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“We acknowledge that Trinity Western University, Langley campus is located on

the traditional ancestral unceded territory of the Stó:lō people.”

Trinity Western University

Undergraduate Course Syllabus

Course Number: English 103 J

Course Name: Introduction to Fiction (theme: The Human Body as Sacred)
Semester and Year: Fall, 2022
Course Days & Time: (Sept. 13—Dec. 6, 2022) (Tuesdays 6:15—9:00 pm)

Instructor: Vic Cavalli

Contact Information: [email protected]
Office Location & Office Hours: Lower RNT 148, Monday & Wednesday, 4:30-5:30
pm; Thursday, 12:00-1:00 pm
Co-requisites or Pre-requisites: WRTG 100 or 101 unless exempt at point of admission to
the University. (3-0; 3-0)
Semester Hours: 3

A. Course Description:

English 103 is an introductory study of fiction with the purpose of understanding

literature and cultivating skills in scholarly research, textual analysis, and academic
writing and documentation. Such skills will be fostered by closely reading and analyzing
works of short fiction and the novel by accomplished prose stylists. Students will focus
on the distinctive conventions of fiction in order to interpret these works critically, while
interacting thoughtfully with themes presented therein. Students will continue to develop
their academic prose, with attention to improving foundational grammar, diction,
phrasing, organization, and argument-building in the thesis-driven essay.

B. Required Texts and Materials:

English 103 Course Pack, instructor: Vic Cavalli, Fall 2022 (posted on Moodle)

Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Murray McArthur, eds. The Little,

Brown Handbook. 4th Cdn. ed. Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2004.

(excerpts posted on Moodle) *NOTE: In this syllabus LBH is the

abbreviation used for this text.

O’Connor, Flannery. The Violent Bear It Away. New York: Farrar, 2007.

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. (Norton Critical Edition) New York: Norton, 1997.
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C. Course Design:

1. METHOD OF DELIVERY:

Our course is a face-to-face course taking place in a physical classroom; it is a

lecture and discussion-based course. You will be learning through a variety of
methods: reading articles and engaging in critical thinking, listening to lectures,
participating in group discussions, reading literary texts, sharing your literary
analysis observations during group presentations in class, and writing in a variety
of formats designed to build your skills and confidence as you progress through
the course.

2. ONLINE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

For the sake of order and to ensure your assignments do not get lost, when your
assignments are ready to submit, please submit them to my email ( [email protected]
) as attached Microsoft Word Documents that I can save to my computer. Please
do not send me links of any kind, not links to SharePoint or links to Google Docs,
etc., and do not send me a collection of documents in a Compressed (zipped)
Folder, etc. If you do send me links or a Compressed (zipped) Folder, I will
simply reply to your email with the message “NOT RECEIVED, please follow the
online submission guidelines in your syllabus on pages 2-3.”

I can only accept Microsoft Word Documents attached to your emails to me. Send
each assignment in an individual email; do not send a cluster of assignments
attached to one email.

IMPORTANT: Please indicate your section, your name, and what you are
sending in the subject heading of your email. For example: 103 J, John Brilliant,
Body Modification Unit.

Send to [email protected]

Regarding your Complete Process Research Essay: This submission typically

involves PDF scans of your research journal, note cards, and any handwritten
work, plus Microsoft Word Document drafts, and a Microsoft Word Document
final draft. This collection of documents ideally should be sent to me in one email,
but if the total size is too large to send, then send it in two emails. In your email
subject headings provide your section, your name, and what you are sending. For
example,

103 J, John Brilliant, Complete Process Research Essay (part 1)

103 J, John Brilliant, Complete Process Research Essay (part 2)
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Also, please do not delete your assignments after you submit them. Keep all your
assignments saved on your hard drives and ideally also on an independent USB
flash drive. I have seen numerous cases of lost documents due to computer crashes
without adequate back up.

NOTE: If you have a personal, medical, or family crisis that requires an extension
for an assignment, please email me your request describing your circumstances
[email protected]

3. Your Individual Responses (8%) [750-800 words]: On our Moodle

homepage you will find a document called Complete Individual Response Topics
(file 28). I will divide the class into six groups. There will be regular group work
sessions where students will be required to think critically and share their insights
with the class as a whole within the context of the Novel Study Questions, plus,
the Formalist method of analysis applied to the short stories in the course. Each
student will read aloud their brief written response within the context of their
group’s 20-minute in-class presentations. Each student’s written response must
be in paragraph form (not point form) and must contain well-integrated concise
quotations from the texts studied. Caution: Communicate with your group
members and be sure to avoid overlap during your group’s presentations.

