English 256—Literary Theory & Criticism
Fall 2026
Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30-3:45. Demille Hall 101
Professor Richard Ruppel (ruppel@chapman.edu)
Office (Smith 07) & Office Hours: TBD
Updated July 13, 2026
Assignments
Useful Links
Canvas
Course Description & Purpose:
ENG 256 introduces many of the basic
ideas, questions, and thinkers in recent (twentieth- and twenty-first century)
literary theory. We will read a selection of theoretical essays in the Norton
Anthology of Theory and Criticism and apply what we learn to short stories.
Why should we study literary theory? Isn’t it enough to
read stories, novels, plays, and poetry closely and carefully? You have been learning to read more closely
and accurately since you started to read, and you are probably pretty good at
it, but studying these different theories will open literature for you in new
ways. When you apply queer theory to
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” for example, you gain not only a better understanding
of the story itself, of a subtext that explores the seamy side of London life
in the late 19th century, you also gain knowledge about that late-19th
century world. When you apply
post-colonial, feminist, new historical, and cognitive literary theories to
Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” you see how different theories lead to
different readings, and you understand some of the dark consequences of
colonialism, both for the colonizers and the colonized. Studying theory helps you to think critically
– a multifaceted skill that can be applied to virtually every challenge you will
face at Chapman and in the world beyond.
Theory helps you understand cultural and historical contexts, enriching
your understanding of various histories and cultures. And, I hope, the study of theory can increase
our empathy by helping us see the world of fiction, theater, and poetry from a
variety of different, human perspectives.
Required Text:
English Literature Program Learning
Objectives: English 256 is required before
students may take upper-level English literature courses, and it is a
requirement for the English Literature major, as well as one of the electives
for English BFA majors and for English minors.
In the discussion board responses, formal essays, and essay exams, you
will have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate the English Literature
Program Learning Objectives listed below:
1. Skill
in critical reading, or the practice of identifying and interpreting the
formal, rhetorical, and stylistic features of a text
2. Ability
to identify and compare key literary movements and genres
3. Ability to explain
and apply significant theoretical and critical approaches in the field of
English studies
4. Skill
in writing grammatically, coherently, and persuasively
5. Skill
in finding, analyzing, and utilizing secondary sources (including the
appropriate methods of citation)
6. Skill in crafting a
compelling thesis-driven essay, with substantiating evidence
Course Student Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this course, you will
be able to
Chapman University Academic Integrity Policy:
Chapman University is a community of
scholars that emphasizes the mutual responsibility of all members to seek
knowledge honestly and in good faith. Students are responsible for doing
their own work, and academic dishonesty of any kind will be subject to sanction
by the instructor and referral to the university's Academic Integrity
Committee, which may impose additional sanctions up to and including
dismissal. (See the "Undergraduate Catalog" for the full
policy.) Though I am not requiring you to submit your essays via
Turnitin, I am an expert at finding online and other sources, so I will notice
if you make unacknowledged use of someone else’s work or make improper use of
an LLM. If I have doubts, I will submit your work to Turnitin myself
or use an AI detector to confirm my suspicion. So please
save both of us from trauma and write your Canvas Discussion posts
and essays yourself.
ChatGPT and other Large Language Model
(LLM) chatbots:
1. Typing a prompt into an
LLM chatbot, copying the response, and then submitting that response for an
assignment is an obvious form of academic misconduct. Don’t do
it.
2. Chatbots
are often inaccurate. When I asked ChatGPT for a biography of
Richard Ruppel, a Chapman English professor, two years ago, I found that I was
born in Fairview (false), had been an expert on the Holocaust (mostly false),
had graduated from Yale and Harvard (false), and was now dead (demonstrably, I
hope, false). People in the field describe these errors as
“hallucinations,” but they are presented with supreme self-confidence.
Hallucinations are not uncommon. ChatGPT has improved – a more recent
search provided more accurate information, but all LLMs continue to
hallucinate. If I suspect that you have pasted in a response produced by an LLM, I will check
the various services designed to detect this. If those services
confirm my suspicion, I will call you in for a conference. If I am
convinced you made improper use of an LLM, I am required to report the case to
our Academic Integrity Committee.
3. Chatbots can be
inaccurate, but they do offer clear, useful information which users should
check. These are early times, but through this semester (and
through your academic career) we will all discover ways to help you use them to
enhance your learning.
The following discussion of the use of
LLMs in academic settings was developed by Dr. Nora Rivera, a former professor
in Chapman’s English department:
|
Acceptable
Uses of LLMs |
Not
Acceptable Uses of LLMs |
|
· To
improve your work · To
brainstorm · To
explore potential counterarguments · To
fine-tune research questions · To
draft an outline to organize your thoughts · To
check grammar and style · To
check format · To
translate words and phrases |
· To
replace your work · To
cheat on the writing & research process · To
obtain answers to assessments · To
generate a full draft of your work · To
generate large chunks of text with little or no input from you as an author |
· Students
must cite AI technologies when appropriate (e.g., when using images generated
by AI technologies, when referencing an answer provided by AI technologies,
etc.)
· Copying
works entirely generated by AI technologies and submitting them as original
content is considered an academic
integrity violation
· Always
revise your work before submitting it. You are responsible for any inaccurate,
biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit regardless of
whether it originally comes from you or an AI model.
In-Class use of laptops, tablets, and
phones:
Laptops and tablets must remain closed,
and you may not consult your phone during class. I will give you
five minutes at some point during class to check your phones or to leave class.
