eng242

ENG242 Short Story Interpretation
(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. Gain an appreciation for short stories, their themes, and the social or political
backdrops against which they were written. .
2. Improve interpretive and critical thinking skills through reading, discussion, and

writing.
3. Evaluate the works’ importance to readers on emotional, artistic, social, and literary
levels.

4. Research secondary, supporting sources for further opinions about the literature.
5. Develop analytical essays with a clear thesis for a defined audience.
6. Demonstrate competency in sophisticated sentence construction.

7. Present organized and coherent analyses and show technical control of writing
skills.

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 addition 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

These are the materials you will need to purchase for the course:

Charters, A. (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction (Compact

ed.). Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s. ISBN: 9781457665554

Foster, T. C. (2014). How to read literature like a professor: A lively and entertaining
guide to reading between the lines. New York: Harper Perennial. ISBN: 9780062301673

Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements. W here applicable, Tiffin University has

obtained permission to use copyrighted material.

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
certain specifications. Click on the following link to view the specifications:

 PC Recommendations

Time Management
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.

Course Content
Please refer to individual activities for assessment guidelines.

WEEK 1

Course
Topics

The prose tale

 Nathaniel Hawthorne

 Edgar Allan Poe

Read/Review
Approx.

Time

Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 1, 11
Textbook (Charters):

 Nathaniel Hawthorne – “Young Goodman Brown”

 Edgar Allan Poe – “Cask of Amontillado”; “Tell-Tale Heart”; “The
Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale”

Lecture 1, 2, 3
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

1.50 hrs.
3.50 hrs.

0.50 hrs.

Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.

Time

Introductory Discussion: Initial Post

Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts

Assignment: Essay

CLO(s): n/a
CLO(s): 1, 2
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Monday

Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday

Sunday

0.50 hrs.

1.00 hrs.

1.00 hrs.
1.50 hrs.
9.00 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 18.50 hrs.

WEEK 2

http://www in.edu/its/pcrec/

Course
Topics
Setting and its impact on character

 Anne Beattie

 Joe Sacco

 Marjane Sartrapi

 William Faulkner

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 19
Textbook (Charters):

 Zora Neale Hurston – “The Gilded Six-Bits”

 Art Spiegelman – “Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History”

 Marjane Sartrapi – “Persepolis: The Veil”

 William Faulkner – “A Rose for Emily”
Lecture 1, 2, 3
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

2.00 hrs.
1.50 hrs.

0.50 hrs.
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
Assignment: Essay

CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted

CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Sunday

1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.

9.00 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 16.00 hrs.

WEEK 3

Course
Topics
Short romances – love in the prose tale

 Ernest Hemingway

 Raymond Carver

 John Updike

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 16, 17
Textbook (Charters):

 Ernest Hemingway – “Hills Like White Elephants”

 Raymond Carver – “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”

 John Updike – “A&P”
Lecture 1, 2, 3
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

1.50 hrs.
2.00 hrs.

0.50 hrs.

Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
Assignment: Essay

CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Sunday

1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.

9.00 hrs.
Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 16.00 hrs.

WEEK 4

Course
Topics
Irony and deceit

 Shirley Jackson

 Joyce Carol Oates

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 12, 26
Textbook (Charters):

 Shirley Jackson – “The Lottery”

 Joyce Carol Oates – “Where Are You Going, Where Have You

2.00 hrs.
2.00 hrs.

Been?”
Lecture 1, 2
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

0.25 hrs.

Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
Assignment: Essay
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Sunday
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.

12.00 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 19.25 hrs.

WEEK 5

Course
Topics

Tackling illness, madness, and addiction in the short form

 James Baldwin

 Charlotte Perkins Gilman

 Franz Kafka

 Crumb & Mairowitz

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 23, 24
Textbook (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, 2, 3, 4
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

2.00 hrs.
5.00 hrs.

1.00 hrs.
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
Assignment: Essay
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Sunday

1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
7.50 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 18.50 hrs.

WEEK 6

Course
Topics

Powerful women and symbolic conditions

 Kate Chopin

 Zora Neale Hurston

 Alice Walker

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 5, 22
Textbook (Charters):

 Kate Chopin – “Desiree’s Baby”; “The Story of an Hour”

 Zora Neale Hurston – “Sweat”

 Alice Walker – “Everyday Use”
Lecture 1, 2, 3
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

1.50 hrs.
2.00 hrs.

0.25 hrs.
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time
Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.

Assignment: Essay CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Sunday 10.50 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 17.25 hrs.

