English 108: The Nature of Narrative I

1 of 5

CENG 108: The Nature of Narrative I

Spanning the Gaps
Winter 2010 | Thursdays 6:30-9:30
Professor Jenny Sampirisi
Note: you must email me from a Ryerson email address. Please allow that it may take me up to
24 hours to respond to emails.
Office Hours: Th. 5-6 pm or by appointment.
Location: 2nd Floor, Common Room, Chang School
Contact: sampirisi@ryerson.ca

General Course Description:

Life without stories? Inconceivable. The moment we ask, "Who am I?" or "Where did I come
from?" narrative steps in, giving shape to our identity and experience. This foundational course
introduces students to fictional forms across a variety of historical periods and media in order to
examine the underlying mechanisms of storytelling: narrative's goals, inner structures, strategies,
and rhetorical effects. Texts may include stories, novels, poetry, and drama as well as cinematic
and digital texts.

Specific Course Description:

This course will use a variety of texts (novel, short stories, poetry and drama) to explore what it
means to exist. Narrative has the unique ability to address that ever constant and burning
question of the purpose of our existence. Think of Hamlet asking To be or not to be? That is the
question. Many of the characters and poetic voices we'll meet in this course question their
existence and wonder what it means to live. Whether it's a young boy contemplating lifes
purpose as he tries not to get eaten by a violent beast, a bumbling hobo debating hanging himself
on a flimsy tree, or a poetic meditation on the ways the lessons of the past might weigh on the
present and the future, these narratives pick away at the scab of existence and the burden of
choice we all face in our lives.

Delivery Method:
3-hour seminars. A seminar requires participation from all members of the class. Most classes
will focus on discussion of the text, therefore you are expected to come to class having read all
the assigned work for that day.

Resources:
The Writing Centre: http://www.ryerson.ca/writingcentre/
The Writing Centre offers a variety of services ranging from one-on-one tutorial sessions to in-class
presentations and specialized workshops on APA and MLA formats, essay writing skills and plagiarism
seminar. Whether you have a just a quick question or a major issue with your assignment, the Writing
Centre can help you at any stage of the writing process provided you give yourself enough time before the
deadline!The Writing Centre is located in the Library building, at LIB 272B.
The Access Centre: http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/accesscentre/index.html
The Access Centre provides confidential appointments and consultations with our Disability Counsellors

English 108: The Nature of Narrative I

2 of 5

in order to determine appropriate accommodations.

English Language Support Services

http:/www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els
English Language Support offers several programs, both on-site and through our website. These include
help with reading, writing, speaking, pronunciation, listening, and research skills for academic work.
Individual sessions, classroom instruction, and on-line learning modules are available.
For one-on-one writing support go to:
http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els/programs/paperpartners/index.html
You can make individual appointments to work with a trained peer partner.

About Blackboard
Blackboard is the online component to all your courses at Ryerson University. It is expected that you will
all have access to it by the END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES. If you need help getting on the
system, come see me after class.
To get on Blackboard:
If youve never logged into the system before go to http://www.ryerson.ca/accounts/

Click on Fill in the activation form and follow the prompts. Youll need your Ryerson Student
Number to complete the process.

Once youve completed the form youll just have to wait a few hours while your account is
processed. After that, youll be able to see the course code CENG108 and you can start
participating on the discussion board and downloading course materials.

Note that I post to the online version of the course regularly.

English 108: The Nature of Narrative I

3 of 5

Required Texts
All texts can be purchased at the Bond Street Bookstore on Ryerson Campus. Look for Sampirisi to
find the course section. Blue Marrow is online and excerpts will be provided in class.
Blue Marrow by Louise Bernice Halfe This is a collection of poetry draws on Halfes Mtis heritage
and through personal stories, creates a vision of the plight of her people. This book is out of print so we
will be using pdf versions.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel This adventure novel follows a young boy named Pi Patel as he floats adrift
in the ocean with a tiger in his boat. The book touches on God, love, fear and human nature.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Long considered one of the most influential plays of the 20th
Century, Waiting for Godot deals with the nagging questions that face all humans: why are we here?