* Your contributions to the in-class novel presentations will use MLA format for
all quotations and page numbers, for example, Mason Tarwater claims that “even
the mercy of the Lord burns” (20). Devote approximately one typed page
(approx. 250 words) to each of your novel study question responses (one page for
Dracula and one page for The Violent Bear It Away).

* Your contribution (approx. 250 words) to your group’s short story

presentation will use MLA format for all quotations and page numbers, for
example: As he is dying, the hunger artist states, “I couldn’t find the food I liked”
(49).

Important: Do not integrate summarized ideas or direct quotations from

secondary sources into your responses. I am only interested in your original
thinking and interpretations, no matter how unusual or eccentric. Your individual
responses assignment—a typed, double-spaced, organized, collection of three
responses with a title page and MLA format works cited page—is due any time
on the day of the final exam. (See pages 2-3 in this syllabus for online submission
guidelines.)

Assigned Short Stories in your course pack:

Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist”

Flannery O’Connor’s “Parker’s Back”

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4. THE “COMPLETE PROCESS” RESEARCH ESSAY (32%): You have

two options for the research essay. Either choose (1) a contemporary issues
traditional argument focus; or choose (2) an interdisciplinary literature focus. See
pages 8-13 in this syllabus for the complete details of each option.

5. There will be a comprehensive final examination (essay format answers); the

topics will be selected from all the material and concepts discussed in class.

D. Course Learning Evaluation & Due Dates:

Critical Thinking Unit: Body Modification (1550-1700 words in total) (due as

soon as possible, but the firm absolute deadline is the beginning of our last class
on Dec. 6)------------------------------------------------------------------------------10%
* See pages 7-8 in this syllabus for assignment specifics.

Multiple-choice reading comprehension tests for the novels (please bring an HB

pencil to class):

Dracula test (at the beginning of class on Oct. 18)-------------------------------5%

*Note: Although you are encouraged to read the complete novel, the test
will only cover these chapters: I, II, III, IV, VII, VIII, XIV, XVI,
XVIII, XIX, XXI, XXVII.)

The Violent Bear It Away test (at the beginning of class on Nov. 8)----------5%
*Note: The test will cover the entire novel.

“Complete Process” Research Essay: (the firm absolute deadline is the

beginning of our last class on Dec. 6)

Step B (optional), plus Steps A, C, and D-------------------------------16%

Step E (final draft)----------------------------------------------------------16%
* See pages 8-13 in this syllabus for assignment specifics.

DUE DATE for your “Complete Process” RESEARCH ESSAY (32%) & Critical
Thinking Unit: Body Modification (10%): To help you organize your own schedule
and manage your time with minimum stress, the Critical Thinking Unit: Body
Modification, and the Research Essay (as a complete package) are due whenever you
would like to submit them during the term; however, the firm absolute deadline for both
assignments is the beginning of our last class on Dec. 6, 2022. These major assignments
cannot be accepted after this date unless they are accompanied by written documentation
describing a very serious situation, for example, a personal crisis, a family crisis, a
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medical emergency, a car accident, etc. IMPORTANT: If you do have valid grounds for
an extension, you must complete and submit an incomplete grade contract (INC).
Download the form from the course’s Moodle homepage (file 34) and follow the
instructions on page 1. An extension must be approved by the Registrar’s Office; it is not
the instructor’s decision.

NOTE: The “complete process” research essay must be submitted in order to pass the
course; this is Department policy.

Also important: Due to the high volume of grading at term’s end, if you decide to submit
these two assignments for final grading during the last three weeks of our term together,
I will not have time to provide comments on them but only your final grades for the
assignments. If in addition to your final grades you would like feedback and thorough
comments on your assignments, be sure to submit them prior to the last three weeks of
class, that is, by Nov. 14, 2022.

NOTE: If you function best with an earlier in the term fixed due date and penalty system,
simply email me and tell me which due date you would like and whether you would like
a 5% or 10% per day penalty system, and I will create that for you. However, please note
that once the date and penalty has been agreed upon, it cannot be changed in the future
because you need more time unless you have a documented crisis / emergency, etc. as
noted above on pages 4-5.

Your Individual Responses 750-800 words (due any time on the day of the final
exam)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------8%
*See page 3 in this syllabus for assignment specifics.

Short Film Presentation (Dec. 6)--------------------------------------------------10%

* See pages 14-15 in this syllabus for assignment specifics.

Comprehensive Final Examination (date TBA)-------------------------------- 30%

* See page 4, #5 in this syllabus for exam format.

