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| How could things have gone so haywire? [Into Thin Air] |
| ...there must always be situations here where the choice to do one necessary thing also means the choice not to do another--not just to defer the other but not to do it. [Mountains Beyond Mountains] |
| One last chance; he understood his luck.[Voyage of the Narwhal] |
| I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state. [Pride and Prejudice] |
Everything happens when it's meant to happen. [The Dew Breaker] |
Through fiction and non-fiction, we will explore questions like these: Is all of life determined? Is it ruled by accident? Is what we see as chance really providence? What does moral choice mean in a determined, random, or providential universe? We will also, of course, attend to character, structure, setting and other aspects of these particular works.
Mary E. Steen Department of English
| Office: Library 526C | Office Hours: Monday, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. |
| Telephone: x3200 | Tuesday, 1:30 - 3 p.m. |
| E-mail: msteen@stolaf.edu | Other times by appointment |
| Yale Daily News Guide to Writing College Papers, by Marti Page & Justin Cohen | A Pocket Style Manual, by Diana Hacker |
| Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen | Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder |
| Voyage of the Narwhal, by Andrea Barrett | Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer |
| The DewBreaker, by Edwidge Danticat |
Exercises at the beginning of the term will help prepare you for analytical reading and writing. Later in the semester, exercises will evolve into reading responses, a more open form that allows you to let us know what you think of the reading; what comparisons, reflections, observations it prompts; what questions it raises. Reading responses can be informal in tone, but they should still be well written, specific, and thoughtful--criteria on which they will be evaluated. It's good if they respond to other students' comments and ideas. Where indicated on the syllabus, you should send exercises and reading responses to everyone in the class via the course e-mail alias (general-ed-111h).
Essays will deveop your ability to analyze, argue, and communicate publicly. You will get considerable feedback on your writing, both from fellow students and from me, through both individual and group conferences on writing. You will have ample opportunity to revise.
In Class
Besides analytical writing and thinking we will work on public communication of ideas through discussion and presentation. Discussion is fundamental: discussion of others' essays, of the readings, of writing strategies. Good class discussion is based on a steady level of contribution by all members of the group. At a minimum you should be prepared to volunteer considered opinions on the reading on a regular basis, and to back up those opinions with evidence from the texts. Even more valuable are questions and comments that relate one reading to another, and connect the readings to the overall topic of the seminar. The best contributions to class discussion will pose interesting questions, pull together issues, and relate our reading to current campus, national and international events. All good discussion is based on listening and responding to each other. These skills will help with individual presentations and will carry over into group presentations as well.
Grading
At the end of the term you will submit a portfolio containing the four essays you've completed this semester, plus a brief reflective essay on thinking and writing. Essays 1, 2, and 4 may and should be rewritten; Essay 3 (graded during the term) should be included as is. Your final grade will be based on this portfolio (60%), and on public communication (primarily class discussion and your group presentations) (30%). Other factors include evidence of thoughtful reading (including exercises and reading responses), and such mechanical things as class attendance and turning work in on time.