HE112W:
Rhetoric and Introduction to Literature
Sections 5021 and 6021
Spring, 2010
Professor Mace 
e-mail: mace@usna.edu
Office: Sampson 204
Office Hours: Monday 10:00-1:15 and 3:30-4:00; Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-1:15 p.m. and 3:30-4:00; Wednesday 10:00-4:00 and by appointment.
In HE112W we will refine the rhetorical and critical skills you developed in the fall semester. First, we will briefly review the stages of the writing process---invention, organization, composition, and revision; you will then apply your knowledge to a variety of written assignments of different lengths. The topics for your essays will come from our readings in poetry and the novel. In these essays you will not only practice your writing skills, but you will also use the techniques of literary criticism appropriate to the genres we will discuss this semester. Finally, we will examine how to use bibliographies, summarize articles, and incorporate secondary sources into essays.
Texts
Thomas Arp and Greg Johnson. Sound and Sense. Twelfth Edition. Thomas and Wadsworth, 2007.
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/ I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton, 2005.
John Irving. A Prayer for Owen Meany. Ballantine Books, 1990.
Annie Proulx. The Shipping News. Scribner’s, 2001.
Mary Shelley. Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Editions, 1996.
Robert Louis Stevenson. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Ed. Katherine Linehan. Norton Critical Editions, 2003.
Course Policies
Format of Papers: I expect you to type all paper proposals and final drafts on the computer. Other assignments (including rough drafts) may be handwritten. Please double space your papers, number the pages, and put approximately one-inch margins on all sides. I will not accept handwritten final drafts or proposals, nor will I make allowances for papers handed in late because of computer or printer problems. Make sure that you hand papers in on time, since I deduct ten points for each class a paper is late. When you have materials to upload or exercises to do in CompClass, check to see when I expect them to be on the website; allow sufficient time to compensate for the inevitable vaguaries of web servers.
Writing Assignments: You will write three papers in this class, ranging in length from two to five pages. For some essays, after you have decided on a topic, you will write a short proposal (not more than a page) in which you will briefly discuss your audience, your thesis, and your plan of organization. Before a final draft is due, we will often have a rough draft session where other students will read and respond to your paper. I will also ask each of you to write one two-page response paper during the semester; you will read this response at the beginning of the class for which it has been assigned. I will hand out the list of assignments soon. You will also complete the diagnostic tests and exercises on the CompClass website (see the handout on CompClass for the requirements of these assignments). Finally, I will give frequent quizzes on the reading; at the end of the semester I will drop the lowest quiz grade.
You must hand all papers in on time. I will deduct a grade (10 points) for each class a paper is late. You should also remember that the minimum requirement for passing the course is to hand in all papers.
Quiz Policy: Usually when you have a reading assignment, you can expect a short reading quiz at the beginning of the class for which the reading has been assigned. Over the semester you will have over twenty of these quizzes. When you have been absent from class, you will not need to take a makeup quiz; I will simply record no grade for the missed quiz. However, each of you must be present for two thirds of the quizzes. A student who misses more than one third of the quizzes for the semester will earn zeros on those quizzes given after he/she has missed more than the third. I will also drop the lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester.
Writing Folder: Please buy a manila folder or the equivalent. In this folder you will keep all notes, outlines, proposals, rough drafts, and final drafts. Bring this folder to class and to any appointments with me. You should also store your class materials on a server that you can access when in class and when you are away from your personal computer. You may want to consider bringing your portable hard drive to class to transfer materials between computers.
Final Grade:
| Paragraph Exercise | 5% |
| Essay 1 (web review) | 10% |
| Essay 2 (OED assignment) | 15% |
| Article Summary Paragraph | 10% |
| Essay 3 (Novel) | 20% |
| Response Paper | 5% |
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Written Work (including exercises) | 10% |
| Participation | 10% |
You may revise the first two papers (except the final essay and the response paper) that you write this semester. Before you begin, you must come in for EI so that we can discuss the revision. I will expect a thorough rewrite (one that takes into account structure, content, and style), which I will grade as a separate assignment. Then I will average the first and second grades together to obtain the grade that will appear in my records. All "F" papers should be completely redone.
