Humanities 1—Sections 4 and 9
Harvey Mudd College, Fall 1999

Instructor: Shasta Turner
Office Location: Parsons 273
Office Hours: M 2:45-3:45; F 1:15-2:15
Email: Shasta.Turner@cgu.edu

T.A.: Tamara Hollins
Office Location: Parsons 276
Office Hours: T 12:30-1:30; email hours TBA
Email: Tamara.Hollins@cgu.edu

Course Description

Humanities 1 is a writing-intensive course required of all incoming Harvey Mudd students. The primary objective of the class is to hone critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. All students in Humanities 1 complete the same number of papers and share a schedule for due dates. However, reading topics (and therefore paper topics) vary according to the course themes chosen by particular instructors.

This course will explore the related but distinct genres of satire and dark humor. We will examine a wide range of works, studying novels, poetry, and films that criticize political institutions and social practices. Central to the course will be the question of how these authors portray individual and community relationships. In order to understand the texts more fully, we will frequently turn our attention to the historical background out of which the texts grew.

Books to be Purchased

John Barth, The End of the Road
Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Sir Thomas More, Utopia
Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference

There will be an additional packet of readings available for a reasonable fee through the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. I will notify you when it is available.

Assignments

Paper #1:
An argumentative essay of 5-7 pages on The End of the Road.

Paper #2: An argumentative essay of 5-7 pages on Pope, Swift, or More.

Paper #3: Option 1--An argumentative essay of 5-7 pages on O’Connor, Parker, Harold and Maude, Eliot, or McCarthy; Option 2--A creative piece, to be discussed as the due date approaches.

Paper #4: An argumentative essay of 5-7 pages—with a research component—on Delicatessen, Brazil, Catch-22, or a text you did not write about for Paper #3.

Each of these papers should present and defend a thesis about the book or film in question. As the semester progresses, you may wish to defend a thesis that compares a theme common to two or more of the texts.

Papers #1-3 need not rely on outside sources; however, Paper #4 will require exploration and use of secondary sources. We will discuss possible topics throughout the semester, but the choice of topics is primarily up to the student.

Revision #1: A revised version of either Paper #1 or Paper #2.

Revision #2: A revised version of either Paper #3 or the paper you did not choose to re-write for Revision #1.

Revision #3: A revised version of Paper #4.

Tamara and I will base the grades for revisions on improvement from the first version of the paper. We expect that you will take into account the comments you received (including those of your peer editors) and that you will demonstrate initiative in making your own editorial decisions. Students must submit all revisions with the first version of the paper and all comments attached.

Class Participation

Since this class relies primarily on discussion, regular and thoughtful participation from each student is essential. Since participation requires attendance, students must make every effort to be at all class meetings. If you cannot make it to class for any reason, please e-mail me. Unexcused absences, excessive (more than three) excused absences, and habitual lateness will adversely affect your participation grade.

Additional components of your class participation grade include occasional informal presentations, a presentation concerning the content of your final Portfolio during the last week of classes, participation in peer editing sessions, and any in-class writing assignments or quizzes given throughout the semester. Quizzes will be short and will address the content of daily readings; I may give them without prior notice.

Portfolio

For this course, the portfolio stands in place of a final exam. It is a compilation of your best work from the semester, carefully revised for re-submission and introduced by a brief preface explaining your selection of pieces and making thematic connections between them. Portfolios for all Humanities 1 students will be assessed both by the instructor and by an outside reader (a professor, instructor, or tutor from another section of the course).

Grading Scheme

Papers #1-4: 40%
Revisions #1-3: 20%
Class participation: 25%
Portfolio: 15%