If you have a reason to consult one of these devices during class, you must
receive my permission to do so beforehand. If I see you
consulting your phone or using a laptop for any unauthorized reason during
class, I will mark you absent.
Chapman's Students with Disabilities Policy:
In compliance with ADA guidelines,
students who have any condition, either permanent or temporary, that might
affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the
instructor at the beginning of the term. The University, through the Disability
Services Office, will work with the appropriate faculty member who is asked to provide the accommodations for a student in determining what
accommodations are suitable based on the documentation and the individual
student needs. The granting of any accommodation will not be retroactive and
cannot jeopardize the academic standards or integrity of the course.
Please see me if you have ANY concerns about completing any of the
requirements of this course.
Chapman Equity and Diversity Policy:
Chapman University is committed to
ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Students and professors are
reminded to show respect at all times as outlined in
Chapman’s Harassment
and Discrimination Policy. Any violations of this policy
should be discussed with the professor, the Dean of Students and/or otherwise
reported in accordance with this policy.
Course Requirements:
Attendance: Please make every effort to attend our classes.
Missing more than three sessions will adversely affect your grade. If you miss
five or more classes you will fail the course unless you provide a compelling
reason for excessive absences.
Communication: Whether online or in class, please be courteous and
constructive. I receive a large number of
emails, so when emailing, please identify the course (256), your last name, and
the subject in the subject line. I will respond promptly to your emails;
please respond promptly to mine.
Grades:
*Participation: 15%
Group Project: 15%
Exams: 40% (20% each)
Final: 30%
The *Participation
grade is primarily your grade on responses to the Canvas Discussion
assignments. Here are my criteria for evaluating your responses:
1. The response should respond as
specifically as possible to the prompt (or you should indicate why you’re
modifying the prompt).
2. The response should reveal close engagement with the work(s) under
discussion.
3. The posting should contribute to the
discussion, so later postings should not simply repeat earlier postings, and
they should reflect some engagement with earlier postings.
4. Responses should be substantive.
One final note on grades: I
will post grades in Canvas, but I keep the official grades in my gradebook and
average your grades based on a four-point scale (A= 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3,
etc.). I calculate your final grades; the Canvas final grades are not official
grades. If you have any questions about your grades, don’t hesitate to ask
me.
Course Syllabus*:
Week 1: August
25-27 – Course business, an introduction to literary theory, and “Heart of
Darkness” (1899).
Week 2: September 1-3 – “Heart of
Darkness,” Chinua Achebe and Edward Said (postcolonial
theory) essays.
Week 3: September 8-10
– Discussion of Stephen Greenblatt (new
historicism) and Richard Ruppel (cognitive
literary studies) essays.
Week 4: September 15-17 – Exam Thursday.
Week 5: September 22-24 - “A White
Heron,” Sarah Orne Jewett (1886). Simone
de Beauvoir, Judith Butler (feminism).
Week 6: September 29-October 1 –Susan
Bordo (feminism) Sigmund Freud, (psychoanalytical criticism)
Week 7: October 6-8 – Jacques Lacan (psychoanalytical criticism), Timothy Morton (eco-criticism).
Week 8: October 13-15 – Exam Tuesday. “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” Herman
Melville (1853).
Week 9: October 20-22: Jacques Derrida (deconstruction), Wolfgang Iser (reader-response).
Week 10: October 27-29 – Michel
Foucault (post-structuralism)
Week 11: November 3-5 – Foucault. Begin group meetings.
Week 12: November 10-12 – Group
meetings Tuesday. Group Projects begin Thursday.
Week 13: November 17-19 – Group
Projects.
THANKSGIVING BREAK!
Week 14:
December 1-3 – Last groups. Wrap-up and preparation for final.
Week 15: Final Exam: Friday, December 11,
8-10:30am.
*We may decide to alter this schedule. I will make any
changes online and give you plenty of notice.
Thursday, August 27: Read over the
syllabus and bring questions, comments, and concerns to class. Read 1-17 in the Norton Anthology. Begin reading
“Heart of
Darkness,” Joseph Conrad
(1899).
Tuesday, September 1: Read
17-33 in the Norton Anthology.
Finish “Heart of Darkness,” and respond to the first Discussion Board
prompt.
Thursday,
September 3: Read the introduction to Chinua Achebe
and his “An Image of Africa,” 1534-46, in the Norton Anthology.
Tuesday,
September 8: Read the introduction to Edward Said
and his introduction to Orientalism, 1780-1805, and the introduction to
Stephen Greenblatt and the excerpt from “Resonance and Wonder,” 2027-40, in the
Norton.
Thursday,
September 10: Read Ruppel’s chapter on “Heart of
Darkness,” in the Modules section of Canvas.
Tuesday,
September 15: No new reading.
Thursday,
September 17: First
exam.
Useful Links
Chinua Achebe
· Brief video
tribute after his death, from Brown University.
· New York University interview with Achebe. 26 minutes.
Concerned with “An Image of Africa,” his definition of what it means to
be an African, and other matters.
Jacques Derrida
· A
defense and explanation of Derrida, arguing that he was not a nihilist who
attacked reason and truth but actually a liberating
philosopher. The video also summarizes his philosophical, linguistic
positions. 17 minutes.
· An introduction
to Derrida via the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
· Another video,
by Gavin Young, on Dissemination.
64 minutes.
· A brief,
snappy, and amusing video discussion of the meaning of differance,
which, in French, means both “difference” (in our English sense) and deferral. From the Overthink Podcast. 12.5 minutes.