LIT 3003 Forms of Narrative

TEXTS (Available at Goering's Book Store, corner of University and 13th Street): S. Rimmon-Kenan, Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics; C. Woodham-Smith, The Reason Why; Konrad Lorenz, King Solomon's Ring; Eudora Welty, Collected Short Stories and One Writer's Beginnings . Also, pack of 3 x 5 index cards.

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:
        Everyone begins understanding narratives almost as soon as they begin learning language itself.  But, just as we can learn more about our bodies--even though we have been using them with ever-increasing skill  from birth--by studying physiology, exercise science, anatomy, and dance (among other subjects), so too we can learn much more about this natural human  skill of making and interpreting narratives.  This course, however,  is not about the enjoyment of narratives, or about practicing the art of writing narratives, or about evaluating narratives in themselves or in relation to their effects on society.  Other English courses offer ample opportunity for those activities.  This one is about what narratives are, what varieties of narrative exist or may exist, what narratives do, and how they do it.  If you are not interested in the "how" of narrative, this course is not for you.  If you are, it will provide not only new tools for encountering narratives throughout your life, but also new understanding and even pleasure in experiencing them, just as those who understand the fine points of any art or sport may be interested in and enjoy aspects of that art or sport that are invisible to the general public.

APPROACH:
    Rimmon-Kenan's book is a summary and explanation of all that scholars and critics had learned about fictional narratives at the time it was written (almost 20 years ago).  It is organized according to the features of narrative itself.  Therefore, nearly everything it says about narratives applies to nonfictional narrative works as well as to fictional ones, and it provides a convenient basis for our discussion of both.  In addition to Rimmon-Kenan, we will read scientific narratives, an autobiographical narrative, a historical narrative, and fictional narratives.  You will also encounter narratives in visual form, on videos that will be shown in class and then (when possible) made available on library reserve for review.  You yourself will write three or four papers (see "papers"), have one quiz to show your mastery of the reading, and participate in class, at least by attendance, preferably by questions and comments.

GRADING: (for scale, see below)
    You are required to write three papers, but in the section marked "papers" below you will find four assignments. Obviously you get to choose which three you will write, or you may write all four and count the best three. NOTE: the choices listed under "paper 4" are harder than the other 3, so don't assume you can procrastinate.  Note also that I encourage students to submit drafts of their papers beforehand and/or to revise them if they wish.  In other words, I am glad to work with you individually on your writing.  These papers will count 25% each for your grade.  Another 15% will be based on a  factual quiz on the reading (April 15). The final 10% of your grade will be based on class attendance and participation.  Everyone's attendance/participation grade starts at C and will go up or down depending on what he or she does. It will drop a letter grade for each two unexcused absences, but absences may be made up, and/or the grade for this aspect of the course improved, by extra point projects, explained below.
 

PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN A MINIMUM PENALTY OF A ZERO (not just an F, which is averaged in at 55) on the assignment. Note that if you can find it on the Internet, so can I.  DON'T USE SOMEONE ELSE'S WORDS OR IDEAS without giving that person credit. Also, don't miss the opportunity to use an expert's backing when you say something controversial, or want to avoid wasting time on background.  When in doubt, ask me.
 
 

OUTLINE OF COURSE. Reading Assignments are DUE on the date on which they are listed.

Week One: Ideas of Narrative

T 1-5 Introduction.  What is narrative and why does it matter?  The Red Balloon.
   1-7 Discussion of Handout and Welty, "Lily Daw and the Three Ladies" and "A Piece of News"

Week Two: Narratives and Narration

T 1-12 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 1: Introduction and Chapter 8: Narration: Speech Representation; Welty stories pp. 17-45.
   1-14 Welty storiees pp. 46-90.

Week Three: Story: Characters and Text: Characterization

T 1-19 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 3: Story: Character and Chapter 5: Text: Characterization.  Welty stories pp. 91-141.
   1-21 Welty stories "A Worn Path"142-49 and "Livvie" 228-239.

Week Four: Fact and Fiction--Do They Differ

T 1-26 Online or library assignment--Barthes, "The Discourse of History."   Welty "Preface" and "Where Is the Voice Coming From" 603-7. The Reason Why Chapters 1-3.
   1-28   In-class video, "The Way It Was." Topic 1 papers due.

Week Five: Story: Events

T 2-2 Rimmon-Kenan chapter 2. The Reason Why Chapters 4-7.
   2-4 The Reason Why Chapters 8-9.

Week Six: Text: Time

T 2-9 Rimmon-Kenan chapter 4. The Reason Why Chapters 10-12
   2-11 The Reason Why Chapters 13-14.

