FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

Nicanor Reyes St., Sampaloc, City of Manila

Institute of Education
Bachelor in Secondary Education - English
ENG 204: LITERARY CRITICISM
Second Semester, SY 2013-2014
Professor: Mr. Chester Derequito, M.A.Ed.

Prerequisites: Structure of English, Literature Courses, Language Curriculum

Credits: Three (3) units

Course Description:

This course provides academic avenues by which the major of English shall be led to
understanding the Trajectory of Literary Histories as theoretical precursors for the study of literary
theory and criticism—from author-dependent to text-dependent and to the reader-dependent theories.
Achievement of learning shall be gleaned from series of serious assessments taking the forms of
theoretical exams (objective tests on literary concepts), and practical exams such as oral defense, public
colloquium and written discourse via reflection journals, which are in-class writing activities, as well as
individual and collective in-class discussion participations. Students are expected to manifest in-depth
and clear theoretical understanding of the critical theories and all related concepts with appropriate
textuality and intertextuality with, and pigeon-holing into chosen literary texts, relevant disciplines such
as philosophy, history, sociology, religion, psychology, and other fields of intellectual endeavors. It is
assumed that students have a good working grasp of these related disciplines for textuality and
intertextuality purposes. Such theoretical understanding must enable students to come up with
publishable critical papers and/or research papers and/or theses that lucidly demonstrate their
intellectual adeptness in juxtaposing the three important concerns: (1) in-depth understanding of lenses
of literature; (2) in-depth understanding of literature contents from the prerequisite courses, and (3)
theory which must culminate in (4) literary criticism, both presented in oral and written discourse.

Emphatically, the literary papers and the public literary research colloquium are the terminal
outputs that must showcase students’ competence in literary research and interpretation of specific
texts. The course envisions that such research papers must be collectively presented in a compendium
after three-staged colloquium with the professor. Initially, the mode of instruction is highly professor-
led, however eventually; such instructional mode will graduate into highly engaging student-led
activities. Hence, initial instructional endeavors by the professor must be highly enabling through task
and competency-based mechanisms.

This syllabus sets the academic standards and direction for each student to achieve at a certain
level of criterion. To be in such criterion level, students have to accept proactively academic
responsibilities mandated by the course, with corresponding high degree of academic accountability.

Topical Divisions in Three Grading Periods

The THREE major divisions are:

PRELIM PERIOD will spotlight the Trajectory of Literary History of the Philippines

(1) Filipino Literature vis-à-vis Filipino Culture and History

(2) Filipino Literature : Perspectives from Culture, history, Politics, philosophy
(3) Literature vs. History
(4) Three Periods in the Literary History of the Philippines: Texts, Themes, Developmental
Turns
 Pre-Colonialism (Identity Undefined)
 Colonialism (identity Shaping and Defining)
 Post Colonialism (IdentityDefined)
 (5) Filipino Literature as Product of Qualitative Research
 Dialectics
 Ethnography
(6) Translating and Editing Texts: Accuracy Issue
(7) Literary “UNIQUENESS” and Literary “SURGERY – the Writer vs. the Critic: Two
VISTAS
(8) Thematic Anthology of Literary Texts by Literary Survey and Research (in Group)

MIDTERM PERIOD will highlight the General LENSES used as GUIDE to SHAPE LITERARY
INTERPRETATION

A. LITERARY THEORY: Singularity, Plurality and Multiplicity of Literary Themes

(1) Literary Concepts in Binary Opposition: Literary Theory vs. Literary Criticism, Objectivity
vs. Subjectivity of BEAUTY, Literary Themes: Singular, or Plural, or Multiple?, Textuality
vs. Intertextuality, Contextualization vs. De-contextualization
(2) Author-Dependent Theories: Pre-Critical or Traditional VISTAS for Literary Criticism
(3) Text-Dependent Theories: VISTAS from the Literary Traditions of Formalists and
Structuralists
(4) Reader-Dependent Theories: VISTAS from the Literary traditions of Post-Structuralists like
the Deconstructionsts and Phenomenlogists
(5) VISTAS from the Three Waves of Feminism, Queer Theories, Pink, Chic, Diaspora
Literature
(6) VISTAS from metamorphosing Theories: The Case of Freud’s Psychoanalysis, Jung’s
Archetypes, Sartre’s Existentialism, Marxism
(7) Grand SYNTHESIS: Literary Interpretation in UNIFIED HIERARCHY!

B. LITERARY THEORY: Significant Paradigms for TAKE-OFFs in Literary Criticism

(1) Literary THEME: Sine Qua Non of Literary Interpretation

(2) Central Ideas and Recurring Themes in Literary Texts: De-BONE(ing) and FLESH(ing)
Texts
(3) Frameworks for Thematic Extraction: Matters for guiding Literary Interpretation
(4) Critical Issues for Literary Interpretation: In a Nutshell – a Dialectical Fusion
(5) Critical Theory: Transforming Literary Principles into Processes of Literary Interpretation
(6) Literary Vistas: WHICH is the MOST Effective Lens or Underpinning for Interpretation?

FINAL PERIOD will be the PRACTICE of LITERARY RESEARCH and INTERPRETATION:

LITERARY CULMINATION

C. WRITESHOPS: Designs, Development and evaluation of Literary Research and

Interpretation

(1) Thematic Anthologizing: Final

(2) Thematic Designs
(3) Development of the WRITTEN DISCOURSE: Pigeon holing from TEXT to Literary
THEORY to literary CRITICISM
(4) Thematic Evaluation of the Written Discourse
(5) ORAL DISCOURSE: Public Literary Research Colloquium – The Ultimate CHALLENGE
(6) The LITERARY RESEARCH COMPENDIUM: Soft and Hard Copies

General Expectations for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Instructional Episodes, and Assessment
Scheme

It is assertively assumed that the Professor’s General Instructional Behaviors will result in expected
and desired learning behaviors by the students. Thus, both the professor and students must correspondingly
demonstrate expected and desired instructional behaviors.
3 Grading Periods Professor’s General and Specific Instructional Students’ General and Specific
6 Weeks Behaviors Learning Behaviors
18 Meets

PRELIM PERIOD PRELIM PERIOD

(6 Weeks) The Trajectory of Literary history of the Philippines

Professor’s Discussion on: Students’ Proactive Acceptance of:

a. Scope, Demands and Standards of the Course 1. Academic responsibilities
stipulated in the syllabus mandated by the course, with
FIRST MEETING b. Academic Footnotes corresponding high degree of
c. Format and Style for Oral and Written Reports academic accountabilities
to be Done, Defended and Approved 2. Professor’s Instructions for
d. Texts, Topics for Individual and/or Group Written and Oral Reports
Task Engagements
e. Reflection Journals
f. Academic Journey Journal 1: If Others Could, Why
Can’t I? (10 points, Today)
1. Filipino Literature vis-à-vis Filipino Culture
2ND – 5TH and History Journal 2: Filipino Identity :
MEETING 2. Filipino Literature: Perspectives from Culture, Undefined, Defining, Defined, or
(WEEK ONE – History, Politics, Philosophy, Redefined (15 points, 6th Meeting)
TWO) 3. Literature vs. History

4. Three Periods in the Literary History of the

Philippines: Texts, Themes, Developmental
Turns
 Pre-Colonialism (Identity Undefined)
 Colonialism (Identity Shaping and
Defining)
 Post-Colonialism (Identity Defined)
5. Filipino Literature as Product of Qualitative
Research
a. Dialectics
b. