English online class
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literature_and_life_239.docxLiterature and Life: War and the British Imagination (1914-1918)
As the British scholar David Punter observes, “an artform or a genre derives its overall vitality,
the ground on which specific excellence may be achieved, from its attempts to come to grips with and to
probe matters of concern to the society in which that genre or artform exists.” There is arguably no matter
which more concerns a society than war, and at the beginning of the twentieth century, there was war on
an unprecedented scale. In this class, we’ll look at the writing and art inspired by the traumatic
experiences of the “Great War” as we study how literature responds to social and historical events. We
will read selections from a variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, and memoir, as well as visual
forms like film, television, and drama, and we’ll discuss a variety of themes including friendship, class
and gender, the horrors of war, the conflict between generations, the passing of an old civilization and
birth of a new one, medicine and technology at home as well as at the front, nationalism, the relationship
between history and literary production, and the lasting impact of WWI in the present day.
Texts to Purchase
Pat Barker, Regeneration (novel)
Robert Graves, Good-Bye to All That (memoir)
Pat Mills, Charley’s War 2 June 1916 - 1 August 1916 (graphic novel)
Pat Mills, Charley’s War 1 August 1916 - 17 October 1916 (graphic novel)
Rebecca West, The Return of the Soldier (novella – also available online)
Course Requirements
A final exam and a midterm as well as one 4-6 page paper will be required. You will also answer
reading questions, to be posted to Blackboard on the day of class, except where noted. Additionally,
regular attendance and active participation is mandatory. You are expected to be prepared for class, to be
attentive and take notes, and to be respectful of others in discussion. All assignments are to be typed, and
the paper is to be double-spaced, with 12 point font (Times New Roman) and 1-inch margins unless
otherwise noted. Please turn the paper in electronically on Blackboard as well as in paper copy. We’ll
talk about the paper in more depth as the semester goes on.
It should be noted that this course focuses on improving written and analytical skills as well as
obtaining a working knowledge of the relations between the dislocating experience of war and
imaginative literature. To that end, the primary means of assessment are through your writing and
through the exams, along with regular participation in class discussions. I will take attendance for record
keeping purposes only. Please contact me before class if you must miss it, whenever possible.
If you ever have any questions about your writing, about the reading or class in general, I am
always available in my office hours and I would be happy to set up an appointment if you need to talk
outside of that time.
Class Policy on Violations of Academic Integrity
The Student Handbook, available at http://www.indstate.edu/st-aff/dean-of-students.html , clearly
states that “students at Indiana State University are expected to accept certain personal responsibilities
that constitute the ‘standard’ for behavior in a community of scholars” including upholding the principles
of academic integrity and devoting oneself “to the pursuit of truth, learning, and scholarship.” Violations
of academic integrity, in any form, are intrinsically opposed to the core values of Indiana State University
as spelled out in the Student Handbook, and run counter to the very spirit of the intellectual enterprise.
Accordingly, academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment. If
this should happen more than once, the penalty will be failure of the class. Should a case of academic
dishonesty occur, a record will be kept with Student Judicial Programs, and copies will be supplied to the
student(s) involved and the Department of English. For more on academic dishonesty, and plagiarism in
particular, I refer you to the Code of Conduct, found online at http://www.indstate.edu/sjp/code.html .
English 239 and Foundational Studies
For information on the learning objectives of ENG 239, visit
http://www.indstate.edu/gened/FSP2010_Learning_Objectives_and_Applied_Learning_by_Categ
ory/literarystudieslearningobj.andappliedlearningreq.htm — this class meets objectives 2, 3, and
4 in every class session where we discuss course material, and all assignments are designed to
meet objective 1.
For information on the Sycamore Standard, the ADA, and Academic Freedom, visit
http://www.indstate.edu/gened/docs/Foundational%20Studies/Info%20on%20Sycamore%20Stan
dard%20and%20ADA%20and%20Laptops%20and%20Academic%20Freedom.pdf This
document will also be available on the class Blackboard site.
This class is in compliance with the approved laptop statement #3. See the class policy on the use
of electronic equipment for more details on the use of laptop computers in this class.
Policy on the Use of Electronic Equipment in the Classroom
Technology in the classroom is meant to augment our discussion of the texts and to expedite the
delivery of course content (i.e. I put stuff online so you don’t have to pay for it or find it in the library).
To that end, and in keeping with the spirit of ISU’s laptop initiative, the use of laptop computers is
approved only for accessing the online materials associated with the class. If you have your laptop screen
open, be aware that I may ask to see what you’re viewing. Surfing the net, playing games, or doing email
during class may result in penalties to the participation portion of your grade.
With regards to other electronic devices, as a common courtesy, please turn off or silence your
phone prior to the start of class. If your phone should ring, kindly do not answer it in the middle of class.
