English 242A: Reading Prose Fiction
Spring 2025
Class Meets: T/Th 10:30am - 12:20pm
Classroom: CMU 326
SLN: 14086
Instructor: Deane Wilson (She/They)
Email: dgwilson@uw.edu
Office: Padelford Hall, room B402
Office Hours: Tuesday, 1pm-3pm (in person, but email me if you would like to schedule a Zoom meeting during these times).
Course Description
Welcome to 242A: Reading Prose Fiction! This course will introduce you to 20th and 21st century fiction, with an emphasis on stories that test the possibility of a shared, “human" experience. It's common to celebrate fiction as a vehicle for empathy; by reading fiction, we are told, we can “step into someone else’s shoes,” feel what they feel, and strengthen our empathy in the process. But fiction is full of moments when that imaginative process fails, and reading it often reminds us how hard it is (for writers, and for the rest of us) to communicate our experience of the world.
In this class we will read critically and closely, and consider how writers have sought—in surprisingly different ways—to transform the experience of life into language. We’ll develop a vocabulary to describe how fiction is made, how it works, and why it succeeds. Readings will include realist, surrealist, and genre-defining short stories from the 20th century (by James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and Raymond Carver) as well as contemporary works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Sally Rooney, Lydia Davis, and others. We’ll conclude with a fabulous, genre-bending novel by the Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.
Learning outcomes: In this course, you will learn how to read actively, critically, and closely; you will gain the vocabulary terms and concepts essential to the study of literature; you’ll learn how to develop your ideas in formal and informal writing assignments, and you’ll strengthen your writing skills in the process. Lastly, you will experience some of the best fiction from the 20th and 21st centuries, and come away with a deeper appreciation for, and understanding of, literature.
Required texts: You are required to have a physical copy of the texts below (no e-books). A PDF of the course reader will be made available, but please bring physical copies of the readings to class.
- Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun
- Course Reader (Available from Professional Copy Print, 4200 University Way NE Seattle.)
ASSESSMENT
5/6 Short Response Papers: 20%
Analytical Essay: 30%
In-Class Final Exam: 20%
Essay Draft or Prewriting: 5%
Quizzes: 10%
In-Class Writing and Participation: 10%
Group work (notetaking): 5%
Writing Assignments: This course will strengthen your reading, critical thinking, and writing skills and prepare you for future coursework. To this end, you will be asked to submit five short, informal responses to the assigned readings, and you will develop one of these into a formal paper (5-7 pages in length). Here is a breakdown of the writing assignments:
- Response Papers (20%): Throughout the quarter, you will submit five, 500-word response papers (RPs) on the assigned readings. See “How to Write a Response Paper” for details and instructions. These informal papers will allow you to practice the critical reading and writing skills you will need for the formal, analytical essay, and you will be encouraged to expand and develop one of them into a rough draft for your essay. Due Dates: Although Canvas lists the due date for RPs as Thursday at 9am, note that RPs must be submitted before our discussion of the reading they address. In other words, if you respond to a reading due Tuesday, you should submit your response no later than Tuesday at 9am. RPs that address a reading we have already discussed will not receive credit. You will have 6 opportunities to submit an RP, but you are only required to submit 5 out of the 6, so you can choose which one to skip.
- Analytical Essay (30%): In addition to your informal writing assignments, you will draft and revise a 5-7 page analytical essay on one of the stories we have read in class. Your essay should begin with a thesis statement (your argument about the text) and support that argument with attentive close-reading and analysis of the text. You are encouraged to choose a story that interests you and also leaves you with some questions, since good questions lead to good arguments.
- Essay Draft or Prewriting (5%): Ten days before the analytical essay is due, you will revise and expand one of your RPs into either, A: a 5-7 page rough draft of your essay, or B: a substantial (4 -7 page) piece of pre-writing for the essay, which should include your thesis statement and some close-readings of the key passages your paper will address. Your prewriting may also include notes, questions, or an expanded outline.
Final Exam (20%): The final exam will be held in class, and it will include passage identifications, short answer questions, and at least one essay question.
Quizzes (10%): These will be short, relatively easy quizzes to check that you’re done the reading. I will not necessarily announce them in advance. If you are late or absent, you will not be able to make up the quiz, so frequent absences will impact your quiz grade. I will, however, drop the lowest two quiz scores to allow for occasional absences.
Group Work (notetaking) (5%): When we do group work in class, I'll ask you to choose one group member to submit notes for your group. Taking notes will earn you class participation credit, so try to rotate your group’s notetakers accordingly.
Class Participation (10%): Our class discussions will model the methods of reading, inquiry, and analysis that your papers should employ, and your regular participation will allow you (and your peers) to get the most out of this class. I encourage you to speak up during class; ask questions, share thoughts and opinions, and contribute to our conversations about the reading. If you aren't comfortable speaking in class, here are some other things you can do to earn participation credit:
- Prepare the readings: To prepare for class, you should read each story carefully, and annotate (mark-up) the text as you read. Coming to class prepared with notes or questions about the reading will make it much easier for you to participate in class discussions, and your notes will be a valuable starting point for your papers.