______________________________________________________________

E. Course Outline:

Introduction to University Writing: Body Modification Critical Thinking Unit &

Writing about Literature

(Sept. 13, 20, 27; Oct. 4, 11)

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Discussion of readings from the English 103 Course Pack (file 5 on Moodle homepage)

Introduction to the Writing Process (LBH, Introduction plus Chapters 1—3)

Introduction to Persuasive Patterns of Organization (LBH, Chapter 4)

Introduction to Research Writing (LBH, Chapters 35—38, plus research writing lectures
and documents)

Introduction to the Novel:

* Nature symbolism
* The novel as a form
* Narrative structure, point of view, time, etc.

(Oct. 18, 25; Nov. 1):---Bram Stoker’s DRACULA (Although you’re encouraged to read
the complete novel, the test at the beginning of class on Oct. 18 will only cover these
chapters: I, II, III, IV, VII, VIII, XIV, XVI, XVIII, XIX, XXI, XXVII.)

(Nov. 8, 15, 22):--------Flannery O’Connor’s The Violent Bear It Away (The test at the
beginning of class on Nov. 8 will cover the entire novel.)

A Formalist Approach to Short Fiction (Nov. 29; Dec. 6):

Assigned Short Stories in your course pack (file 5 on Moodle homepage):

Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist”

Flannery O’Connor’s “Parker’s Back”

Short Film Presentations (Dec. 6)---------------------------------------------------10%

* See pages 14-15 in this syllabus for assignment specifics.
________________________________________________________________________
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Comprehensive Final Examination (date TBA)

 As we work together this term may God be central to all our thoughts and actions,
and may we pray for each other.

Critical Thinking Unit: Body Modification (1550-1700 words in total)

TOPIC: “Tattooing and piercing the human body are ancient tribal rituals which
should not be practiced in our modern Canadian society.” Agree or disagree.

Note: The completed assignment will be a single Word Document containing Steps 1—9,
in ascending order as shown below, organized as a unit: step 1 on the bottom—step 9 on
the top, plus a title page—Critical Thinking Unit: Body Modification—with our
course name and section, your full name, student number, and date. Also, if in your
answers to the assigned questions below you integrate any concise quotations from the
texts, please use MLA format, e.g., Bell states that “quotation” (101). Also note: If your
Step 7 includes handwritten work, please scan it and send it as a PDF file along with
your single Word Document. See pages 2-3 in this syllabus for online submission
guidelines.

Grade calculation system: 50% of your mark will be based on your answers to Steps 1—
6; and 50% of your mark will be based on Steps 7—9. For Steps 8 and 9 be sure to
“exactly follow” the required format presented in your Large Argument document on
pages 10 and 11. See files 9 & 10, plus file 16 (My lecture on How to Create Your Body
Modification Unit Steps 8 & 9) on our Moodle homepage.

9. Roadmap funnel introduction, typed, exactly following the format of the sample
on page 11 of your Large Argument document.

8. Model 3 outline, typed, exactly following the format of the sample on page 10 of
your Large Argument document.

7. All rough work (handwritten and or typed) for Steps 8 & 9 (not part of your total
word count)

6. In your course pack, read Joe Woodard’s “Pumped, Pierced, Painted

and Pagan” (pages 108-115) and answer questions 1, 2, and 4 on page
115 (typed, double-spaced, approx. 250 words in total).
.
5. In your course pack, read Shannon Bell’s “Tattooed: A Participant
Observer’s Exploration of Meaning” (pages 100-107) and answer questions 3, 4,
and 5 on page 108 (typed, double-spaced, approx. 250 words in total).

4. In your course pack, read Philippe Liotard’s “The Body Jigsaw” (pages
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94-99) and answer questions 1, 2, and 5 on page 99 (typed, double-spaced,

approx. 250 words in total).

3. In your course pack, read Arnold Rubin’s “Marks of Civilization”

(pages 88-94) and answer questions 2, 4, and 5 on page 94 (typed, double-spaced,
approx. 250 words in total).

2. Return of the Tribal documentary: “motivations” for piercing notes (typed,

double-spaced, one page of notes in total: can be point-form or complete
sentences).

1. A&E Tattooing documentary: “motivations” for tattooing notes (typed, double-

spaced, one page of notes in total: can be point-form or complete sentences).

___________________________________________________________________

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE RESEARCH ESSAY OPTION #1:

CONTROVERSIAL CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, TRADITIONAL DEBATE /
ARGUMENT FOCUS

Note: The research essay topics are to be understood within an interdisciplinary

context. For example, the tattooing topic could be approached from a variety of
disciplinary perspectives: from a Business perspective; from a Nursing perspective;
from a Fine Arts perspective; from a Chemistry perspective, from a Psychology
perspective, etc.

