Unit Three: Writing in the Humanities the short story

Wed Nov. 15 / Reading Due: “Like Glass” by Ann Beattie (available on EReserves)
Reading Journal Due: Before reading, free write for a page: what do you think makes a short story? What parts make it up? What makes it good? After reading the story, freewrite another page (you can also take more deliberate notes/bullet points if you prefer): How did the story surprise you? Did it challenge or break some of your expectations of what a story should do? Be specific. You may wish to think in particular of terms like plot, point of view, setting, character, theme, and symbolism.
In class: intro to analysis of the short story; theme; read and discuss Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour”

Week Eight

Mon Nov. 20 / Due: Second Paper and Unit Two Portfolio
Reading Due: “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter (available on EReserves)
Reading Journal Due: Write a one to two page journal entry addressing all four of the following questions: What do you think point of view is in a story? What does the point of view in “A Rose for Emily” contribute to the story? What do you think is a character’s role in a story? How does character contribute to Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”?
In class: point of view and setting; discussion of stories; Paper 3 assignment
Wed Nov. 22 / No class today. Happy Thanksgiving!

Week Nine

Mon Nov. 27 / Reading Due: “The Man of the Crowd” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Balloon” by Donald Barthelme (available on EReserves)
Reading Journal Due: Write a one to two page journal entry addressing these four questions: How is setting important to a story? How does the setting influence your understanding of Poe’s story? What do you think symbolism is, and how does it affect a story’s meaning? Do you think there is symbolism in Barthes’ story? Do you think he is poking fun at symbolism at all?
In class: setting and symbolism; discussion of stories
Wed Nov. 29 / Reading Due: “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” by Raymond Carver (available on EReserves)
Reading Journal Due: In a page, analyze one aspect of Carver’s short story: theme, setting, point of view, etc. If you were making this into a film, how would you convey that aspect of the story and its importance for the larger effect of the story?
In class: watch sections of Robert Altman’s Short Cuts; discuss adaptation

Week Ten

Mon Dec. 4 / Due: Rough draft of Paper 3 (bring TWO copies)
In class: Peer review

Wed Dec. 6

/ Due: Optional revision of Paper 1 or Paper 2
In class: teacher evaluations, last things

Week Eleven

Mon Dec. 11 / Due: Third Paper and Unit Three Portfolio, to my office between 11 and 12:50. Late papers will be docked 10% per day off the final grade, unless you have arranged an extension in advance.