5. Course Requirements

The class format will be a seminar, with lots of discussion and some lecture. Your job is not to walk into the classroom as a blank slate, ready to write down what I say the literary works mean, so that you can spit it back in an exam. Rather, you will be asked to develop the capacity to present and defend your own original thoughts about the assigned readings. There are many "right answers" in literary interpretation, and some of them conflict with each other. This does not mean that "anything goes," nor does it mean that our job is simply to look up what the author says he or she wanted to accomplish.

Just because it's *possible* to read "Puff, the Magic Dragon" as a celebration of marijuana culture does not mean that other readings are impossible. And just because the lyricist denies that he *intended* any drug reference does not mean that the drug reading is off-limits.

Because the author's original words are the primary source for any literary interpreation, it should goe without saying that students should keep up with the readings. You will need some time to reflect on the readings in order to particpate meaningfully in a collaborative learning environment, and to that end, some assignments are designed to encourage to you start you reading early.

I will often send out bulk e-mails to the address on file for you in the GriffinGate system. If you check a different address more regularly, please use SHU's e-mail forwarding service so that you don't miss important updates.

The most important requirement is that you carefully read the assigned texts. Writing the required papers will be much more difficult if you aren't familiar enough with the texts to come up with something interesting to say about them.