Conference name: “Issues of Identity and Family in Contemporary Society”

Definition: A “conference paper” is a research essay designed to be read aloud to a

live audience. For this assignment, your auditors are first-year students at this
institution. The purpose of a “conference paper” is to provide a narrow, highly
focused, specialized contribution to the larger discussion as a whole.

The major “argument focus” assignment is a properly researched persuasive

conference paper of 1500 words in length (1450—1550 max.). (Be sure to deal
with your scholarly opponents’ counterpoints somewhere in your essay: either first
[model #1], last [model #2], or as you proceed [model #3]. Whichever model you
choose, 30% of your total word count must be scholarly opposition. Your defusing
of that opposition is not part of the 30%.)

Do not include the title page, formal complete sentences outline, works cited page,
and any appendixes in your word count. Type the word count of your paper a few
lines beneath your concluding paragraph.
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With OPTION #1, you have five conference topics to choose from:

Topic # 1: “Tattooing and piercing the human body are ancient tribal rituals
which should not be practiced in our modern Canadian society.” Agree or
disagree.

CAUTION: If you choose Topic #1, you cannot use the thesis and outline that
you created for your Critical Thinking Unit: Body Modification. You must
create a fresh thesis and fresh points.

OR:

Topic # 2: “Canada should follow the example of Germany and legalize

prostitution and regulate it through the government.” Agree or disagree.

(Note: If you choose to write on this topic you must focus on how the German
system works and provide evidence that implementing the German system in
Canada would either improve or erode our social health.)

OR:

Topic # 3: “With reasonable legal guidelines in place to prevent human rights

violations, plural marriage should be legal in Canada.” Agree or disagree.

OR:

Topic #4: “There is scientific evidence which supports the belief that human
beings have souls.” Agree or disagree.

*Please note that your focus must be on verifiable scientific evidence, not
philosophical or theological speculation. The Bible (or any other sacred text)
cannot be used as a source. I recommend that you watch the movie Never Let Me
Go (2010) to get your thoughts going on this topic.

OR:

Topic #5: “Laughter therapy is a significant weapon in the battle against

physical disease.” Agree or disagree.

* In your essay focus on only one physical disease, for example, laughter therapy
and breast cancer.
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CONFERENCE RESEARCH ESSAY OPTION #2: INTERDISCIPLINARY

APPROACH TO LITERATURE FOCUS

Note: The research essay topics are to be understood within an interdisciplinary

context. For example, the novel Dracula could be approached from a variety of
disciplinary perspectives: from a Medical Science perspective; from a Psychiatric
perspective; from a Historical perspective; from a Feminist Theory perspective;
from a Theological perspective; from a Gender Studies, perspective, etc.

Conference name: “Approaching Literature through the Lenses of the Various

Disciplines”

Definition: A “conference paper” is a research essay designed to be read aloud to a

live audience. For this assignment, your auditors are first-year students at this
institution. The purpose of a “conference paper” is to provide a narrow, highly
focused, specialized contribution to the larger discussion as a whole.

The major “literature focus” assignment is a properly researched conference paper

of 1500 words in length (1450—1550 max.). Note: If your “literature focus”
essay is an argument of illumination, that is, based on certain facts, then you will
not need to integrate scholarly opposition; however, if your “literature focus”
essay is a traditional debate, that is, based on opinions, then you must integrate
scholarly opposition wherever it seems most natural to do so: either first [model
#1], last [model #2], or as you proceed [model #3]. Whichever model you choose,
30% of your total word count must be scholarly opposition. Your defusing of that
opposition is not part of the 30%.)

Do not include the title page, formal complete sentences outline, works cited page,
and any appendixes in your word count. Type the word count of your paper a few
lines beneath your concluding paragraph.

Note #1: However you structure your literature essay, be sure that at least 65% of your
analysis deals explicitly with the novel itself.

Note #2: Alternative “literature option” topic suggestions for either Dracula or The
Violent Bear It Away will be heartily welcomed and considered provided they are
presented in written form as early as possible. Discuss your ideas with me so I can help
you organize your thesis and outline and give you my signed approval of your topic of
interest. Do not submit essays written on unapproved topics; in some cases, this can
result in a grade of zero percent.
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Here is a list of approved OPTION #2 Literature Research Essay Topics:

1. O’Connor’s use of the Bible in The Violent Bear It Away

2. To be a prophet: the call of God in The Violent Bear It Away

3. The meaning of education in The Violent Bear It Away

4. The characterization of Bishop in O’Connor’s The Violent Bear It Away

5. Baptismal obsession in The Violent Bear It Away

6. Catholic Theology and The Violent Bear It Away

7. The Bread of Life in The Violent Bear It Away

8. Bram Stoker’s novel and the historical Dracula

9. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Christianity

10. Genesis and Exodus in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

11. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the Host: Eucharistic Theology