Week Seven: Text: Focalization

T 2-16 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 6. Example of Visual/Verbal Narrative:  "The Search for Lucy" (Nova episode).  King Solomon's Ring, "Preface" (by author)
   2-18 Topic 2 papers due.

Week Eight: Narration: Levels and Voices

T 2-23 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 7 . King Solomon's Ring,  Chapters 1-4.
   2-25 King Solomon's Ring, Chapters 5-7

Week Nine: The Text and Its Reading

T 3-2 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 9.   King Solomon's Ring, Chapters 8-10
   3-4 King Solomon's Ring, Chapters 11-12.

SPRING BREAK

Week Ten: Extended Forms and Nonlinear Narrative

T 3-16  On-Line assignment--Landow.  On the web, read at least the sections named "The Definition of Hypertext and Its History as a Concept, "Annotation in a Print Text," "Other Convergences," "Hypertext and Intertextuality," "Hypertext and Multivocality," "Hypertext and Decentering, "Vannever Bush and the Memex,'" "Bush's Memex as Poetic Machine," "The Nonlinear Model of the Network in Current Critical Theory," and "Cause or Convergence, Influence or Confluence."  In the print version of Landow's book Hypertext, read pp. 3-5, 8-18, 23-30.  Read also in Welty's The Golden Apples,  "Shower of Gold," 263-274, and "June Recital," 275-330.
   3-18  Topic 3 papers due.

Week Eleven: Fact and Fiction: Narrative Codes

T 3-23 On-line or library assignment--Barthes.  Golden Apples,  "Sir Rabbit," 331-341, and  "Moon Lake," 342-74
   3-25 Golden Apples,  "The Whole World Knows," 375-92

Week Twelve: Fact, Fiction, and the Limits of Discourse

T 3-30 On-line or library assignment--Foucault.  The screen that comes up with this link is the Index to the Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory. Scroll down to "Foucault" and click.  This book is also available in the reference section of Library West, call number PN81.J641 1994.  Golden Apples,  "Music from Spain," 393-426
   4-1 Golden Apples,  "The Wanderers," 427-461

Week Thirteen: Case Study: Autobiography

T 4-6 Visual Example: Ballet, "The Tale of Beatrix Potter" (video). Welty,  One Writer's Beginnings
   4-8 Complete One Writer's Beginnings.

Week Fourteen: Conclusions and Review.

T 4-13 Rimmon-Kenan Chapter 10.  REVIEW
   4-15 QUIZ--moved to 4-20.  OUTLINES of Handouts
        Handout 1
        Barthes
        Landow
        Foucault

Week Fifteen: Retrospect

T 4-20 Retrospect.  Answers to quiz.  Ideas for the future. Topic 4 papers due.

PAPERS:

Paper 1 (due January 28) Analyze an aspect of narrative in two or more short stories, including at least one of the Welty stories read for this course.

Paper 2 (due February 18) Analyze an aspect of narrative in texts about the human past, illustrating your point from The Reason Why and another appropriate narrative (anthropological, archeological, autobiographical, biographical, journalistic, or historical) of your choice.

Paper 3 (due March 18) Analyze an aspect of the use of narrative in scientific writing, using examples from two or more sources, including Lorenz.

Paper 4 (due April 20): Choose one of the following:

1. Welty uses narrative to analyze what made her a writer.  Using the analytical tools you have acquired in this course, analyze (some aspects of)  the techniques which she uses to present herself as a writer.
2. We have seen several visual narratives in the course of the semester.  Analyze the repertory of tools available to the visual narrator, referring specifically to one or more of the videos we have seen.  Allow both for those tools that are also available to the narrator using words alone and for those that are not available to that narrator.  Note also the narrative limitations imposed by visual media, or by the particular example(s) of visual narrative that you have chosen to consider.
3. Write an additional chapter for Rimmon-Kenan's book.  Your chapter should deal with special issues of either nonverbal or nonfictional narrative.  (If you have another idea for the subject of an extra chapter, talk it over with me first.)

Extra-point Projects

Extra points may be earned as follows:
 

• 0-5 points: read a standard English or American novel (clear it with me first) and take a 5-point quiz on it.
• 3-5 points: read an article or book chapter not assigned for class about some aspect of narrative theory, and write a 150-250 word summary of it.
• 5-10 points: read a critical or theoretical book dealing with narrative, narratives, or some aspect of narration.  Read also at least two reviews of that book.  Critique the book and its critiques.  Note that a "critique" does not have to be negative.  You will get at least 5 points for doing all that work, more, of course, if the quality of your results is good.