Extra Instruction: I encourage you to seek extra instruction during office hours if you need help. You can come in at any stage in the writing process, so do not wait until the day or two before an essay is due. I will also be available to answer short questions during each of the peer review sessions. Students receiving a grade of C- or lower on any essay should make an appointment for extra instruction as soon as possible after getting the essay back.
Tentative Schedule (Note: I may assign extra poems when we get to the poetry unit. I will also be adding relevant materials from the CompClass website.)
Tuesday, 12 January: Introduction
to the course; discussion of the
research component. Introduction to CompClass and registration for the
program..
Assignment for Thursday, 14 January: Read The
Everyday Writer, pp. 43-50; 68-82; be prepared for a short quiz on the
reading. If you have not already done so, sign up for our class section in CompClass. Take the diagnostic test on sentence style in CompClass; when
you are done, review the study plan designed for you. For some of you, this material will be a review from last semester.
Thursday, 14 January:
The rhetorial situation; discussion of essay structure. Review
of paragraphs.
Assignment for Tuesday, 19 January:
Read sample article ("A Brew Dream Fullfilled") and be prepared
to discuss its rhetorical situation. Complete the invention questions that
you will find on Blackboard about the article and print out the completed
questions and answers. Read pp. 1-13 in They Say, I Say. In addition, watch the "making a paragraph" video in CompClass (you will find a link to the material under "assignments"
in CompClass.). Complete the diagnostic test on word choice in CompClass and look over your study plan after completing the test (you have until 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday to complete the test.).
Monday, 18 January: MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY. NO CLASS.
Tuesday, 19 January: More
on essay structure and paragraphs. Discussion of sample
article and paragraph structure.
Assignment for Thursday, 21 January: Read
pp. 17-37 in They Say, I Say. Be prepared for a quiz on pp. 1-37
of the reading. Take the diagnostic quiz on mechanics and spelling in CompClass and review the study plan.
Thursday, 21 January: Complete
discussion of the sample article. Exercise in writing introductions Introduction to the novel.
Assignment for Monday, 25 January: Complete the paragraph exericise. Print out a hard copy to hand in. Make sure that
it is no more than one page, double spaced (twelve-point Times Roman type). Do the first exercise from your study plan and upload to the submission dropbox for the first exercise in CompClass.
Monday, 25 January: ***Paragraph
Exercise Due*** First full essay assigned--review of a site on the internet. Introduction to the novel.
Assignment for Tuesday, 26 January: Read The Shipping News, the epigraph and
pp. 1-70 (Chapters 1-7). Write
down one question about the reading. Links
for Annie Proulx: An
Interview with Annie Proulx Another
Interview with Proulx
Tuesday, 26 January:Visit
from Michael Macan to discuss evaluating material on the Internet. Link: Nimitz Guide to Navigating
the Web
Assignment for Thursday, 28 January: Read
The Shipping News, pp. 71-129 (Chapters 8-14)
.
Write down one question about the reading. Start looking for three websites to use for your essay. You MUST submit a list of three to me in the submission dropbox in CompClass NO LATER THAN Monday, 1 February by 3:30 p.m.. Don't forget to include the URL of each site, their names, your name, and your prospective major. Suggested resource: Evaluating Online Sources in CompClass (You will find a link to this resource in CompClass under "assignments.")
Thursday, 28 January: Discussion of The Shipping News
Assignment for Monday, 1 February:
Read The Shipping News, pp. 130-189 (Chapters 15-23) . Write
down one question about the reading. Complete a second exercise in your study plan and copy it into the submission dropbox for this assignment in CompClass.
Monday, 1 February: List of websites due by 3:30 p.m. today. Further
discussion of The Shippng News
.
Assignment for Tuesday, 2 February : Read The Shipping News , pp. 190-230 (Chapters
24-28).
Write down one question about the reading.
Tuesday, 2 February: Further discussion of essay one.
Assignment for Thursday, 4 February :
Read The Shipping News, pp.230-271
(Chapters 29-33). Write
down one question about the reading.
Thursday, 4 February : More on The Shipping News.