Assignments
All assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you are unable to complete an assignment on time, it
is your responsibility to contact the professor no later that 24 hours before the due date to explain your
situation. If you fail to contact the professor in that time, a mark of 1% per day will be deducted.
Reading Journals

Three 250-500 word responses to prompts (see

attached sheet). 5% each.

15%

Personal Essay/
Self-Evaluation

An assessment of yourself as a writer including

10%
strengths and weaknesses, goals, hopes and fears,
in an essay format.

See outline for due dates

October 14

In-Class Midterm A 1.5 hour in-class midterm. This measures your

ability to do a close reading

15%

October 28

Essay Outline

This includes a thesis, and the way in which you

expect your argument to evolve in your final
essay.

5%

November 18

Peer Review

You bring the first 2 pages of your final essay to 5%

be evaluated by a peer in-class. If you are absent,
regardless of excuse, no make-up will be granted,
only a mark of 0.

December 2

Final Essay

A 5-7 page academic essay in response to one of

the essay prompts. The essay will deal with
course themes and content

December 9

Final Exam

A three part exam (key terms, short answer on

20%
Godot, and an essay response), 3 hours long. This
date is non-negotiable

December 16

Participation

A combination of your participation in class, and 10%

on Blackboard. Students are expected to attend all
classes. If you will be away, you must notify the
instructor 24 hours in advance

Ongoing

20%

Please note, all assignments should be double-spaced and set up in MLA style. I do not accept
assignments via email. If you hand it in late, you must drop it off to the Chang School front desk.

English 108: The Nature of Narrative I

4 of 5

CENG108: Class Schedule

Date
Week 1:
Sept. 16

Lecture
Topic
Course
Intro

Assigned Reading
1. Discussion of course topics, themes and
expectations.
2. Social Contracts

Tutorial
Topic
Intro

Assignments

Week 2:
Sept 23

Getting it

1. Handout: I dont get it by Dylan

Kinnett
2. Handout: One makes (the) difference
by Fred Wah

How to Read
Strategies for
interpretation

Week 3:
Sept. 30

Poetry I:
How Poems
Work

1. Handout: Close Reading

2. Handout: Anatomy of a Poem
3. BLUE MARROW by LBH

Learning to
Observe

Week 4:
Oct. 7

Poetry II:
The
Invisibility
Exhibit
Poetry III:
The
Invisibility
Exhibit

1. BLUE MARROW by LBH

Interpreting
Asking So
What?

1. BLUE MARROW by LBH

2. Close Reading: Putting it all together
handout

From
Observation to
Conclusion

Personal
Essay/SelfEvaluation
(10%)

1. We So Seldom Look On Love by Barbara

Gowdy (Handout)
2. What We Talk About When We Talk
About Love, Raymond Carver (Handout)

Narrative
structures
Anatomy of a
story

Journal #2
Due (5%)

MIDTERM

In-class
Midterm
(15%)

Week 5:
Oct 14

Week 6:
Oct. 21

Fiction I:
Intro and
Short
Fiction

Week 7:
Oct. 28

MIDTERM

Week 8:
Nov. 4

Fiction II:
The Novel

1.5 hour in-class midterm.

* Final day to drop in good standing.

1. LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel

Final Essay Topics handed out

Week 9:
Nov. 11

Fiction III:
The Novel

1. LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel

Journal #1
Due (5%)

Narrative
Structures II
Anatomy of a
novel
Improving
your Thesis

Journal #3
Due (5%)

English 108: The Nature of Narrative I

1. LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel

5 of 5

Week 10:
Nov. 18

Fiction IV:
The Novel

Week 11:
Nov. 25

Drama:
Intro

Week 12:
Dec. 2

Drama:
Waiting for
Godot

1. Waiting for Godot, Act I

Conclusions

Peer Review
(5%)

Week 13:
Dec. 9

Drama:
Waiting for
Godot

1. Waiting for Godot, Act II

Review
key terms and
ideas; strategies
for writing
exams

Final Essay
Due (20%)

Dec. 16

1.

Introduction to Beckett and the Theatre of

the Absurd
2. Film, Waiting for Godot
Essay outlines handed back.

Introductions

Essay
Outline Due
(5%)

Body
Paragraphs

Final Exam (20%) (3 hours)

3 Parts: Definitions, Short Answer, Essay/Close Reading