Week 4 |
Achebe, Things Fall Apart Read Parts One and Two for tonight.) |
| Week 5 |
Conclude Things Fall Apart. |
| Week 6 |
Hard Times: Read Parts One and Two for tonight (finish the novel if possible.) |
| Week 7 |
Hard Times concluded |
| Week 8 |
Waiting for Lefty (Dramatic Presentations) |
| Week 9 |
Visiting Lecture on U.S. Labor Movement [Thursday 21 October: Late penalties (5 pts. per day) begin for Paper I submission by any student who did not participate in Evaluation Workshop.] |
|
Week 10 |
El-Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero (Read the book for tonight.) |
| Week 11 |
Capek, R.U.R. (Read the play for tonight; dramatic readings) |
| Week 12 |
Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale: Read and prepare first half of novel. |
| Week 13 | The Handmaid’s Tale: finish reading the book for tonight. Discussion of Prospectus; Research Presentations scheduled |
| Week 14 | THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY--NO CLASS MEETINGS |
| Week 15 |
The Handmaid's Tale concluded; Review the Epilogue for tonight. |
| Week 16 |
Paper II (final version) due in class on this date. RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS AS SCHEDULED |
Grade Calculation
Participation (including Drama Presentations) and Daily Preparation (including quizzes): 30%
Mid-Term Exam: 10%; Cumulative Final Exam: 20%
Paper I: 15%; Paper II (including Prospectus): 20%
Research Paper Oral Presentations--5%
Course Journal Assignment
Keep a separate notebook or journal in which you write your responses to reading assignments and class discussion. For each work that we read, please identify in your journal those issues of labor, class, and power that you see in the text and your own thoughts about them. Identify also attitudes to the issues--the social and political views expressed in the text. In your journal, also take notes on your background reading in history, political science, and current events. From time to time, you will be asked to write responses in class, and you should add them into your journal when they are returned. You will find a journal very useful in reviewing for exams and in planning your papers and oral presentations. I will not collect or grade journals.
Dramatic Readings
Groups of students will be asked to present scenes from the three plays that we are reading and to present rehearsed reading performances to the class.
Groups should be prepared to explain the significance of the scenes and to comment on their interpretation of scenes and plays.
Contact person: Anne Zahlan, arzahlan@eiu.edu.