12. Lethal Anti-Mothers in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

13. The family structure of vampires in Dracula

14. The significance of the allusions to Shakespeare in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

15. Dracula as invasion fiction: Attila the Hun and Dracula’s warrior ancestry

16. Dracula and the concept of the resurrection of the dead

17. Stoker’s turbulent settings in Dracula and the painters admired in his period of
history, for example, Joseph M. W. Turner (p.75, note 4)

18. Dracula and the phenomenon of the incorrupt bodies of certain saints: Is the
novel a satanic inversion of this traditionally interpreted sign of sanctity?

19. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Nineteenth-Century Feminism

20. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Heterosexuality

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21. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Homosexuality

22. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Romance: Lucy, Mina, and Dracula’s Eve

23. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Nineteenth-Century Medical Science

24. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Nineteenth-Century Psychiatry / Psychology

25. Bram Stoker’s Dracula compared and contrasted with any significant film
version (see the list in your Norton Critical edition, pages 404-407)

26. Henry Irving and Bram Stoker’s characterization of Count Dracula: A study of
dramatic influences?

27. Richard Wagner and Dracula: an analysis of possible echoes and influences.

28. Is Walt Whitman’s influence or presence found anywhere in Dracula? And if

so, what is his significance to the novel as a whole?

SPECIFIC RESEARCH ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:

Whether you choose OPTION #1 or OPTION #2, at least four high-quality (i.e.,
scholarly / peer reviewed) published secondary sources must be cited in the text of
your research essay. Please note, if you choose option #1, or if you write a
literature traditional debate essay, your cited scholarly sources, chosen from
your collection of note cards, must represent both your position and your
opponents’ voices. Also important, be sure that your sources have page numbers;
do not cite sources where no page is specified.

Note: You are not expected to cite all the note cards you acquire during your
research. Please recall that the number of your note cards is the result of your
Source Distribution Chart’s x 2 principle. If you also choose to use other sources,
such as the Bible (which is a primary source), scholarly internet items,
documentary videos, interviews with experts, etc., these sources are in addition to
the minimum four high-quality scholarly / peer reviewed published sources
requirement, not a part of it. Also note: If you hope to cite sources from a
scholarly medical website or an authoritative government website that does not
include page numbers, contact me via email for guidelines. And finally, do not cite
Wikipedia sources or any of the Student Notes available (Spark’s, Cliff’s, York’s,
Cole’s, etc.) in your research essays.
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These are the steps involved in the development and completion of the MLA format
“complete process” research paper:

Step A (4%): your research journal (minimum 8 handwritten 8 ½” x 11” pages); see
“The Steps Involved in Writing a Research Essay” guidelines (files 22 & 23 on our
Moodle homepage) for format and basic requirements, e.g., a list of your main interests,
a range of opinion continuum (required only for traditional debate essays), and a Source
Distribution Chart;

* Step B (OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED): To be handed in as soon

as possible, a preliminary thesis statement and preliminary outline.

Note: *If you submit a Step B for comment, be sure to include it in your final complete
package as described below.

Step C (5%): your colour-coded note cards (18—24) which clearly indicate
paraphrases of peer reviewed / scholarly secondary sources (at least 2 note cards),
summaries of peer reviewed / scholarly secondary sources (at least 2 note cards), and
quotations from peer reviewed / scholarly secondary sources (at least 10 note cards), (see
LBH chap. 36, section b for format); plus, your working bibliography note cards (at least
4 peer reviewed / scholarly sources [see LBH chap. 35, section d for format]);

Step D (7%): all rough work leading up to your first draft, your first and all
subsequent drafts and their rough work. A typical “A” range paper requires at least
three drafts. Note: To get full marks for Step D you must include in your complete
package at least three distinct drafts prior to the final draft, each draft showing
significant revision and development. Drafts which show only a few minor spelling or
documentation adjustments will not be counted as part of the minimum three drafts.

