Significant World Writers
Course Guidelines

"I can't profess to explain what happened in my mind. No doubt it could
all be traced directly or indirectly to the curious physical
conditions under which I was living” (116).
H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon (1901)


the basics / course goals / path 1 / path 2 / miscellany

THE BASICS

English 459: Transatlantic and World Literature
thematic touchstone: The Architecture of Dystopia
class time & location: M/W 8:10-10:00 a.m. (bldng 2, rm 205)
instructor: Dr. Paul Marchbanks
email: pmarchba@calpoly.edu
office: 805-756-2159 / building 47 (the "maze"), hallway 35, office A / available hours
home: 805-593-0192 (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.)

This course's collection of dystopic fictions provides a sort of practical survival manual in the face of global catastrophe. In addition to illustrating how local and federal governments on both sides of the Atlantic might reprioritize in the face of cataclysmic events, these novels examine the microcosms of familial and communal relationships and consider the various ways they respond to prolonged strain. They also analyze the stress points in the individual mind and body, and explore how sustained tension can exploit the nearly invisible fissures in our identities and values.

Whether we actually face a nuclear holocaust or germ warfare in our lifetimes, the issues asked by this course's texts will prompt meaningful reflection and--like all good literature--help prepare us for some of the overwhelming stressors life inevitably brings. Prepare yourself for some gnarly scenarios, and lots of reading!

COURSE GOALS

• to encourage introspection
• to hone critical thinking skills
• to promote close reading and analysis
• to develop visual as well as text-based literacies
• to augment student recognition of tone and voice
• to deepen students' comfort with public speaking through class discussion, small group exercises, and an oral presentation
• to cull ideas from and analytical methods inspired by other fields (e.g. psychology, sociology, architecture, civil engineering, philosophy) and apply them to literary analysis
• to reexamine a genre often dismissed as fantasy, and consider whether it offers practical, helpful observations about human nature and social systems

PATH 1: In-Class Discussion and Exams

Materials (purchase these editions)

• Mary Shelley's The Last Man (1826). Oxford Univ. Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0199552351
• H. G. Wells's The Time Machine (1895). Dover, 1995. ISBN: 978-0486284729
• C. S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man (1943). HarperOne, 2015. ISBN: 978-0060652944
• John Wyndham's The Chrysalids (1955). NYRB, 2008. ISBN: 978-1590172926
• Doris Lessing's The Memoirs of a Survivor (1974). Vintage, 1988. ISBN: 978-0394757599
• P. D. James's The Children of Men (1992). Vintage, 2006. ISBN: 978-0307275431
• Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Sower (1993). Grand Central, 2000. ISBN: 978-1538732182
• Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake (2003). Knopf Doubleday, 2004. ISBN: 978-0385721677
• Brian K. Vaughan's and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man (2003). Vertigo, 2014. ISBN: 978-1401251512

