Comp. Lit.

403
Comprehensive Literature 403
Ms. Lindsay Green greenli@champaignschools.org 217.2.324!
chargerlit."ee#ly.com
You want tangible,
social benefts to
writing fction?
There are people
walking around
today because other
people wrote words
that spoke to them.
Thatll do.
- arren !llis, no"elist
Ma$or %nits o& 'tudy:
creative non-fction
short fction
#ula by Toni Morrison
Poetry
$amlet by William
Shaespeare
Ma$or (ssessments:
Colle!e"#arrative essay
Critical lens e$ten%e%
responses
#ula essay
Poetry analyses tests
$amlet creative analyses
&inal critical essay
)he *ig +dea: The more yo' no( abo't (hat others thin an% )eel* the better yo' are
able to en!a!e socially. People (ho rea% literary fction +an% creative non-fction, are
better on tests meas'rin! empathy* social perception an% emotional intelli!ence - sills
that come in especially han%y (hen yo' are tryin! to rea% someone.s bo%y lan!'a!e or
!a'!e (hat they mi!ht be thinin!.
,eeded Materials- / (ritin! 'tensil every %ay an% a (riter.s noteboo +my !i)t to yo',
'uggested Materials- / bin%er or section o) a bin%er )or this class
Grading- This class )ollo(s a tra%itional !ra%in! system. The !ra%in! scale is as )ollo(s:
001 Ma2or !ra%es +essays* per)ormance pro2ects* speeches* tests* etc.,
341 Minor !ra%es +5'i66es* (riter.s noteboo* home(or* %aily tass,
341 &inal +essay-base%,
70-300 8 / 90-978 : 00-07 8 C ;0-;7 8 < 47 an% belo( 8 &
Late .or/: /ssi!nments s'bmitte% a)ter their %'e %ates (ill be s'b2ecte% to a !ra%e penalty.
3 %ay late - 301 )rom overall score
= %ays late - 301 )rom overall !ra%e
3> %ays late - 401 )rom overall !ra%e
(#sences: ?o' have t(o %ays to mae 'p yo'r (or )or every one %ay yo' are absent.
0ssay 1evisions: @) yo' are not satisfe% (ith an essay !ra%e* yo' may revise once to raise yo'r
score. @n or%er to receive cre%it )or yo'r revision* yo' m'st:
save a ne( copy o) the essay an% rename it as ABevise% CCCCC Dssay.E
sen% me an email to in)orm me o) yo'r revision no later than a (ee a)ter the essay (as
ret'rne%.
2lagiarism and cheating "ill result in 3ero credit "ith no opportunity to ma/e up the
assignments.
(#sences: ?o' may s'bmit mae 'p (or )or all absences. @t is yo'r responsibility to collect
assi!nments )rom my (ebsite +'p%ate% %aily,. ?o' sho'l% see any a%%itional instr'ctions )rom me
be)ore or a)ter school or via email.
Comp. Lit. 403
0ssay 1evisions: @) yo' are not satisfe% (ith an essay !ra%e* yo' may revise to raise yo'r !ra%e.
@n or%er to receive cre%it )or yo'r revision* yo' m'st:
sche%'le an% atten% a paper con)erence (ith me be)ore"a)ter school or via
email
s'bmit both the !ra%e% frst %ra)t an% the revise% %ra)t
2lagiarism and cheating "ill result in 3ero credit "ith no opportunity to ma/e up the
assignments.
.45 10(6+,G )7L')75 .+LL M(80 57% ( *0))01 *7''
%&T!'(T)'! #$('*!+# Y,)' #,-&(% #.&%%#, (+/ $, /,!#+T +!!/
T$!&' #,-&(% #.&%%# #$('*!+!/? :? <B/FD :/DB
'eading literature isn0t only good 1or showing o2 how smart you are to your 1riends3 it can also
ad"ance your career. ThatGs beca'se* as a ne( st'%y p'blishe% in the 2o'rnal +ature sho(s* the
ri!ht boos can !ive yo' trainin! in empathy. /ccor%in! to the +ew York Times Well blo!:
(The study) found that after reading literary fction, as opposed to popular fction
or serious nonfction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy,
social perception, and emotional intelligence--skills that come in especially handy
when you are trying to read someones body language or gauge what they might
be thinking.
.hy should "e have The Brothers arama!o" tuc/ed under our arms on our "ay to
"or/9
:eca'se the Hso)t sillsH o) empathy* social perception* an% emotional intelli!ence are ma2or
%iIerence maers. &irst o) all* theyGre thin!s that robots canGt +yet, %o better than 's. Secon%* i)
yo'Gre in a company loa%e% (ith concept'al brainpo(er--lie* say* Joo!le--then so)t sills (ill
%iIerentiate yo' )rom the e!!hea%s. /n% thir%* people are reco!ni6in! that empathy is a primary
lea%ership tool--the s'rest (ay to co-investment--so anythin! that trains 's in empathy is an asset.
The (ay the researchers )o'n% this o't is )ascinatin!.
4o" to :nd a &eel &or &eeling-
Psycholo!y pro)essor Dman'ele Castano an% %octoral st'%ent <avi% Comer
Fi%% )o'n% s'b2ects via /ma6onGs Mechanical T'r* the boosellerGs
maretplace )or small 2obs at small pay--(hich !ot their sample set beyon%
the 's'al collection o) colle!e st'%ents. So )ols bet(een 39 an% 04 (ere
pai% K= or K3 to rea% a )e( min'tes. Some (ere !iven e$cerpts o) hi!h-en%
literary fction +thin <on <eLillo,* (hile others rea% a best seller lie Jillian
&lynnGs 4one 4irl, or an article )rom /isco"er ma!a6ine.
Then* a)ter rea%in!* the participants too tests that meas're% their ability to 'n%erstan% ho(
people (ere )eelin! by their e$pression. @n a test calle% HBea%in! the Min% in the Dyes*H participants
st'%ie% 3; photo!raphs o) pairs o) eyes an% chose one o) )o'r a%2ectives to best %escribe the
emotion therein.
The )ols that rea% the literary fction ha% the best scores* the nonfction rea%ers (ere in the
mi%%le* an% the rea%ers o) pop'lar fction %i% as ba% as those (ho rea% nothin!. So m'ch )or 56
#hades o1 4rey.
.hat a#out serious :ction that ma/es it so good &or our emotional intelligence9
/ novel sim'lates li)e in the same (ay that a %rivin! !ame sim'lates a race.
( no"el
simulates
li1e in the
same way
that a dri"ing
game
simulates a
race.
Comp. Lit. 403
/lbert Wen%lan%* a %irector o) the masterGs pro!ram in (ritin! at Seton Lill Mniversity* e$plaine% as
m'ch to the +ew York Times:
#eading sensiti"e and lengthy e$plorations of people%s li"es, that kind of fction is
literally putting yourself into another person%s position--li"es that could be more
di&cult, more comple$, more than what you might be used to in popular fction. 't
makes sense that they will fnd that, yeah, that can lead to more empathy and
understanding of other li"es.
/%% that to the b'siness case )or the Dn!lish ma2or.