Step E (16%): one complete copy of the final draft, including a title page, a formal
complete sentences outline, the essay itself, and a works cited page. (See the MLA
format of the sample essay in your Little, Brown Handbook, Chapter 38, “Breaking
the Glass Ceiling.”)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Regarding Your Research Essay as a “Complete Package”:

Because your grade will be based on your total participation in the research process, you
must submit all evidence of composition: Step B (if applicable in your case), plus Steps
A, C, and D; that is, your research journal, all note cards, outlines, rough work, drafts,
etc., must be submitted with your complete copy of the final draft (Step E). This
simple rule is essential if all students are to be treated equally and rewarded for
participating fully in the writing process. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE
TALK TO ME. A FINAL COPY OF AN ESSAY WITHOUT ALL OF ITS ROUGH
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WORK AND EVIDENCE OF COMPOSITION WILL BE CONSIDERED A

DRAFT = 2.3 %
______________________________________________________________

The Short Film Presentation (10%):

Length: 10-12 minutes. Please save your Short Film presentation on an inexpensive USB
Flash Drive so I can play it on my computer for the class and then keep it for my records.
If you want your USB Flash Drive back, you can get it back from me after the final
grades have been calculated for the course. Do not submit a USB Flash Drive that you
need back immediately or one that contains other assignments for your other
courses.

Value: 10%

Date: Dec. 6:--------Groups 1, 2, 3, 4

Organizing the Cast and Writing the Script: You will dramatize one of the works
studied this term by creating a 10-12 minute film for the class to view. You can select
from Dracula, The Violent Bear It Away, “A Hunger Artist,” or “Parker’s Back.” You
will have to meet outside class to organize and prepare your Short Film presentation,
although I will give you some time in class as well. Each group will need a director,
writers, prop master, camera person, film editor, and actors, often with crossover.
Remember, this assignment is about exploring depth and communicating enthusiasm for
the work you are dramatizing. Also, because of the brevity of your film, you certainly
are not expected to cover every scene in the text; instead, choose key scenes, ones that
you feel are essential. Finally, you are free to modernize the setting and the language of
the text if you keep the essential spirit of the work. For example, Dracula could be
portrayed as a cardiologist operating on his patient Jonathan Harker in Vancouver
General Hospital. Whether you take a comic or serious approach is your choice. Use your
imaginations and enjoy yourselves. Surprise me with your originality.

NOTE: There is only one restriction: Human actors must perform in the Short Film
presentation; however, if you want to create and include some animation or computer
graphics, you are allowed to with a limit of up to 20% of your film’s length.

The Production: You are not professional actors, so you must compensate for this by
thinking of creative and intriguing ways to convey your material. Constantly adjust your
camera angles. Use lighting and sound creatively. Break up the text with action, video,
music, dance—anything you want. Create a documentary, a mockumentary, rap the text,
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think outside the box. Energy is essential to a good performance, as is a thoughtful

presentation of the material.

Grading System: Each group (as a whole) will receive a grade out of 10 for its Short
Film production.

Due Date: No later than the beginning of the final exam, each director must submit to
me a participation record for their group, plus (if not already submitted) their group’s
USB Flash Drive for my records. To be fair in grading, students who did not fully
contribute and share the workload of their group’s effort will lose marks. This is a team
project.

Important Note: If it is impossible for you to contribute your fair share to a group’s
Short Film Presentation because of employment commitments, family caregiver
commitments, sports commitments, or another valid excuse, immediately contact me via
email for an alternative writing assignment which will make up for the otherwise lost
10%.

(This Short Film Presentation format was a gift of inspiration from my late
colleague Prof. Suzanne Klerks; may she rest in God’s peace.)

Course Policies:

Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU

One of the core values of Trinity Western University is the integration of academic
excellence with high standards of personal, moral, and spiritual integrity. The University
considers it a serious offence when an individual attempts to gain unearned academic
credit. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes academic
misconduct. For details on this, and on identifying and avoiding plagiarism go to the
University Homepage > Academics > Academic Calendar

https://prezi.com/od62fxnkbmxh/plagiarism-how-to-get-it-out-of-your-life/ (Prezi
presentation)

http://bit.ly/1p00KX3 (Google Slide presentation offering more comprehensive

information)

Campus Closure and Class Cancellation

In the event of extreme weather conditions or other emergency situations go to the

https://www.twu.ca/campus-notification.
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Instructor’s Course Grading System

See pages 21-22 of this syllabus.

Course Statements:

Academic Freedom

With our charter, mission, and identity as a Christian university, Trinity Western
University is committed to academic freedom, affirming and supporting it as defined and
described in the statements of Universities Canada and the Tri-Council Research
Granting Agencies provided in full at the following link: https://www.twu.ca/academic-
freedom-trinity-western-university.
Students should familiarize themselves with both the academic freedom statement and
policy found at the Academic Freedom website. In this course, the academic freedom of
both the course instructor and students are to be respected. Trinity Western University
welcomes a diversity of academic perspectives, both in class discussion and submitted
course work, provided they are thoughtfully and respectfully presented. Hate speech will
not be tolerated.