Assignment for Monday, 8 February:
Complete Worksheet for Essay One, to be found on Blackboard after your website has been approved; submit it
to me by putting it in the submission dropbox in CompClass no later than Monday morning. In addition, fill out the form
for paper proposal to submit in hard copy on Monday. Read Shipping
News pp. 272-337 (Chapters 34-39).Write down a comment or question about
the reading.
Monday, 8 February: Worksheet for Essay One and Proposal due. Last Class
on The Shipping News. Discussion of the poetry unit and essay two--use of the Oxford English Dictionary
Assignment for Tuesday, 9 February: Work on Essay One. Complete a third exercise from your study plan and copy the results into the submission dropbox for this assignment in CompClass.
Tuesday, 9 February:Visit from Michael Macan to discuss the Oxford English Dictionary.
Assignment for Thursday, 11 February: Write
a rough draft of the first essay.
Thursday, 11 February:
Writing Workshop: Rough draft session essay one; time will be available
for some students to talk with me about their papers in class.
Assignment for Tuesday, 16 February: Complete
essay one.
Monday, 15 February: Presidents' Day Holiday. NO CLASS!
Tuesday, 16 February: ***ESSAY ONE DUE***Introduction
to the second essay:
research assignment on poetry using the Oxford English Dictionary. Introduction
to the poetry unit: why do we study poetry?
Assignment for Thursday, 18 February: Read
pp. 1-11; 24-33 in Sound and Sense. In addition to the poems included
in these pages, read and study the following poems: "The Red Wheelbarrow"
(p. 17); "When in Rome" (p. 35); "Mirror" (p. 38); and"Ethics" (p.
39). Come prepared to discuss one of these poems more fully in class.
Thursday 18 February: More on poetry. Denotation and Connotation.
Assignment for Monday, 22 February: Read
pp. 42-48; 56-59 in Sound and Sense. In addition to
the poems included in these pages, read and study the following poems: "Naming
of the Parts" (pp. 48-49); "Cross" (pp. 49-50); "Those
Winter Sundays" (p.
66); "35/10" (pp. 54-55). Come prepared to discuss one of these
poems more fully in class, and go over the sections labelled "Reviewing
the Chapter"
in preparation for a quiz. Complete a fourth exercise from your study plan and upload to the submission dropbox for this exercise.
Monday, 22 February: More on poetry and word choice.
Assignment for Tuesday, 23 February: Read
pp. 70-81; 90-101 in Sound and Sense; be sure to go over the different
types of figurative language in preparation for a quiz. In
addition to the poems included in these pages, read and study the following
poems: "Mind" (p. 81); "I taste a liquor never brewed" (p.
82); "Introduction
to Poetry" (pp. 88-89); "Fire and Ice" (p. 103); "Because
I could not stop for Death" (p. 107). Complete a fifth exercise in your study plan, and submit it to CompClass in the appropriate dropbox.
Tuesday, 23 February: Last class on poetry Discussion of figurative language.
Assignment for Thursday, 25 February:
Complete invention questions for essay two and upload them to the submission dropbox in CompClass no later than Thursday, noon. Read
Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
pp. xi-xv; 4-24. Write down a comment or question about the reading. Links
to Stevenson: Exhibition
on Stevenson Stevenson
Biography and Links Stevenson
Website
Thursday, 25 February: Introduction
to and discussion of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Assignment for Monday, 1 March: Complete the proposal form for essay two, and print out a hard copy to hand in on Monday. Read
pp. 24-47 of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Write down a comment or question
about the reading. Complete a sixth exercise from your study plan and submit to CompClass.
Monday, 1 March : Proposal for Essay Two due. Discussion
of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Assignment for Tuesday, 2 March: Read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde pp. 47-62; 93-99 (responses to the novel). Write down a comment or questions about the reading.
Tuesday, 2 March : Last class on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Assignment for Thursday, 4 March :
Write a rough draft of Essay two.
Thursday, 4 March : Writing
Workshop: Rough draft session essay two
Assignment for Monday, 8 March: Read Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, pp.
5-58. Write down one question or comment about the reading. Complete a seventh exercise from your study plan, and submit it to CompClass in the appropriate dropbox. Relevant internet sites: Romantic
Circles and Biography
of Mary Shelley and Analysis of Frankenstein
Monday, 8 March: Discussion of Frankenstein.
