IDENTITY CRISIS

ENG102.7449: Writing through Literature

Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30-1:30

Instructor: Beth Schwartzapfel Office hours: Mondays, 1:30-2:30

bschwartzapfel@lagcc.cuny.edu in the E Building Atrium
Mailbox: MB-14 (please email me if you English Dept: 718-482-5656
leave something in my mailbox)

About ENG 102 (From the course catalogue)

This course is a continuation of English 101. Students will reinforce and extend their abilities to write correct,
well-organized essays using various rhetorical strategies and stylistic techniques. Poetry and at least one other
literary genre from among fiction, drama and the nonfiction essay will be studied. Students will be introduced to
a variety of writing strategies used in composing interpretive and analytical essays. Writing assignments will
include a critical research paper.

About ENG102.7449, “Identity Crisis”

Who am I? How much am I a product of my culture, my family, the time in which I live? How much am I my
own person? What does it mean to be “an individual,” anyway? These are questions which humans have been
grappling with since the beginning of time. The arts in general, and literature in particular, have long given
readers and writers a unique opportunity to pose these questions and try to answer them. In poetry, fiction,
drama, and essays, we try on different identities and visit different cultures, times, and places. By living in
someone else’s skin for a few pages, we learn a little bit more about living in our own.
The goals of this class are for you to become a person who reads literature actively—someone who
understands, and interacts with, what you read—and who writes about literature with clarity and insight. All
of our readings and written assignments will be designed with these two related goals in mind. Reading actively
will lead to good ideas; good ideas will lead to good thesis statements and solid evidence; good thesis statements
and solid evidence will lead to good papers. Writing good papers about literature is what ENG102 is all about.
That said, the only way to learn how to write is to write. So be prepared to write. A lot. You will do freewriting,
keep a reading journal, write several drafts of three take-home papers, and sit for two in-class essay exams.
Because the Fall II schedule is so condensed, you will be writing a paper almost every week.

Required texts and materials

Literature: Craft & Voice, edited by Nicholas Delbanco and Alan Cheuse. You must have all three volumes of
this anthology: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. They are available at a discount as a set.
Keys for Writers: A Brief Handbook, 5th edition, by Ann Raimes
A good college dictionary
*Unless you’re told otherwise, please bring the day’s reading, your handbook, and your binder to every class.

Requirements
Reading: You will be assigned 40-80 pages of reading for each class. You are expected to do the reading on
time and come to class prepared to be an active participant in class discussions about the readings.

Class Discussion: A crucial part of digesting and understanding the readings we’ve done and the concepts we’ve
learned is to discuss them as a group. Please use your reading journal and the freewriting at the start of class to
assemble thoughts/opinions/questions about the readings that you’d like to discuss with your classmates. Your
opinion matters! Please don’t deprive us of your thoughts—jump in and share them. It goes without saying that
the class discussion is a respectful space. No personal attacks, no interrupting or talking over anyone. That said,
ENG 102.7449 | “Identity “Crisis” Instructor Beth Schwartzapfel
Syllabus Fall II 2010, LaGuardia Community College

disagreeing is not disrespecting; to the contrary—a good academic debate helps everyone to learn.

Informal writing:
Freewriting: We will start each class with 10 minutes of freewriting on a topic that I will give you, usually
relating to the reading you’ve done for that day. This is very informal, meant to get your thoughts going before
we begin our class discussion.
Reading journal: Each time you are assigned a reading, you will for homework write a 400-word response to
what you’ve read. This is slightly more formal than freewriting, but more free-form than a paper; it’s meant to
get you into the habit of reading actively, and help you start formulating ideas for your papers. Further
instructions on your reading journal are attached.
For both freewriting and the reading journal, due diligence will earn you a ✔; extra effort earns a ✔+, and
sloppy or incomplete work earns a ✔-. Reading journals handed in late automatically get a ✔-. For days that
you’re absent, the reading journal due on that day can be handed in on the class immediately following without
penalty. You need not make up up freewrites for days you were absent.
Formal writing: You will write 5 formal papers, ranging from 600 to 2000 words: 2 in class (the midterm and
the final exam) and 3 at home. Each of the 3 at-home papers requires several steps, including formulating a
thesis statement and outline and writing a first draft. You will hand in each of these steps, and each will
contribute to your final grade for that paper. At least one of these take-home papers will be a research paper.
Specific instructions for each paper will be handed out at the time they are assigned.
Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1” margins on all sides. Papers
must be submitted in person; I do not accept papers via email. Grades on papers will be deducted one half-grade
for each day they are late. If you are absent on a day that a paper is due, the paper is still due on that day; you
must make arrangements to get your paper to me.
Re-writes
Revising is an essential part of the writing process. You will have the opportunity to re-write four of the five
papers you will hand in this semester (the final cannot be re-written). Those with a failing grade are required to
re-write, but everyone else—even those who got an ‘A’ or ‘B’ the first time around—is encouraged to do so.
There’s always room for improvement! In order to re-write a paper, you must first meet with me during office
hours to map out a strategy for your re-write. I will not accept re-writes from students who haven’t met with me
first. You must hand in all your previous drafts along with your re-write. The grade on your re-write will be
your new grade for the paper.
Plagiarism and academic honesty
All students of LaGuardia Community College are responsible for preparing and presenting original work. In
accordance with the college’s policy on Academic Integrity, plagiarized work or any cheating during exams is
grounds for immediate course failure.

