ENG242 The Short Story

(3 credit hours)
Syllabus

Course Description
This course examines the short story as a literary genre. Students will read a wide-
range of stories from around the world and from different time frames. Emphasis is
given to an understanding and critical appreciation of the structure and function of the
short story.


Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
By the end of this course, the student will be able to do the following:
1. To become familiar with development of the short story as a literary genre.
2. To compare & contrast different stories in terms of technique, structure, and theme.
3. To formulate new critical theories about the stories under study.
4. To use accepted critical theories to examine stories


Course Topics
The prose tale
Setting and its impact on character
Short romances love in the prose tale
Irony and deceit
Tackling illness, madness, and addiction in the short form
Powerful female characters and symbolic conditions
Characters on missions fateful and faulty


Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
ENG142


Required Textbook(s) and Resources
Charters, A. The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction (8th ed.). Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins, 2011.
ISBN: 978-0-312-59624-8
Foster, T. C. How to read literature like a professor: A lively and entertaining guide to
reading between the lines. New York: Quill, 2003.
ISBN: 978-0-060-00942-7



Minimum Student Technology Requirements
In order to have a quality learning experience in your online courses, the University
requires that your primary computer (the computer used to access course materials and
on which you will be required to install course-specific software) meets or exceeds the
following specifications:
- 500 MHz or better CPU;
- 256 MB Memory (RAM);
- working CD-Rom drive;
- 3 GB Hard disk; and
- working microphone and speakers.

Students are also required to meet the following general technology requirements:
- have administrator rights on their PC to install software;
- access to broadband internet;
- have a current web browser installed, such as Internet Explorer;
- have Adobe Flash plug-in installed;
- have Apple QuickTime plug-in installed;
- have Adobe Reader (free download) installed; and
- have Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) installed.


Course Content
Time management is an important part of academic success. Please refer to the
approximate (average) times noted below for readings and assignments to help plan
your time accordingly.

Please refer to individual activities for assessment guidelines.

WEEK 1
Course
Topics
The prose tale
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 1, 11
Charters: Nathaniel Hawthorne - Young Goodman Brown
Edgar Allan Poe - The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, The
Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale
Lecture 1: Introduction to the Course
Lecture 2: Fosters First Themes
Lecture 3: Edgar Allan Poe & Nathaniel Hawthorne
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
.75 hr.
1.75 hr.
.50 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Introductory Discussion
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
CLO(s): n/a
CLO(s): 1, 4
CLO(s): 2, 4
Wednesday
Tuesday
Friday
.75 hr.
3.00 hrs.
1.50 hrs.

Assignment CLO(s): 1, 3 Saturday 6.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 14.25 hrs.

WEEK 2
Course
Topics
Setting and its impact on character
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 19, 20
Charters: Anne Beattie - Snow
Joe Sacco - Refugeeland
Marjane Sartrapi - Persepolis: The Veil
William Faulkner - A Rose for Emily
Lecture 1: Setting and Its Impact on Character
Lecture 2: Sacco and Sartrapi - Graphic Novels as Short Stories
Lecture 3: William Faulkner & Anne Beattie
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
1.00 hr.
.75 hr.



.50 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 1, 2
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 2, 3
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
6.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 11.25 hrs.

WEEK 3
Course
Topics
Short romances - love in the prose tale
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 16, 17
Charters: Ernest Hemingway - Hills Like White Elephants
John Updike - A&P
Raymond Carver - What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Lecture 1: Short Romances - Love in the Prose Tale
Lecture 2: Ernest Hemmingway - Papa
Lecture 3: John Updike and Raymond Carver
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
.75 hr.
1.00 hr.


.50 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 2, 4
CLO(s): 2, 3, 4
CLO(s): 2, 4
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
6.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 11.25 hrs.

WEEK 4
Course
Topics
Irony and deceit
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Foster: Chapter(s) 12, 26
Charters: Shirley Jackson - The Lottery
Joyce Carol Oates - Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
1.00 hr.
1.00 hr.

Resources Lecture 1: Symbolism, Irony, Deceit, and Wishes
Lecture 2: Shirley Jackson and Joyce Carol Oates
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
.25 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 2, 4
CLO(s): 2, 4
CLO(s): 2, 3, 4
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
10.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 15.25 hrs.

WEEK 5
Course
Topics
Tackling illness, madness, and addiction in the short form
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 23, 24
Charters: James Baldwin - Sonny Gets the Blues
Charlotte Perkins Gilman - The Yellow Wallpaper
Franz Kafka - The Hunger Artist
Crumb & Mairowitz - The Hunger Artist
Lecture 1: Illness, Madness, and Addiction in the Short Form
Lecture 2: James Baldwin
Lecture 3: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Lecture 4: What is Kafka-esque?
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
1.00 hr.
2.50 hrs.


1.00 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 2, 4
CLO(s): 1, 2, 4
CLO(s): 1, 2, 4
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 9.00 hrs.

WEEK 6
Course
Topics
Powerful women and symbolic conditions
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 5, 22
Charters: Kate Chopin - Desirees Baby; The Story of an Hour
Zora Neale Hurston Sweat
Alice Walker - Everyday Use
Lecture 1: Female Writers, Reminiscent Characters, and Symbolic Physical
States
Lecture 2: Kate Chopin
Lecture 3: Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker An Author and Her
Influence
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
.75 hr.
1.00 hr.


.25 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 2, 4
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 2, 4
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
8.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 13.00 hrs.

WEEK 7
Course
Topics
Characters on missions - fateful and faulty
Resources
Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources
Foster: Chapter(s) 15, 21
Charters: John Cheever - The Swimmer
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
Richard Wright - The Man Who Was Almost a Man
Lecture 1: Magical Realism & Back to the Beginning - A Character on a
Journey
Lecture 2: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Richard Wright, and John Cheever
See individual activities/weekly Resources link for additional resources.
1.00 hr.
1.00 hr.


.25 hr.
Activities
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Assignment
CLO(s): 2, 3, 4
CLO(s): 2, 3, 4
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4
Tuesday
Friday
Saturday
1.50 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
10.75 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes readings and activities) 16.00 hrs.

Approximate Time on Task for Entire Course 90.00 hrs.


Grading Structure

Activity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 TOTAL
Introductory
Discussion
n/a

0
Discussion 1 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 105
Discussion 2 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 105
Assignments 100 100 100 100 100 100 180 780
TOTAL 130 130 130 130 130 130 210 990

Grading Scale
Grade Percentage
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F <60%



Course Policies and University Services

Course Policies
Additional requirements for the course can be found in the Course Policies document.
Please read the document and familiarize yourself with those policies to guide you
through the course.

FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student information.
Other than directory information, such as name, address, phone number, etc., students
must give consent for individuals to gain access to a students educational record,
including grades, transcripts, and behavior reports (unless the student is under the age
of 18). Students also have the right to review their educational records. For a more
detailed explanation, please see the Student Handbook.

Office of Disability Services
Please refer to your Moodle Home page for Office of Disability Services contact
information to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented
disabilities.

Veterans
Please refer to your Moodle Home page for services for veterans, service members,
and their families.

Moodle and Non-Moodle Technical Support
Blackboard Student Services will provide 24x7 Moodle helpdesk support for all Tiffin
University students and faculty. Locate contact information for Blackboard Student
Services (Moodle-related issues) and for Tiffin University ITS helpdesk (non-Moodle
related issues) on your Moodle Home page.