- Participate in small group discussions: Ask questions, share your thoughts, and listen attentively during small group discussions. Volunteer to take notes to receive group work credit.
- Complete and submit in-class writing
- Be attentive and respectful, and take notes on lectures and discussions
- Respect the electronics policy: The use of cell phones is not permitted in class. Laptops and tablets may be used for note-taking and classwork, but they should not be used for non-class purposes. If I notice that you are frequently distracted by your laptop, your class participation grade will be affected, even if I don't say anything to you personally.
Weighting: *Please note that the assignments are not perfectly weighted on Canvas (review the grading policy for Response Papers (RP’s) for further explanation.) When I input final grades, Canvas will automatically compute your course grade according to the following scale:
97% or higher: 4.0
95-96: 3.9
93-94: 3.8
92: 3.7
91: 3.6
90: 3.5
89: 3.4
88: 3.3
87: 3.2
86: 3.1
85: 3.0
84: 2.9
83: 2.8
82: 2.7
81: 2.6
80: 2.5
79: 2.4
78: 2.3
77: 2.2
76: 2.1
75: 2.0
74: 1.9
73: 1.8
72: 1.7
71: 1.6
70: 1.5
69: 1.4
68: 1.3
67: 1.2
66: 1.1
65: 1.0
65% or lower: 0
NOTES ON CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Some of our course texts may contain potentially disturbing material that relates to systemic and interpersonal violence of different kinds (racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, and more). Depending on your own proximity to systemic violence and other factors, you may find some of this material difficult to cover. I encourage you to be compassionate to yourselves and each other as we work through these difficult materials together.
LATE WORK POLICY
If you think you will not be able to complete an assignment on time, please let me know within 3 days of the due-date so we can arrange a possible extension. If you do not receive an extension, late assignments will lose half a grade point for each day they are late. (For example, an ‘A’ paper that is one day late will receive a A-, and so on, with a maximum loss of four full grade points.) Last minute extensions will not be granted except in extreme circumstances.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
When you put your name on a piece of writing, you assert that the ideas expressed and the words used to express them are yours and yours alone. That doesn't mean you can’t borrow ideas from other sources; academic writing is full of borrowing, and writers commonly quote, cite and acknowledge the scholars, teachers, and friends whose ideas have inspired them. However, any sources that inform your work (including online sources like e-notes) must be properly acknowledged in your Work Cited page and in-text citations. Failure to acknowledge sources is considered plagiarism, and intentional plagiarism will earn you a zero on the assignment in question and be reported to the UW Office of Community Standards and Academic Conduct. If you are struggling with your writing, reach out to me or to the qualified professionals at the Odegaard Writing Center (Link here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrcweb/wordpress).
POLICY ON THE USE OF AI
The assignments in this class have been designed to challenge your reading, critical-thinking, and writing skills. For this reason, using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to rewrite or generate text or ideas for your assignments is strictly forbidden. Using it to generate text is dishonest, since you are putting your name on something that you didn't write. Using it to generate ideas—without citing it as the source of those ideas—may constitute plagiarism. More importantly, the information it generates is often vague and inaccurate, and it is more likely to weaken your writing than to strengthen it. You’re welcome to use basic built-in programs to check for minor punctuation errors, but all other uses of AI will be considered academic misconduct and treated as such.
Here's what you can do to cover yourself against plagiarism:
- Most cases of plagiarism are accidental and result from an imperfect understanding of what counts as plagiarism. Be sure to read the university’s definition of plagiarism and associated policies, here: https://students.nursing.uw.edu/policies/student-policies/plagiarism
- At any stage of your writing, keep your drafts, notes, papers, and research materials. If a question of plagiarism arises, you'll have a paper trail to documents your work.
- Don't use editing services. Don't ask anyone, even family or friends, to edit your paper or help you write it. You need to do that work yourself.
- If you would like additional help with your writing, contact the Odegaard Writing Center, where trained professionals are there to help you without colluding in plagiarism. Link here: https://depts.washington.edu/owrcweb/wordpress
- Last but not least, ask me if you have any questions about academic honesty.
CONTACTING ME
For questions regarding due dates, office hours, or assignment details, please be sure to check the syllabus before emailing me, since it is likely to contain the information you're looking for. For all other inquiries, feel free to email me at dgwilson@uw.edu. Please including a subject heading and a greeting (like “Hi Dr. Wilson”) in your email; it's good email etiquette, and most professors expect it. I will respond to emails within 24 hours of receiving them. If I do not respond, feel free to email me again, as your email may have been buried among others.
ACCESSIBILITY CLAUSE
If you need accommodation of any sort, please let me know so that I can work with the UW Disability Resources for Students Office (DRS) to provide what you require. More information about accommodation may be found at http://www.washington.edu/students/drs. Outside of documented needs for accommodation, I recognize that we all think, communicate, and learn differently. Please reflect on your individual learning needs and communicate with me as soon as possible about how best this course can accommodate them.