Accessibility Statement

Students with a disability who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Centre for
Accessible Learning upon admission to TWU to discuss their specific needs. All
disabilities must be recently documented by an appropriately certified professional and
include the educational impact of the disability along with recommended
accommodations. Once documented with the Centre for Accessible Learning, a letter will
be sent to the student’s professor recommending appropriate accommodations. Within
the first two weeks of the semester, students must meet with their professors to agree on
accommodations appropriate to each class. Students should follow the steps detailed by
the Centre for Accessible Learning outlined on the website at
https://www.twu.ca/academics/learning-commons/centre-accessible-learning.

Hospitality in the Classroom

TWU is committed to an ethic of inclusion centred on the principles of Christian

hospitality, reciprocity, and reconciliation. We seek to cultivate generous learning spaces
that are based on respect for differences and are open to diverse views, opinions, and
identities that are thoughtfully expressed in a collegial manner. We welcome and value
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all voices, including those from under-represented groups or those who have been
marginalized.

TWU Writing Centre (Undergraduate)

The Writing Centre is available to assist all students with their academic writing
assignments in any subject at any stage of the writing process from brainstorming to
editing. Live, online writing appointments are available throughout the week by
appointment and take place within the Learning Commons appointment booking system.
To make an appointment, visit www1.twu.ca/writingcentre.

Course Learning Outcomes:

The following list demonstrates how this course participates in Trinity Western
University’s Global Student Learning Outcomes. The numbered headings indicate
TWU’s Student Learning Outcomes relevant to this course; the details below the
headings indicate learning outcomes specific to this course.

1. Knowledge and its application

By the end of this course, students will be able to

 examine human culture through reading literary fiction in English

 identify and describe distinctive conventions of short fiction and the novel
 use literary terminology to discuss and analyze fiction
 use words and conventions of prose (grammar and rhetoric) more effectively in
their own writing
 recognize different kinds of academic essays and compose an expository or
argumentative (persuasive) essay with clear thesis and evidence to support its
logical argument

2. Cognitive complexity

By the end of this course, students will have increased their ability to

 think critically, analytically, and creatively about and with language

 identify literary elements and the role of story to interpret, to imagine, and to
communicate human experience
 apply basic grammatical rules
 plan and structure a research essay
 locate secondary sources and use them appropriately
 quote, summarize, and paraphrase another writer’s work
 conduct effective academic research with integrity
 apply the MLA documentation style
 examine literary texts in relation to their historical and cultural contexts
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 reflect upon and respond with sensitivity to the human condition as it is depicted
in literary fiction

3. Aesthetic expression and interpretation

By the end of this course, students will have gained the ability to
 conceptualize how language is a medium for aesthetic expression of the moral-
spiritual imagination
 identify and interpret the aesthetic aspects of literary fiction as art
 recognize how the aesthetic aspects of fiction contribute to the meaning of the
work by activating affective-emotional responses

4. Spiritual Formation

By the end of this course, students will have gained opportunities to develop

 a deeper understanding of God by experiencing God and God’s truth in literature,

recognizing how the Bible and Christian liturgical practices are literary and
foundational to the English literary tradition
 a discovery of a deep and personal spiritual foundation through the transformative
experience of reading literary fiction
 a strengthening of ethical and moral being through expanded awareness of the
human condition and consideration of various fictional constructions of reality in
relation to the Christian vision.
 sympathy and empathy by experiencing stories in a Christ-centered way so that
students can look through the eyes of others in their academic writing through
using this hermeneutic of love and thereby developing a moral imagination by
having an appreciation for others’ positions, conditions, expertise, and opinions.

__________________

MARKING ABBREVIATIONS:

acc? An accurate quotation?

awk Awkward construction
ays? Are you sure?
bib Incorrect bibliographical form
char Help the reader see this character.
coh Coherence lacking
con Be more concise.
cs Comma splice
del Delete
dev Inadequate development
di For this assignment, don’t include your supporting points in your thesis statement.
dm Your outline’s points don’t match the points in your introduction.
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ee Here I sense energy escaping.

