ENGL311 (Section 001, Schedule #42062)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Spring 2021
MW 2pm-3:15pm :: MPC Academic Learning Commons 1102 (in Blackboard & on Zoom until further notice)
Prof. David Golumbia
Office: 333 Hibbs Hall
Spring 2021 Office Hours: by appointment, over Zoom
Linguistics and Literary Theory
Literature is made out of language, especially written language, so there are many strong connections between the theoretical questions raised by the study of literature and those raised by the study of language. This class explores some of those connections. We will cover topics such as the relationship between written language and spoken language; the incorporation of spoken language into written texts (such as the use of dialogue in novels); poststructuralist questions about the nature of language; the question of “style” in writing; the historical relationship between the study of language and the study of literature; the idea of “literary” writing; the question of interpretation in the production and reception of language; and the use of linguistics concepts in the practice of literary criticism. Evaluation will be via short written assignments and vigorous participation in discussion. Some familiarity with literary theory and/or linguistics will be useful but is not required.
Modality: mixture of synchronous Zoom-based lecture/discussion and text-based discussion, lecture, and reading notes. Most of the discussion and reading notes for the class will be done in Blackboard forums.
Texts (you are welcome to purchase the texts, but it is not required and PDFs of the selections we will read are available in Blackboard)
- Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (second edition, Oxford University Press, 2011)
- John McWhorter, What Language Is (And What It Isn't, and What It Could Be) (Gotham Books, 2012)
- Christina Sharpe, In the Wake: On Blackness and Being (Duke UP, 2016)
- Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism (25th anniversary edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)
Assignments and
Evaluation
- Exams: 40%. Two multiple-choice exams will be administered over the course of the semester. The exams will be time-limited take-home exams. Keeping up with both readings and discussions will be essential to doing well on these exams.
- Paper: 20%. Students will write a short paper, due by the end of the final exam period of the class, of at least 1500 words, on a topic to be developed over the course of the term with the instructor.
- Course Participation: 40%. This portion of the grade will be assigned based on the frequency and quality of each student's participation in Blackboard discussion (and, where applicable, Zoom discussions). Participation grades focus primarily on how often the student contributes to discussion, and whether those contributions reflect having read the material and other students' comments. Unlike papers, participation grades are largely not focused on how smart or incisive your comments are. The point is to participate often and show that you've read the material and your classmates' comments: it is meant to be easy to get full credit or nearly full credit for the term for participation.
Official VCU Policy Statements
Week-by-Week Syllabus
Week One.
- Mon, Jan 25. No reading
- Weds Jan 27. Culler, Literary Theory, Chapters 1-2
Week Two.
- Mon Feb 1. Culler, Literary Theory, Chapters 3-5
- Weds Feb 3. Culler, Literary Theory, Chapters 6-7 (optional: remainder of book)
Week Three.
- Mon Feb 8. McWhorter, What Language Is, Intro & Chapter 1
- Weds Feb 10. McWhorter, What Language Is, Chapter 2
Week Four.
- Mon Feb 15. McWhorter, What Language Is, Chapters 3-4
- Weds Feb 17. McWhorter, What Language Is, Chapter 5 & epilogue
Week Five.
- Mon Feb 22. No readings
- Weds Feb 24. No readings
Week Six.
Week Seven.
- Mon Mar 8. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Signifying Monkey: Chapter 2, "The Signifying Monkey and the Language of Signifyin(g): Rhetorical Difference and the Orders of Meaning"
- Weds Mar 10. no additional reading
Week Eight.
- Mon Mar 15. Jacques Derrida, "Signature Event Context" (Limited Inc, 1-23); Gerald Graff "Editor's Forward" (Limited Inc, vi-vii) (Blackboard)
- Weds Mar 17. Optional: Graff, "Summary of 'Reiterating the Differences'" (Limited Inc, 25-27); Derrida, "Limited Inc a b c ..." (Limited Inc, 29-154)
Week Nine.
- Mon Mar 22. No readings. First exam given.
- Weds Mar 24. No readings (Reading Day)
Week Ten.
- Mon Mar 29. Hortense Spillers, "Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: An American Grammar Book" (Blackboard)
- Weds Mar 31. no additional reading
Week Eleven.
- Mon Apr 5. Christina Sharpe, In the Wake, Chapter 1, "The Wake," Chapter 2, "The Ship" (Blackboard)
- Weds Apr 7. no additional reading
Week Twelve.
- Mon Apr 12. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, "Can the Subaltern Speak?" (Blackboard)
- Weds Apr 14. no additional reading
Week Thirteen.
- Mon Apr 19. Amy N. Heuman & Alberto González, "Trump’s Essentialist Border Rhetoric: Racial Identities and Dangerous Liminalities"; Donovan O. Schaefer, "Whiteness and Civilization: Shame, Race, and the Rhetoric of Donald Trump" (Blackboard)
- Weds Apr 21. no additional reading
Week Fourteen.
- Mon Apr 26. No readings
- Weds Apr 28. No readings. Second exam given.
Week Fifteen.
- Mon May 3. No readings
- Weds May 5. No readings. Final essay due during final exam period. There is no other exam for the course.
Last updated
April 11, 2021.