Assignments & Assessment

• class performance (51%, 17 daily grades of 3% each). Daily performance grades will be determined by quiz grades and participation. These performance grades will take the place of traditional exams, measuring students' familiarity with the assigned texts every step along the way. To prepare to succeed, read closely, refer to the points for reflection as you go, and fill your books with marginalia.
  • quizzes: each quiz (10-15 questions) will be worth up to two points. These quizzes will measure how closely you read, so do not wait till exhausted to crack your book, and definitely do not rely on SparksNotes or other sites that summarize the plot. Objective quizzes will contain questions which you will answer in 7-10 minutes. Quizzes may draw from the current day's readings, as well as the previous class session's readings and discussion.
  • participation: on a day governed by class discussion (there will be many), students will actively demonstrate their knowledge of assigned texts by the quality and frequency of their contributions:
    • half a point may be earned by students who show up for class with appropriate texts in hand, stay for the entire class session, and participate minimally.
    • one point may be earned by a student who also shares 1-3 appropriate, specific observations during class, and/or who actively engages in any small group exercises assigned that day.
    • one and a half points may be earned by a student who also points other students to specific passages--accompanied by appropriate page numbers--as s/he elaborates thoughtful observations. It also helps to respond directly to another student's ideas.
    • one and three quarters of a point may be earned by students who also synthesize the material in intelligent ways and/or make creative, non-intuitive observations.
  • please do not control the conversation; grant everyone an opportunity to speak.
  • consider yourself invited to disagree with your peers and instructor.
  • I will assign participation grades immediately after class ends, then grade quizzes the next day. A student who performs well on a particular quiz and also contributes significantly to class discussion will max out at 3.2 points on a given day, though I will make a note if a student theoretically earned more points than this. A few such notations can help curve your final grade by up to one or two points. (note: accumulating .2 points on each of fifteen class sessions could replace an entire, missed day of class.)
• reading response essay (9%): one 500-600 word essay, a response to a "point for reflection" (i.e. study question) for a given class session prior to that particular day's class discussion. Students will sign up ahead of time for a given prompt, and turn in the essay by 9 p.m. the day before the class session in question. Details tba.
  • each student writes one short, 500-600 word response essay that engages one point for reflection (i.e. study question) linked from the colored bar above each day's assigned reading on the Path 1 calendar. These will be spread throughout the quarter.
  • first, select three possible prompts from those provided for the class day in question and email me your list no later than 9 a.m. the preceding morning if you are slated to write a response for a given class session (see below). (For example, if writing a response to a prompt attached to Wednesday's assigned reading, send me your three possible prompts by 9 a.m. on Tuesday.) I will assign you one of the three prompts, and update the Points for Reflection so others can see which questions have already been assigned.
  • secondly:
    • paste the prompt to which you're responding at the head of your essay [otherwise, NO CREDIT]
    • write the essay; closely proof your work
    • deftly incorporate one short quote into your own prose: do not quote an entire sentence. Employ appropriate parenthetical citation format for MLA:
      • example: (Shelley 47) for fiction
      • example: (ll.42-44) for a poem
    • send a Word doc (NOT a PDF) of this essay to me via email by 9 p.m. the night before the class day corresponding to the prompt you answered.
  • essay response assignments listed below:
    • M, 4-24 (The Chrysalids): Shelby Anderson, Sadie Beaumont
    • W, 4-26 (Endgame): Yvonne Bee, Alondra Castaneda
    • M, 5-1 (The Memoirs, pp.3-108): Riley Doane, Russell Hunter
    • W, 5-3 (The Memoirs, pp.108-223): Ashley Lang, Tiffany Lerfald
    • M, 5-8 (The Children, pp.3-120): Tricia Lerfald, Kelly Lester
    • W, 5-10 (The Children, pp.121-241): Moe Mailhot, Natalie Mangskau
    • M, 5-15 (The Parable, pp.3-166): Ainsley Muir
    • W, 5-17 (The Parable, pp.167-329): Sarah Miller; students generating 5-6 study questions each
    • M, 5-22 (Oryx and Crake, pp.3-184): Saylor Nelson, Isaac Ruddell
    • W, 5-24 (Oryx and Crake, pp.185-374): Sam Ruhl, Kaitlyn Thoresen
    • M, 6-5 (Y: The Last Man, pp.6-130): Malia Weingarten, Bella Wygant
    • W, 6-7 (Y: The Last Man, pp.131-246): Vanessa Yafai
  • assessment: these short essays will be graded holistically, and I will discuss student arguments during class.
• impassioned pleas (10%, 5 pts each): students will post two separate, 75-100 word responses (no shorter, no longer) on Digging in the Dirt, blurbs which each respond to a video posted by Dr. M. (Be sure to subscribe so that you know the moment I publish a new video--if you choose to respond to a given video entry, you must do so within 48 hrs of its posting.) You make replace one low grade on this assignment with an additional, third response.
• term project (30%): a three-part, ongoing creative writing project which will culminate in submission on Friday, June 9 (9 a.m.) and a three-hour session during the slot allotted for this course's final exam--a session in which each student will deliver a 10-minute oral presentation of their project for the rest of the class (Monday, June 12, 7:10-10:00 a.m.).
• extra credit: I will screen a dystopic or apocalyptic film on a few Saturday evenings, beginning at 7 p.m. at our condo. Attending a screening and engaging in thoughtful discussion afterwards will add 1-2 points to your final course average. Students may attend a maximum of two film screenings for a combined total not to exceed 3 extra points.
  • Sat., Apr. 15, 7 p.m. / Steven Spielberg's The War of the Worlds (2005)
  • Sat., Apr. 29, 7 p.m. / George Lucas's THX: 1138 (1971)
  • Sat., May 13, 7 p.m. / Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
  • Sat., May 27, 7 p.m. / Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days (1995)
    

MISCELLANY

Grading

Contact
Take advantage of my frequent availability throughout the week. Go here to find an open slot, then email me to reserve that time for an office visit. The fastest way to contact me if you have a quick question is via email. You can also reach me in my office at 805-756-2159, or in the evening (before 9 p.m.) at 593-0192.

Writing Lab Center
Experienced writers at the University Writing & Rhetoric Center offer free assistance with writing assignments for any course. Using this service will improve even the best writer’s output. Visit their website to schedule an appointment in advance of your desired date.

Plagiarism and the Honor Code
I encourage you to improve your writing with the help of peers, instructors, and myself. Remember, however, that all work you submit must be your own. Any paper containing borrowed but undocumented thoughts or words will receive a failing grade (this includes material created by generative A.I.), and I am obligated to report all instances of plagiarism to the Vice President of Student Affairs. Let me know if you have further questions concerning this important issue.



Raphaelesque Head Exploding (1951)
Salvador Dalí

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu