Requirements

Presentations - Each person will be responsible for two in-class presentations, each requiring that you do some background research and or consult secondary criticism on a text. Your presentations will typically last approximately 10-15 minutes. A list of topics is posted on the Presentations page.

Papers Two short papers (each worth 20%) will grow out of your in-class presentations and will be due one week after you present in class. The due dates will be posted after the presentation dates (see above).

One long research paper (40%) that consists of three parts. The topic will be your choice, but will involve investigation of some aspect of monstrousness in culture - either contemporary or past. The three parts are as follows.

  • A proposal - This will be approximatly one page (250 words for those who count) long. In it you will present the topic you wish to do your paper on, *why* you chose that topic, some preliminary conclusions about your topic, and a preliminary bibliography. This last is to ensure that you know what resources are available to you, and if your topic is viable.
  • An annotated bibliography - Where you will list all of the sources you consult for your paper (you must have a minimum of ten sources - more are recommended), provide a one paragraph summary of each source, and list two to three keywords that briefly describe the main ideas of the source and/or the ideas you will be making use of in your paper.
  • The final draft of the paper - This will be a 10-12 page, impeccably doucumented, proofread, paginated culmination of your research.

    Final Group Presentation 20% Each group will create a monster that it feels reflects on the particular anxieties of American culture at this particular moment. What anxieties doe it reflect? How does this monster manifest? How is it similar to past monsters? Where does it diverge? This project will involve researching the anxiety/fear and its likely manifestations and is meant to be a summing up of the issues we have discussed over the semester.

    A listserve list (ENGLISH11) has been created for this class. Please subscribe as soon as possible by sending an e-mail to:

    listserv@hermes.circ.gwu.edu

    with the command:

    sub english(11,112 or 1125 according to which section you are in) Firstname Lastname

    If you need more help with the list, please check the Listserve website.

    Attendance Policy Since this class will be run as a a seminar, your presence and participation are crucial. Therefore, more than three unexcused absences *will* adversely affect your grade. More than six constitues failure.

    Plagarism Policy Knowingly claiming the work of another as your own is an infringment of the Code of Academic Honesty. It is also flaming insult to anyone who makes his or her living by writing. Please do not do it. If caught, you *will* fail the class and be referred for disiplinary action.