Grades
Per English Department policy, I must apply the same grading standards to your work throughout the semester.
That means that your first paper, which you will write in the first few weeks of class, will be graded by the same
set of standards as your last paper, which you will write after having spent the entire semester learning and
practicing. To account for this policy, the relative weight of each paper to your overall grade increases over the
course of the semester. So don’t be discouraged if your grades are lower than you had hoped early on in the
semester. Instead, see it as inspiration to work harder and commit yourself to learning and improving your skills.
Paper #1 10%
Midterm 15%
Paper #2 20%
Paper #3 20%
Final exam 0% (you simply must pass)

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Syllabus Fall II 2010, LaGuardia Community College

Portfolio 15%
Class participation 20%
(includes participating in class discussions, coming to class prepared and ready to learn, visiting the Writing
Center when necessary, re-writing your papers even when you are not required to do so, and generally
demonstrating that you are committed to learning and improving your writing.)

Class policies and information

Website: I’ve set up a website for the class: http://eng1027449.blogspot.com. After every class, I will post the
day’s homework here. I will also post announcements, links, and documents relevant to what we’ve discussed in
class. Please check the website after each class.

Peer group: At the start of the semester, you will be assigned a peer group of 3-4 other students. Please
exchange email addresses and phone numbers. Throughout the course of the semester, you will help each other
develop ideas and critique drafts of each other’s work. Use your classmates as a resource! These are also the
people you should turn to if you miss class and need to be filled in on what you missed, or if you need someone
to hand in a paper for you.

Attendance: It goes without saying that you can’t learn from what we do in class or participate in class
discussions if you’re not here. So you are expected to be in every single class, awake, alert, and ready to learn.
Of course, life doesn’t always go as we planned and things come up that we can’t foresee.
I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. You’re all adults, and I leave it up to you to
decide what is and isn’t a good reason for you to miss class. That said, we only meet twelve times during the
Fall II semester, so a single absence amounts to twice as much missed class as an absence during a regular
semester. You may be absent for six hours or two class meetings before your absences begin to affect your
grade. You are responsible for making up any work that you miss due to absence.
Lateness: Arriving in class late is disrespectful to me and disruptive to your fellow students. If you arrive more
than 5 minutes late for a class, I will mark you ‘late.’ Three latenesses equal one absence. Arriving more than 30
minutes late (or departing more than 30 minutes early) will count as one hour of absence.
The Writing Center
Tutors at the Writing Center, in E-111 (718-482-5688) can help you work on essays for this class, develop your
writing skills, and study and practice grammar in specific areas of difficulty. Based on your diagnostic exam
and/or other writing we do in and out of class, I will require some of you to visit the Writing Center, whether for
one-time help or for weekly tutoring sessions. Even those who are not required to go can benefit from extra
help, so please use this wonderful resource available to you!
Respect
Please be respectful of me. This means: turn off your cell phone, put away your iPod and other gadgets or
distractions. Anyone texting during class will be marked as ‘late’ for that day. Nap at home, not during class.
When I’m talking, please listen and take notes.
Please be respectful of each other. This means listening attentively when others are talking, putting your
opinions and thoughts into the mix, not interrupting or talking over anyone, and being sensitive to cultural
differences. LaGuardia is one of the most diverse colleges in the country—our students come from over 160
countries, and countless communities and identity groups—so you will almost certainly run up against someone
who is different from you in terms of gender, language, cultural, racial and ethnic background, nationality,
religion, class, sexual orientation, and abilities. See this for what it is—a gift and a privilege—and learn from
each other’s ways of seeing and being in the world!

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ENG 102.7449 | “Identity “Crisis” Instructor Beth Schwartzapfel
Syllabus Fall II 2010, LaGuardia Community College

INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR READING JOURNAL

The first section of your reading journal should always be a list of words or phrases from the reading
that you didn’t know or understand, along with their definitions. Look the words up in the dictionary
and paraphrase their definitions in your own words.
For the second section, sometimes I will give you a specific question to answer or passage to respond
to. Other times, I’ll leave it up to you. Below is a list of ideas and suggestions for what to write about;
you may choose to use your entire journal entry to answer a single question, or you may go through the
list and answer all of them one by one. The only hand and fast rules for your reading journal entries
are:
 You must do a thoughtful, conscientious job.
 You must refer to at least one specific sentence, passage or idea from the reading. (In other
words, don’t use the entire journal entry to write about your cousin Mohammad without first
explaining specifically why your cousin is relevant to the reading.) Use page numbers and/or
quotations to direct me to the sentence, passage, or idea to which you’re referring.
 You must write at least 400 words (this works out to about a page and a half, typed and double
spaced, or between 4 and 8 handwritten pages, depending on the size of your handwriting).
This is meant to be informal and unedited, so don’t stress about doing a “perfect job.” I’m not going to
correct grammar, and I’m grading for effort only, not content. That said, your reading journal will be
the raw material for your papers, so the more work you put in now, the better prepared you’ll be later.