fd Use formal diction, not slang.
fl Floating (“dumped”) quotation / connection necessary
frag Sentence fragment
fs Fused sentence
inc Incomplete construction
intro Introduce quotation / summary / paraphrase / or graphic.
log Logic faulty, unclear, or straining
LS Let the structure of the text you’re analyzing determine your paragraph divisions.
mcn More context is necessary here.
mm Misplaced modifier
mng Meaning unclear
mq More of the quotation is required; this is too fragmentary.
msrr More serious resistance is required here.
ncs This is not a complete summary of the author’s main points.
nf You are not following the Formalist Analysis guidelines; please read the guidelines
carefully.
nm This source is not mentioned in your Works Cited list.
no np No new paragraph required
nops This is not one parallel sentence as required and shown in the sample “road-map”
introduction.
not1 This is not one point; make each point singular and specific.
not4 This is not the required four sentence “road-map” introduction illustrated in the sample.
not7 This is not the seven-sentence model #3 outline illustrated in the sample.
nott This is not a clear thesis statement; take a clear stance on the topic.
np New paragraph required
nr This is not a “road-map” funnel introduction as required.
nswe No such word exists.
ooc Out of control
p Error in punctuation / or punctuation required
pi This point doesn’t match the point in your introduction.
pl Plural
prep Preposition
pron Pronoun
ref Pronoun reference unclear
rep Unnecessary or ineffective repetition
riq Roughly integrated quotation
ro I can’t find a range of opinion continuum in your research journal.
rw Please see the research-writing handout.
sce Should come earlier in your essay / text
scl Should come later in your essay / text
sd I can’t find a Source Distribution Chart in your research journal.
sdr Stronger defusing required
sett The setting here is unclear. Help the reader to know where, when, the season, time period,
etc.
sLBH See the sample MLA essay in your Little, Brown Handbook (chap. 38, “Breaking the
 20

Glass Ceiling”) for correct MLA format.

sg Singular
sig? Significance?
sim Simplify
sp Spelling
spec Be more specific.
spo This is the same point repeated, or at least a point that is too similar. Create distinct
points.
sr A signal is required here: One author claims, or Jane White argues, etc.
ss See the sample for correct format.
t Tense
td Your analysis is too distant from the primary text; integrate key quotations and make your
analysis vivid.
tep Textual evidence please
tms Here there is too much summarizing of the obvious and not enough analysis of the
author’s substance and strategy. Please see your Formalist Analysis document.
tn Think of the needs of your audience here.

tone Your tone of voice is working against you here. Consider the reader’s response.
trans Transition needed or inadequate
trl The reader is lost.
tts Your thesis is obvious and / or stated too soon; see the sample “road-map” introduction.
uo Here your opposition is unclear or off topic. Be sure you and your opponent are pulling
on the same rope (to use the tug of war analogy for debating a point).
vag Vague
var Vary sentence structure and or words used to introduce a source or opposing viewpoint.
vb Error in verb form
vi Very intelligent / interesting interpretation
w Wordy
wcb Where does contact with this source begin? A clear signal is required.
wce Where does contact with this source end? A clear signal is required.
wp Where in the poem/story/play/essay are we now? Conduct your analysis clearly within the
context of the structure of the text.
ws Wrong strategy
ww Wrong word
wwyos? What will your opponent say?
yf You are not following the method / format for controlling sources which is presented in
the research writing documents / handouts; also, sLBH.
yv? Is this your voice? Or is this the voice of your opponent? Please clarify.

X Obvious error

// Faulty parallelism

m Something is missing.
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?? Manuscript illegible

( ) In-text reference required (MLA format)

cw Combine into one word

good Good idea, point, or sentence

ABBREVIATIONS OF FINAL COMMENTS:

AG = Aside from the concerns noted, this is a good effort.

BG = Basically a draft with potential, but not a polished final draft. If in the future you carefully
revise, your grades will improve significantly.

NU = You have not used the model / format / method taught in class; consequently, you’ve eroded
your grade by omission.

SC = Some good points, but the serious clarity problems noted erode your grade.

SG = Some good points, but your essay lacks detail and specific development. You need to dig
deeper and provide specific evidence / support for your main ideas.

UN = Unfortunately, you have not followed the syllabus (or assignment) guidelines. Please read
the syllabus (or assignment guidelines) carefully.

VIW = This is very intelligent high-quality work; you’ve really mastered the concepts taught in
class, and you’ve applied them effectively in your writing. You have a lot of potential.

Instructor’s System of Grading

A+ 95-100% C+ 65-69%
A 90-94% C 60-64%
A- 85-89% C- 55-59%
B+ 80-84% D+ 53-54%
B 75-79% D 51-52%
B- 70-74% D- 50%
F 0-49%
 22

“A” range = Outstanding, excellent work; exceptional performance with strong evidence
of original thinking.

“B” range = Above average, competent work; laudable performance with evidence of
some original thinking.

“C” range = Average, reasonably satisfactory work; fair performance but infrequent
evidence of original thinking.

“D” range = Below average, minimally acceptable work; relatively weak performance
with little evidence of original thinking.

“F” range = Inadequate work; poor performance that indicates a lack of understanding
or misunderstanding of essential subject matter.