Assignment for Tuesday, 9 March: Finish
Essay Two.
Tuesday, 9 March: ***ESSAY TWO DUE*** Brief discussion of article summary exercise. Exercise
on writing summaries. CompClass video on summarizing.
Assignment for Thursday, 11 March:. View assigned materials in CompClass on writing summaries. Complete an eighth exercise from your study plan and submit to CompClass. Read in They
Say, I Say pp. 39-47. Be sure to email me the date you have selected for the summary exercise NO LATER THAN Thursday, 11 March at noon.
Thursday, 11 March:. Visit
to the library to learn about finding relevant newspaper articles from Michael Macan.
Assignment for Monday, 22 March: Select
an article for the summary exercise and xerox it. Complete a ninth exercise from your study plan in
CompClass, and submit to the dropbox in CompClass. Read in Frankenstein pp. 59-114. I suggest that you read further to be prepared for Tuesday, 23 March. Write down one question or comment about the reading.
Monday 15 March to Friday 19 March: Spring Break!
Monday, 22 March: More discussion of Frankenstein
Assignment for Tuesday, 23 March: Complete Frankenstein (pp. 114-156). Write down a comment or question about the reading.
Tuesday, 23 March: Last class on Frankenstein
Assignment for Thursday, 25 March:
Complete the summary exercise.
Thursday, 25 March:***Summary
exercise due*** Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll in the movies. Introduction
to A Prayer for Owen Meany and the final essay--paper on one of the novels we have read.
Assignment for Monday, 29 March: Read
John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany epigraphs and pp. 1-93 (chapters 1 and 2). Write
down one question about the reading. Relevant web sites:1997
interview with John Irving
Monday, 29 March: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Tuesday, 30 March: Read Prayer,
pp. 94-115. Write down one question or comment about the reading.
Tuesday, 30 March: Discussion of A Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Thursday, 1 April: Read Prayer, pp.
115-165. Write down one question about the reading.
Thursday, 1 April : Discussion of A Prayer for
Owen Meany
Assignment for Monday, 5 April : Read Prayer,
pp. 165-226.. Write down one question or comment about the reading. Complete a tenth exercise from your study plan, and submit the results in the appropriate dropbox in CompClass.
Monday, 5 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Tuesday, 6 April:
Read Prayer, pp.226-255. Write down one question or comment about
the reading.
Tuesday, 6 April : Further
discussion of the final essay. Discussion of A Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Thursday, 8 April: Read Prayer,
pp. 256-299. Write down one question about the reading.
Thursday, 8 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Monday, 12 April: Read Prayer,
pp.299-360. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday 12 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Tuesday, 13 April: Write
a proposal for the final essay. Put together a list of twenty quotations
that support your thesis (be sure to include the page numbers). Make
sure the quotations are uploaded to CompClass NO LATER THAN
Thursday morning at 1100, You will also find some invention questions on Blackboard that may help you in putting together your proposal.
Tuesday, 13 April:
Proposal for the final essay due. Writing workshop
Assignment for Thursday, 15 April: Read Prayer,
pp.360-391. Write down a question about the reading.
Thursday, 15 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Monday, 19 April: Read Prayer,
pp.391-451. Write down a question about the reading.
Monday 19 April : Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Tuesday, 21 April: Read
Prayer, pp. 451-491 . Write down one question about the reading.
Tuesday, 20 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Thursday, 22 April: Write
rough draft of the final essay.
Thursday, 22 April: Writing
workshop: Rough draft session for the final essay. Last day to submit extra-credit exercises from your study plan to CompClass.
Assignment for Monday 26 April: Read Prayer,
pp. 491-542. Write down one question about the reading.
Monday, 26 April: Discussion
of A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Assignment for Tuesday, 27 April: Read Prayer,
pp. 542-582. Write down one question about the reading.
Tuesday, 27 April: Discussion of Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Thursday, 29 April: Read 582-617. Write down one question or comment about the reading.
Thursday, 29 April: Last class on Prayer for Owen Meany
Assignment for Monday 3 May : Complete the final essay.
Monday, 3 May : ***FINAL ESSAY DUE***Videotape and evaluations.
Tuesday, 4 May: Last Class. ***Last day to hand in revisions***Videotape.