Also, music players are to be turned off and earphones removed from your ears before class begins.
Portable game devices are not to be used at any time. Please do not record class without my express
permission. Basically, I ask that you not use any technology that disrupts class or is a distraction to other
students or to myself during class.
If you should have special circumstances that require you to use technology during class in ways
other than outlined above, come and talk to me.
Reading Questions
Your primary assignment on a week-to-week basis, in conjunction with completing the reading, is
to answer a set of reading questions designed to stimulate your thinking about the course material.
Although some answers are better than others, there are not necessarily “right answers” to these
questions, and I’m more interested in having these questions serve to help you think through the issues
we’ll be talking about in class, and ensure that everyone will have something to contribute to class
discussion. The questions will be posted on Blackboard. Each week, you will compose a brief (at least
100 words) reply to the question posed, and post it to Blackboard before class starts on the day it is due.
Proper spelling and grammar do count, and you must answer in complete sentences. Each entry will be
worth two points, for a total of 30 possible points. If it is clear that you have not done the reading for the
assignment, you will not earn points for your entry; 1 point will be deducted for errors or factual
mistakes. As these questions are designed to help spur discussion in class, late entries will not be
accepted. Check Blackboard after you submit it to make sure your answer is posted; if it is not, then
email me your answer and I will enter it into Blackboard.
Participation and Discussion Board
This class will mainly be a combination of discussion and lecture, and your active presence will
be required in order for you to get the most out of the class. Regular participation in discussion is
essential for your success in this class. To this end, you will need to post at least once per week on the
class discussion board. I will create topics for discussion, but you should feel free to start your own
topics as well. These should be substantive posts that contribute positively to discussion – simply writing
“I agree” or “I thought it sucked” is not a sufficient contribution. Instead, elaborate on why you disliked
the material – was it something about the characters? The plot? I will read the board at the end of each
week and take note of who has posted (and I will occasionally contribute to the conversation myself).
This is a way for discussion to extend beyond the classroom, and it gives you the opportunity to raise
questions or go further into issues that we did not have time to cover in class. Please keep the forum civil
and do not use obscene or hateful language. Please do not “troll” or post images/links that are off-topic.
Inappropriate posts will be removed, repeat offenses will result in a banning (with the attendant loss of
participation points for the duration of the ban). You may earn 1 point each week towards your
participation grade. Participation is not limited to online discussion; your thoughts, questions, and insights
are vital to the class, and you should come to class prepared to talk about what you read. You should also
take notes in every class session, as test questions and writing assignments rely on material covered in
class.
Assessment and Grading Scale
o Midterm Test 15pts
o Final Exam 20pts
o Reading Questions 30pts
o Short Paper 20pts
o Participation 15pts
o TOTAL: 100pts
A+: 98-100, A: 94-97, A-: 90-93, B+: 87-89, B: 83-86, B-: 80-82, C+: 77-79, C: 73-76, C-: 70-72, D+:
67-69, D: 63-66, D-: 60-62, F: below 60
Schedule
Here is the outline for the structure of the course. KEEP THIS SCHEDULE, as it contains all
assignments for the semester. Please have all readings done for the day on which they are discussed. All
answers to reading question are to be submitted on the day specified. I reserve the right to make necessary
changes and reschedule readings and assignments, but by and large this is how the course will proceed:
8/25 M: Introduction to the class, World War I historical context
ASSIGN: Begin reading Good-Bye to All That (page numbers below)
9/1: Class Canceled – Labor Day
DUE: Reading Questions 1
9/8: From Good-Bye to All That
(pp. 41-46, 67-81, 91-105, 119-180,192-198, 209-237, 245, 255-278)
DUE: Reading Questions 2
ASSIGN: Begin Reading Regeneration
9/15: World War I Poets
(on Blackboard)
DUE: Reading Questions 3
9/22: Regeneration
(Parts 1 and 2)
DUE: Reading Questions 4
9/29: Regeneration
(Parts 3 and 4)
DUE: Reading Questions 5
10/6: Behind The Lines (film)
DUE: Reading Questions 6
10/13: Midterm Test
DUE: Reading Questions 7
10/20: The Return of the Soldier
DUE: Reading Questions 8
10/27: From Mrs. Dalloway and from “The Waste Land”
(on Blackboard)
DUE: Reading Questions 9 & 10
11/3: From The Lord of the Rings
(on Blackboard)
DUE: Reading Questions 11
11/10: Charley’s War
(Read both books)
DUE: Reading Questions 12
11/17: Oh What a Lovely War
DUE: Reading Questions 13
11/24: Class Canceled for Fall Break
DUE: Reading Questions 14
12/1: Joyeux Noël (film)
DUE: Reading Questions 15 (due by 12/5 at 11:59 p.m.)
SHORT PAPER
12/8: Final Exam (7:00 pm)