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS
“Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at the Registrar’s website: https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy
Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form found here: https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request
DEPARTMENTAL COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE
The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use are powerful and hold the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world--skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”
As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities, past, present, and future. Our disciplinary commitments to the study of English (its history, multiplicity, and development; its literary and artistic uses; and its global role in shaping and changing cultures) require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race and racism, immigration, gender, sexuality, class, indigeneity, and colonialisms. These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue. We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.
Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We acknowledge that our university is located on the shared lands and waters of the Coast Salish peoples. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, gender identities, national and indigenous origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.
CAMPUS RESOURCES
Odegaard Writing & Research Center
The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional writers in all fields at the UW. We will work with writers on any writing or research project, as well as personal projects such as applications or personal statements. Our tutors and librarians collaborate with writers at any stage of the writing and research process, from brainstorming and identifying sources to drafting and making final revisions. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please see our website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrcweb/wordpress/) or come visit us in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library.
CLUE Writing Center
The CLUE is a drop-in writing and tutoring center open from 7pm-midnight all days except Friday and Saturday throughout the quarter. For more info, check out their website: https://academicsupport.uw.edu/clue
wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House
Intellectual House is a longhouse-style facility on the UW Seattle campus. It provides a multi-service learning and gathering space for American Indian and Alaska Native students, faculty, and staff, as well as others from various cultures and communities to come together in a welcoming environment to share knowledge. https://www.washington.edu/diversity/tribal-relations/intellectual-house
D Center
Not to be confused with Disability Services, the D Center is the Disability and d/Deaf Cultural Center at the UW. The D Center is a space where students can study, organize, rest, and attend events and programs focusing on supporting and celebrating disability and D/deaf communities at the UW and beyond! It is located in the Husky Union Building--Room 327. https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter
Q Center
The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, asexual, aromantic) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit https://sites.uw.edu/qcenter
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SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
*This schedule is subject to change, so always check Canvas for updates.
*Readings are listed under the due date, and should be completed by that date. All readings can be found in the course reader, unless otherwise indicated (with the exception of Klara and The Sun)
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION
Tuesday, April 01
- Introduction
Thursday, April 03
- Intro, terms, and discussion of short shorts:
- George Saunders, “Sticks;” Amy Hempel, “In a Tub,” Kate Chopin, “Story of an Hour,” Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl”
WEEK 2: POV
Tuesday, April 08
- Charlotte Perkins Gillman, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper,” James Joyce, “Araby;” Katherine Mansfield, “Bliss”
Thursday, April 10
- Shirley Jackson, “Seven Types of Ambiguity,” “Charles”; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “A Private Experience”
- RP1 DUE by 9am
WEEK 3: Epiphanies
Tuesday, April 15
- Raymond Carver, “Cathedral,” “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”
Thursday, April 17
- Flannery O’Connor, “Everything That Rises Must Converge”; Wayne Booth; “A Rhetorical Reading of O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge.”
- RP2 DUE by 9am
WEEK 4: Relations
Tuesday, April 22
- James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues,” Louise Erdrich, “The Red Oldsmobile”
Thursday, April 24
- (Erdrich cont.) Viet Thanh Nguyen, “Fatherland”
- RP3 DUE by 9am
WEEK 5: Contemporaries
Tuesday, April 29
Toni Morrison "Recitatif”; Zadie Smith, “The Genius of Toni Morrison’s Only Short Story” (Canvas)
Thursday, May 01
- Ben Lerner, “The Ferry”; Sally Rooney, “Color and Light”
- (Optional: Listen to Lerner reading here; Listen to Rooney reading
- RP4 DUE by 9am
WEEK 6: Surrealist, “Experimental,” & Avant-Garde
Tuesday, May 06
- Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis”
Thursday, May 08
- Grace Paley, “A Conversation with My Father”; Renee Gladman, “Juice,” Lydia Davis, selected shorts.
- RP5 DUE
WEEK 7: SF: Science Fiction / Speculative Fiction
Tuesday, May 13
- In class peer review
- DUE: Draft or Prewriting for Analytical Essay
Thursday, May 15
- Italo Calvino, “The Petrol Pump”; Ted Chiang, “Exhalation,” “Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny”
- Begin Klara and the Sun (1-60)
- *Note change: Jennifer Egan, “Black Box,” is optional / recommended
WEEK 8: Klara and the Sun
Tuesday, May 20
- Klara and the Sun, 60-120
Thursday, May 22
- Klara and the Sun, 120-180
- DUE Friday, May 23: Analytical Essay
WEEK 9: Klara and the Sun
Tuesday, May 27
- Klara and the Sun, 180-260
Thursday, May 29
- Finish Klara and the Sun
- RP6 DUE
WEEK 10: Review
Tuesday, June 3 - Review
Thursday, June 05 - In-Class Final Exam