Texts:
Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. Bedford/St. Martin's. Most of you should already have this text from last semester.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. Random House/Vintage. ISBN: 0-679-72313-7.
Hemingway, Ernest. Short Stories, The First Forty-nine. Simon and Schuster edition. ISBN: 9780684803340.
Miller, Arthur. The Death of a Salesman. Penguin edition. ISBN: 978-0-1-4048134-1.
O'Brien, Tim. In the Lake of the Woods. Penguin edition. 978-0-1-4243732-2.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Signet Classic. ISBN: 978-0-451-52771-4.
Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. Random House edition. ISBN: 978-0-5-5321450-5.

Description
Honors English 112 is a three-hour semester course that serves as a further study of argumentation in writing, of literature of the human experience, and of documentation of sources. This honors course is linked with History 122, 02A, and in most cases, we will discuss the literature with particular reference to the historical periods in which it was written. To enroll in the course, you should have been selected for this particular section by Dr. Windham or by me.

Throughout the semester, we will focus on writing argumentative, interpretative, analytical essays based on the readings assigned in class. The essays will be at least twelve hundred words apiece. Within these papers, you will use critical thinking skills to draw conclusions and formulate ideas about the literature under discussion. The purpose of these essays is for you to analyze and interpret the works and then to construct arguments to convince a reader that the conclusions you draw from the texts are valid. To do this, you will use supporting material from the literature and appropriate articles and essays from sources outside your text. These sources will be documented according to the standard MLA format discussed in English 111 and in Diana Hacker's The Bedford Handbook.

Course Objectives:
By the completion of this course, you should be able to accomplish the following tasks:

to read and interpret literature with an understanding of both explicit and implicit meanings

to understand and apply literary terms appropriately to the assignments required for class

to create competent, well-developed essays that argue, interpret, analyze, and evaluate the literature under discussion

to write clearly and coherently, with particular emphasis on standard college grammar, syntax, and American usage

to support your arguments with research and your own critical thinking, connected logically and convincingly to your thesis

to demonstrate proficiency in documentation according to the MLA format

Evaluation:
I will evaluate you by the five critical essays you write throughout the semester. In addition, there will be quizzes based on the readings.

The Essays:
For each of the five essays you write, I will provide criteria, but these guidelines will allow you the flexibility to approach the material with imagination and creativity. Before you write the essays, be sure to visit the link on my website that discusses what a good thesis statement--and an effective essay--is. Each essay will be worth one hundred points, and each must be typed and double-spaced according to standard ms. format. The essays will comprise at least eighty percent of your grade.

The Quizzes:
There will be unnannounced quizzes throughout the semester; these will be based on the assigned readings as well as material discussed in class. The quizzes will vary in length; they will comprise no more than twenty percent of your grade.

The Reading Schedule:
The following is a list of readings, along with the weeks they should be ready for discussion.

Your first essay will deal with Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. Follow the link under "first essay" for the criteria required for the essay.    Your essay will be due on January 27. The late date for this paper is February 1. I'll reduce your grade on a late essay by a full letter. That is, if you normally would have received an A (100 points) for that paper, you will receive an B (85 points) because of its tardiness. If the late date has passed and you still have not turned in an essay, you should talk to me about your reason for missing both dates. If I think that your reason is valid--and this approval will not be automatic--I'll allow you a third opportunity to submit the paper. In that case, I will approve the date with the stipulation that the essay receives no higher than a C. At least that will be better than your receiving a zero on the paper, because a zero will virtually insure that you do poorly in the course. Please take advantage of the opportunity to discuss your topic and rough draft with me.  Because I give you this opportunity to avoid errors before you turn in each essay, I will not allow you to revise the paper for a higher grade after you submit it and I evaluate it.

2/1	Wharton	The Age of Innocence
2/8	Wharton	The Age of Innocence, continued
2/15	Wharton	The Age of Innocence, concluded

Your second essay will focus on Edith Wharton's novel The Age of Innocence. Follow the link under "second essay" to access the criteria for the paper. The due date for this essay is February 22. Because of the time we missed due to the snow, there will be no late date for this essay.

2/22	Hemingway	"Soldier's Home," "A Way You'll Never Be," "The Big Two-Hearted River: Part I," "The Big Two-Hearted River: Part II," "Hills Like White Elephants," "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"
3/1	Hemingway	"Up in Michigan," "Indian Camp," "My Old Man"
3/8	Spring Break	No Classes this week
3/15	Hemingway	"The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," "The Undefeated"

Your third essay will focus on some aspect of Ernest Hemingway's short fiction. Follow the link under "third essay" to read the criteria for this paper. The due date for this essay is March 17. The late date is March 22, with the same stipulations mentioned for the first essay.

Your fourth essay is on Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man. Follow the link under "fourth essay" to access the criteria for the paper. The essay is due on April 7. The late date is April 12, with the same stipulations as for essay one.

Your fifth essay will focus either on In the Lake of the Woods or Death of a Salesman. For the former title, click here for criteria. For the latter, click here. The due date is May 10. There is no late date for this essay.

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