Students are responsible for keeping up with the reading, not just to know and remember it, but to think it through and be able to discuss it. It is okay to supplement (not substitute!) your reading with plot summaries; the instructor will show you how to find good ones. Regular quizzes will be given on the assigned reading, sometimes without prior notice, and a comprehensive examination will be scheduled at semester’s end, which will include lecture and discussion material. Short pieces of written work may be assigned for in- and out-of-class completion, sometimes without prior notice. Out-of-class work should all be typed or word-processed, double-spaced and single-sided, conforming to specifications that will be spelled out in detail in class.

The essay assignment requires you to write one interpretive essay on a topic that will be handed out in class at about midterm. It will require library research. No binders, no title pages. Revisions may be required. A minimum word count may be required. Papers receive evaluative comments and letter grades. This paper must be handed in, acceptable in form and length, in order to pass the course. Also, a late paper receives much less help. Timely completion and submission of a draft—that is, typed versions of essays part-way through the composition process, when revision and editing are not yet complete—is required, and failure to hand it in on time will count against the grade.

Students will be informed of exactly what counts for each assignment. Essays are graded mostly on these four points:

• how well they focus the topic and make a useful main point about it;
• whether they show good understanding of the assignment and texts;
• how they are organized to make points clearly and retain the reader's interest;
• whether the writing meets reasonable standards of format, word-choice, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

In case of a poor grade, you may rewrite and resubmit the essay within a week, but there is no guarantee of a higher grade unless the essay is substantially revised and really improved, not merely “corrected.”

Grade Weighting Scale (approximate)::

• Midterm, 25%
• Paper, 30%
• Final, 25%
• Quizzes, up to 10%
• Participation, at least 10%

In borderline cases, improvement counts in the student's favor.

Study Tip:

Students should expect to spend a lot of time keeping up with the readings, but it is very important to read patiently and thoughtfully. Factual knowledge only gets us to first base; to score a run, second base is interpretive understanding; third base is valid, persuasive reasoning; and home base is reflective understanding of our own thinking about the literature (that is, really knowing why we think what we think and how we know what we know). The best way to get the full benefit of this learning is to take notes on everything, including your own and other students’ ideas and questions. Ironically, research has found that, almost always, the best way to get high grades is not to worry about grades, but instead to get interested in the learning.