Possible topics
1. List words you do know but that stand out for some reason (slang, puns, dialect, words used in
unusual or striking ways). Reflect on why the author might have used them and whether it was
effective.
2. What are the key themes and/or main ideas of this reading? What were the author’s goals? How
can you tell? Did s/he achieve these goals? How? Why/why not?
3. What struck you about the character(s)? Would you say the story had a “hero”? Perhaps it had
an “anti-hero”? What were his/her main flaws/strengths? Why do you think the author created
him/her that way?
4. Disagreements: Did the author make a statement or observation that made you say, but!, or,
that’s not true? Write down the things with which you disagree, or about which you’re suspicious
or disbelieving, and explain why.
5. Agreements, or resonances with your own life: Did the author say something that you agree
with, or something that reminded you of your own opinions or experience? Explain how or why.
6. Questions: Did the author leave you wondering, or wanting to know more about a particular
subject? Make a list of your questions. If possible, do a little research to answer them.
7. Connections: Did this reading remind you of another reading we’ve done this semester?
How/why are they similar? How/why are they different?

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ENG 102.7449 | “Identity “Crisis” Instructor Beth Schwartzapfel
Syllabus Fall II 2010, LaGuardia Community College

CLASS SCHEDULE
This schedule is accurate as of the start of the semester but is subject to change; please check the
website for the most up-to-date information. Readings are due on the day indicated. In addition to the
reading, always assume there is also a reading journal or other writing assignment due; if they’re not
listed here, these will be announced in class and posted on the website.

Mon 1/4 Introductions

Diagnostic essay
“How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie,” by Junot Diaz
Wed 1/6 In the Fiction volume of your textbook:
 “Who’s Irish?” by Gish Jen
 Point of View (183, 195-199)
 Character (102, 111-117)
In Keys for Writers:
 What it Means to Read Critically (5-7)
 Developing a Focus and a Thesis (18-22)
 Constructing an argument: thinking critically about arguments,
formulating a good argument, formulating a thesis (51-59)
Mon 1/11 Paper #1 draft due
In the Fiction volume of your textbook:
 “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker
 Setting (143, 150-152)
 Language, Tone, and Style (233, 238-243)
In Keys for Writers:
 Developing paragraphs and essays (27-34)
 Supporting your claim with reasons and evidence (57-9)
 Reasoning (63-66)
Wed 1/13 PAPER #1 DUE
In the Fiction volume of your textbook:
 “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
 Symbol (313, 324-327)
 Theme (260, 270-273)
Please also bring the Poetry volume of your textbook
Fri 1/15 Last day to drop a course
Mon 1/18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, NO CLASSES
Wed 1/20 From the Poetry volume of your textbook:
 Sound (214-216)
 Rhyme (219-221)
 Rhythm (228-9, 238-241)
 Imagery and Symbol (144-5, 174-5)
 “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
 “Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg
 “My First Theology Lesson” by Edward Hirsch
From Keys for Writers:
 Transitions and Links (35-6)

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ENG 102.7449 | “Identity “Crisis” Instructor Beth Schwartzapfel
Syllabus Fall II 2010, LaGuardia Community College

 Introductions and conclusions (36-9)

Mon 1/25 Paper #2 draft due
 “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar (to be handed out)
From the Poetry volume of your textbook:
 “Touché” by Jessie Fauset
 “Sadie and Maude” by Gwendolyn Brooks
 “Poem at 30” by Sonia Sanchez
 “Woman’s Work” by Julia Alvarez
From Keys for Writers:
 Revising, editing, and formatting (39-51)
Wed 1/27 PAPER #2 DUE
From the Fiction volume of your textbook: “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
Please also bring the Drama volume of your textbook.
Mon 2/1 From the Drama volume of your textbook, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William
Shakespeare, Acts I and II
Wed 2/3 MIDTERM EXAM
Mon 2/8 Paper #3 draft due
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Acts III and IV
From Keys for Writers: Part 6, “Style”
Wed 2/10 PAPER #3 DUE
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Act V
Prep for final
Mon 2/15 President’s Day, NO CLASSES
Tue 2/16 Irregular Day—classes meet on a Wednesday schedule
FINAL EXAMINATION
Mon 2/22 Last class meeting: final grades distributed

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