SL231: Introduction to Short Fiction

Dr. A. Watt

Last updated 5-8-05

Tentative Schedule of Assigned Readings

DAYS 33-40 (M 5-9—F 5-20)

Selected Readings from Best American Short Stories 2004.

DAY 33 M 5-9

“The Lady or the Tiger?” (handout). Assigning of groups and group stories; discussion of procedure for this unit.

DAY 34 T 5-10

“Tooth and Claw” BAS 22-43. Compare/Contrast to “The Lady or the Tiger?”

DAY 35 R 5-12

Time to work in groups. Read your assigned story by today’s class. Might wish to bring laptops to research your author and/or story.

DAY 36 F 5-13

All read “Docent,” BAS 376-385 for brief discussion. Remainder of time to continue group work in class.

DAY 37 M 5-16

Drafts of group work deliverables due for peer review within the group during class time.

DAY 38 T 5-17

Group work deliverables must be posted to ANGEL by beginning of class. Everyone bring laptops; will spend class time reading the other groups’ deliverables and completing a brief in-class writing about the similarities and differences that emerge.

DAY 39 R 5-19

Peer Review for Longer Paper #2 Drafts

DAY 40 F 5-20

(Papers due for graduating seniors.)*

Course wrap-up.

*Longer Paper #2 due Tuesday, May 24 for continuing students.  

*******************

*Please note that the readings are due (not just assigned) on the specified date; we will discuss them in class on that day. Page numbers refer to the Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.

DAY 1 M 3-7

Course Introduction.

DAY 2 T 3-8

Basic Concepts and Terminology.

“Talking about Fiction,” ix-xxxiii

DAY 3 R 3-10

Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” (1835), 390-399. Discussion questions.

DAY 4 F 3-11

Poe, “Review of Hawthorne’s . . .” 1006-1008, and “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1840), 741-754

Discussion questions.

DAY 5 M 3-14

Writing about Fiction, 933-948

DAY 6 T 3-15

Melville, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1853), 614-641.  Discussion questions.

DAY 7 R 3-17

Movie, “Paul’s Case” (52 mins.)

DAY 8 F 3-18

Discussion questions.

Discussion, Cather, “Paul’s Case” (1905), 67-82, and com. 82-83.

DAY 9 M 3-21

Bierce, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (1891), 48-55. Movie (25 mins.).

Discussion questions.

DAY 10 T 3-22

Con’t discussion of Bierce and movie. Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” (1891), 106-108.

Discussion questions.

DAY 11 R 3-24

Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), 359-371.

Discussion questions.

DAY 12 F 3-25 (Good Friday)

Describe outside story of your choice to class--verbally if present, in writing if will be absent (one paragraph summary, one paragraph why like).

DAY 13 M 3-28

Joyce, “Araby” and “A Little Cloud” (1914), 427-441.

Discussion questions.

DAY 14 T 3-29

Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” (1915), 471-493. Discussion questions.

Video, "Nabokov on Kafka" (30 mins.).

DAY 15 R 3-31

“The Metamorphosis” con’t, 493-504

DAY 16 F 4-1

Lawrence, “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” (1922), 507-519, and “Why the Novel Matters,” 995-996.

Discussion questions.

Spring Break

DAY 17 M 4-11

Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants” (1927), 400-404, and com. 404-405, and Interview, 989-992.

Discussion questions.

DAY 18 T 4-12

Fitzgerald, “Babylon Revisited” (1935), 322-337  Discussion questions

and Faulkner, “Barn Burning” (1939), 230-243. Discussion questions

DAY 19 R 4-14

Movie, “Barn Burning” (40 mins.)

Finish discussion.

DAY 20 F 4-15

Draft of Longer Paper #1 due for Peer Review.

DAY 21 M 4-18

Welty, “Why I live at the P.O.” (1941),

882-891, and Interview, 1015-1017.  Discussion questions.

DAY 22 T 4-19

Longer Paper #1 due.

Jackson, “The Lottery” (1948), 406-412, Discussion questions; and

Williams, “The Use of Force” (1950), 904-907, Discussion questions.

DAY 23 R 4-21

Cheever, “The Enormous Radio” (1953), 84-92, Discussion questions, and “What Happened,” 967-969;

and Nabokov, “Signs and Symbols” (1958), 659-663, Discussion questions.

DAY 24 F 4-22

O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (1955), 689-700, Discussion questions,

and com. 701, and “The Nature and Aim of Fiction,” 1005-1006

DAY 25 M 4-25

Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues” (1957), 22-45, Discussion questions.

DAY 26 T 4-26

Updike, “A & P” (1962), 864-869, Discussion questions;

and Cortazar, “A Continuity of Parks” (1967), 174-175, Discussion questions.

DAY 27 R 4-28

Walker, “Everyday Use” (1973), 875-881, Discussion questions;

and Kincaid, “Girl” (1978), 505-506, Discussion questions and response option.

DAY 28 F 4-29

Beattie, “Snow” (1983), 46-47, Discussion questions;

and Garrett, “Wounded Soldier” (1985), 350-356, and com. 356-358, Discussion questions.

DAY 29 M 5-2

Wetherell, “The Man Who Loved Levitttown” (1985), 892-903, Discussion questions.

DAY 30 T 5-3

Erdrich, “Matchimanito” (1988), 216-229; and Gurganus, “Nativity, Caucasian” (1990), 383-389

Discussion questions.

DAY 31 R 5-5

Tan, “Rules of the Game” (1989), 809-817, Discussion questions.

DAY 32 F 5-6

Jones, “The Pugilist at Rest” (1993), 413-426, Discussion questions.

DAYS 33-40 (M 5-9—F 5-20)

Selected Readings from Best American Short Stories 2004.

DAY 33 M 5-9

Assigning of groups and group stories; discussion of procedure for this unit.

[Daily tasks tbd Days 34-38]

DAY 39 R 5-19

Peer Review for Longer Paper #2 Drafts

DAY 40 F 5-20

(Papers due for graduating seniors.)*

Course wrap-up.

*Longer Paper #2 due Tuesday, May 24 for continuing students.