English
347—Cognition & the Novel
Spring 2025
Meetings: Monday & Wednesday, 1-2:15
Smith Hall 106
Professor Richard Ruppel
Office Hours: 8:30-9:30, Mondays, Tuesdays & by appointment.
Updated March 12, 2025
Assignments
Useful Links
Canvas
Coming Events
Student-hosted
panel discussion on censorship, book bans, and their impact on libraries and
communities: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 5 PM – Zoom - Meeting ID: 988 0273 1892
Course
Description & Objectives:
Neuroscience has infiltrated all the arts and art criticism: music,
theatre, art, film, and literature. This course will introduce ways to read
through a cognitive lens: drawing our attention to consciousness and the
unconscious, narrative identity, human autonomy, the connection between emotion
and cognition, trauma and traumatic memory, neurological illness and cognitive
disabilities, and other matters related to neuroscience and the brain.
The emphasis of the course will be on literary analysis, but we will also
explore both historical and scientific components, the ways these novels
responded to the understanding of cognition in their day and how contemporary
scientists are grappling with these same issues.
This
course satisfies the Artistic Inquiry requirement of Chapman’s General
Education program: “Students compose critical or creative works that embody
or analyze conceptually an artistic form.”
The course involves significant reading and writing, both informal (on
our discussion board) and formal (essays and essay exams). Through our
reading, discussion, and writing, we will develop an understanding of how the
study of cognition can inform and enrich our reading.
Novels:
The Portrait of a Lady. (1881) Norton Critical, 3rd edition.
Dracula, Bram Stoker. (1897) Norton Critical, 1996.
The Secret Agent,
(1907) Joseph Conrad. Penguin, 2007.
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf.
(1927) Norton Critical, 2021
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner.
(1930) Norton
Critical, 2022.
Essays & Stories:
I
will make these available in the Modules section of Canvas or via links.
Course Requirements:
Attendance: Please make
every effort to attend our classes. Missing more than three sessions will
adversely affect your grade, and students who miss five or more classes will
fail the course.
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 (347), your last name, and the subject in the subject line. I
will respond promptly to your emails; please respond promptly to mine.
Essays: We will
discuss criteria for the essays, and I will provide an essay description with
suggested topics several weeks before the due dates. Both essays must
include citations to at least two, authoritative secondary sources. By
the due-date, send an electronic copy directly to my
email: ruppel@chapman.edu. If possible, send it as an MS Word
document. Other text
(“page” documents from Macs) documents will work as well. Please do NOT send me a link to a Google
doc.
Late
essays will receive reduced grades, and I will not accept papers submitted more
than a week late unless you provide a convincing explanation. To pass ENG 347, you must complete both
essays. If you are having difficulty
completing a paper or a Canvas post, let me know.
I will
accept a revision of one of your essays, but you must schedule a conference
with me to discuss that revision before you submit it, and I may require you to
meet with a Writing Center tutor before our conference. I will average
the grade of the original paper and the revision.
Grades:
Undergraduates:
Participation: 15%
Minutes: 10% (Beginning Week 2,
two students will take class notes)
**Essay 1: 20% (Due
March 19) 5-7 pages (1750-2500 words)
**Essay 2: 25% (Due May 14) 6-9 pages (2100-3150 words)
Final: 30%
**Students who do not submit both essays will fail the course.
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.
The
”Minutes” assignment requires you to take class
notes twice in the semester: one week of notes one week, another week of notes
a second week. You’ll work with a
partner, so you will take the notes and then collate them before sending them
to me. I’ll post them in the Modules
section of Canvas.
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.). In the past, there have sometimes been differences between students'
Canvas cumulative grades and their actual grades. I think I've fixed this, but
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.
English Literature
Program Learning Objectives: English 347 is one of the electives you may
take to fulfill the English literature, creative writing, or journalism
majors. 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, students will
1.
Demonstrate
insight into and awareness of the many connections between cognitive studies
and prose fiction
2.
Demonstrate
understanding of the terms and concepts associated with cognitive studies
3.
Engage
in literary critical analysis (oral and written)
4.
Find,
analyze, and use secondary sources
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.) We will discuss the proper way to incorporate sources into your
writing as you prepare the first essay. 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. If I have doubts, I will submit your
work to Turnitin myself. 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, 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.
3. If I suspect that you
have pasted in a response produced by an
LLM, I will check the various services that can detect this. If
those services confirm my suspicion, I will call you in for a conference.
4. 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 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, et
cetera)
· 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:
You may use a laptop to take class
notes only when you are one of the week’s
note-takers. Otherwise, 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 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 Outline*:
Week
1: February 3-5 – Course business, an introduction to cognitive
literary study, and “Symbols
and Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov.
Week 2: February 10-12 – Introduction continued, first chapters of
Terence Cave’s Thinking and Literature: Toward a Cognitive Criticism.
Week 3: February 17-19 – The Portrait of a Lady.
Week 4: February 24-26 – The Portrait of a Lady.
Week 5: March 3-5: Dracula.
Week 6: March 10-12 – Dracula.
Week 7: March 17-19 – The Secret Agent. [Essay
1 due March 19, 5-7 pages (1750-2500 words)]
Spring Break!
Week
8: March 31-April 2 – The Secret Agent.
Week 9: April 7-9: To the
Lighthouse.