WEEK 7

Course
Topics
Characters on missions – fateful and faulty

 John Cheever

 Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 Richard Wright

Read/Review
Approx.
Time
Textbook,
Lectures,
and Other
Resources

Textbook (Foster): Chapter 15, 21
Textbook (Charters):

 Gabriel Garcia Marquez – “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

 John Cheever – “The Swimmer”

 Richard Wright – “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”
Lecture 1, 2
Some lectures/activities may contain additional resources. See individual
lectures/activities for those requirements.

2.00 hrs.
2.00 hrs.

0.25 hrs.
Activity Type Course Learning Outcomes Due
Approx.
Time

Discussion 1: Initial Post
Discussion 2: Initial Post
All Discussions: Secondary Posts
Course Project: Final Essay

CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3
CLO(s): as noted
CLO(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Wednesday
Wednesday
Saturday
Thursday

1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.
1.00 hrs.

14.00 hrs.

Approximate Weekly Time on Task (includes resources and activities) 21.25 hrs.

Approximate Time on Task for Entire Course 126.75 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

Assignment 100 100 100 100 100 100 600

Course Project 180 180

Total 130 130 130 130 130 130 210 990

Activity Categories
Percentage of

Total Points

Discussions 21%

Assignments 61%

Course Project 18%

Total 100%

Grading Scale

Grade Percentage

A 90-100%

B 80-89%

C 70-79%

D 60-69%

F <60%

Please see the Academic Bulletin for grade appeal information.

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 student’s 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 for Student Accessibility Services
Please refer to your Moodle Home page for Office for Student Accessibility 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 24×7 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.

This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the University.

Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

· Textbook (Foster): Chapter 1, 11

· Textbook (Charters):

· Nathaniel Hawthorne – “Young Goodman Brown”

· Edgar Allan Poe – “Cask of Amontillado”; “Tell-Tale Heart”; “The Importance of the Single Effect in a Prose Tale”

· Lecture 1, 2, 3

· Link (website): 

Stylebook

 (All work must be submitted in proper format.  This course stipulates APA.

· Minimum of 3 outside resources (Resources may include .edu or .org website and/or peer-reviewed journal articles from the TU library.) 

Activity Instructions
Please select one of the two essay topics below. Please use cited examples and quotes from the stories. If you are applying concepts from Foster, please be sure to cite examples and quotes, as well.

1. As mentioned in the Poe lecture, one of the reasons Poe makes such enormous use of sound in his stories is that he began his creative writing career as a poet and had a great ear for language. But he is not simply using the sound of language in his stories; he focuses a great deal of attention on sound and hearing.

1. What are the effects of Poe’s focusing on sound in his stories?

2. Is there something about sound that lends itself more readily to horror and mystery stories?

3. Find a scene from a horror movie you find to be particularly scary. As an after note to your paper, talk about the role sound played in creating a more terrifying scene.

4. Now that you have read Poe and written this paper, what role do you think sound plays in horror that has stayed true from Poe’s time to our own?

2. Young Goodman Brown becomes a distrustful and cynical man after his night in the woods.

1. Can a human being regain a positive outlook of the world after such an experience?

2. Does Hawthorne put Young Goodman Brown through too much or are there parts of the modern world where the metaphorical “party in the woods” is taking place each night while people claim to be pure?

3. As part of your paper, find a news article that speaks to your point of view when it comes to the “party in the woods.”

4. What accusations was Hawthorne making about society that hold true to the present day? 

Writing Requirements (APA format)

· Submitted file type must be x or or .rtf (rich text format). If you use an Apple format or something else, you should download/export/save-as a x or .rtf before submitting.

·

3 pages (approx. 300 words per page), not including a reference page

· 1-inch margins

· Double spaced

· 12-point Times New Roman font

· Reference page (minimum of 3 outside resources)

Submission Instructions

1. Click Add submission to select your assignment file (file type must be x or or .rtf).

2. Then click Add or drag-and-drop your file into the window.

3. When you are ready to submit the assignment, click Save changes.

4. Then click Submit assignment.

5. Click Continue to confirm submission.

Grading and Assessment
This activity will be graded based on academic content, integration of resources, and college-level writing and grammar. 

Course Learning Outcome(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
1.   Gain an appreciation for short stories, their themes, and the social or political backdrops against which they were written.
2.   Improve interpretive and critical thinking skills through reading, discussion, and writing.
3.   Evaluate the works’ importance to readers on emotional, artistic, social, and literary levels.
4.   Research secondary, supporting sources for further opinions about the literature.
5.   Develop analytical essays with a clear thesis for a defined audience.
6.   Demonstrate competency in sophisticated sentence construction.
7.   Present organized and coherent analyses and show technical control of writing skills. 

Due Date: By 11:55 pm ET on Sunday