Week 10: April 14-16– To the
Lighthouse. Paul Armstrong will Zoom in on the 14th, and we will read one or two of
his essays on cognitive literary studies beforehand.
Week 11: April 21-23 – As I Lay
Dying.
Week 12: April 28-30 – As I
Lay Dying.
Week 13: May 5-7 – Catch-up week.
Week 14: May 12-14 – Wrap-up and
preparation for final. [Essay 2 due May 14, 6-9 pages, (2100-3150
words)]
Week 15: Final Exam: Tuesday, May 20,
1:30-4pm.
*We may decide to alter this schedule. I will make any changes online and give you plenty of notice.
Monday, February 3:
Read over the syllabus and bring questions, comments, and concerns to class.
Wednesday, February 5:
Read “Symbols
and Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov. If you can’t read this on The New Yorker Web
pages, it’s in the Modules section of Canvas.
Monday, February 10: Read the first
chapter (1-11) of Terence Cave’s Thinking with Literature: Toward a
Cognitive Criticism. (Chapter 1 is in the first pdf., Chapter 2 is in the
first and second pdf.).
Wednesday, February 12: Read the second
chapter (12-31) of Terence Cave’s Thinking with Literature: Toward a
Cognitive Criticism. Respond to the
Discussion Board question by 10am Wednesday, February 12th. Begin reading The Portrait of a Lady.
Monday, February 17: Continue reading The
Portrait of a Lady. See if you can
have the first volume read – through 208. Respond to the prompt on our
Discussion board in Canvas asking for your initial thoughts about the
novel. How is it interesting from a
cognitive studies perspective? (This isn’t due until the 19th.)
Wednesday, February 19: Continue The
Portrait of a Lady, and respond to the Discussion Board question by 10am
Wednesday, February 19.
Monday, February 24: Finish The
Portrait of a Lady. Give yourself a
day or two and then begin Dracula, though be sure not to read past
midnight.
Wednesday, February 26: Keep reading Dracula. I’ll
introduce the novel Wednesday.
Monday, March 3: Have the first 15 chapters of Dracula read by
Monday, March 3.
Wednesday, March 5: Keep reading Dracula. Respond to the prompt in the Discussion
section of Canvas by 10am March 5.
Monday, March 10: Continued discussion of Dracula.
Wednesday, March 12: Be sure to have finished Dracula. Begin The Secret Agent.
March 17: St. Patrick’s
Day! Read the first three (confusing) chapters of The
Secret Agent. Bring questions to
class. We will have a draft workshop the first half hour or so. Bring a hard copy of your draft to class, one
that can be marked up by your editor. Your
editor will answer the following questions about your draft:
March 19:
Have the first six chapters of The Secret Agent read. Bring more questions. Finish the novel over the break. Send your first essay to me, directly to my
email: ruppel@chapman.edu, as an
attachment.
March 31:
Finish The Secret Agent. Respond to
the Discussion questions in Canvas by 10am March 31.
Scientific
· Theory
of Mind: Alvin Goldman’s extended
discussion from the Oxford Handbook
of Philosophy and Cognitive Science (2012).
· Theory
of Mind as a developmental stage. Brief
video.
· Lisa Zunshine, the most well-known literary researcher on theory
of mind. A full
description of the concept.
· Embodied
Cognition: From Scientific
American.
· William
James on the concept of embodied cognition.
“James’s
Mystical Body in the Light of the Transmarginal Field
of Consciousness,” by Michel Weber.
· Anil
Seth, “How
Does Your Brain Construct Your Conscious Reality?” (17 minute TED). This is mind-blowing.
Literary
· The Victorian Web: A rich
collection of pages devoted to all things Victorian, sponsored by Brown
University.
Henry James
·
Gutenberg
The Portrait of a Lady. Volume 1. Volume 2.
· Brilliant introduction to The
Portrait of a Lady in a New
Yorker review of Michael Gorra’s
The Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American
Masterpiece (2012).
Bram Stoker
·
Project Gutenberg, online version.
·
1931 Dracula adaptation, probably the
best. Trailer. The 1992, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Entire (and entirely
over-the-top) version. 1992
trailer. NBC’s
series, 2013. What We Do in the Shadows,
trailer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. IMDb list of film adaptations.
2024 Nosferatu trailer.
·
How
did Dracula become the world’s most famous vampire? By Stanley Stepanic,
at the University of Virginia.
·
Dracula,
the First Modern Vampire. By Emily
Zarka, at Arizona State University.
Joseph
Conrad
· Gutenberg The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale.
·
Article
in Slate about references to The
Secret Agent after the World Trade Center bombings.
· Trailer from
the 1996 film.
· The
Death of Marat, Jacques Louis David.
· “The
‘Born Criminal’? Lombroso and the Origins of Criminal Psychology.” Diana
Bretherick. An introduction to Lombroso.
· Video: A quick defense of Lombroso
(alluding to his theory of left-handedness and crime). By Nat Robertson at Emory University.
· The
Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, modeled himself after the Professor in The Secret
Agent. A Washington
Post analysis. A Brigham
Young University graduate student first saw the connection with The
Secret Agent before Kacyznski was
identified.
Virginia Woolf
·
To the Lighthouse,
online via Gutenburg.
William Faulkner
·
As
I Lay Dying. From The Internet
Archive.
·
C-SPAN’s Famous
Writers Series, on Faulkner. Two
hours total.
Just for
Fun
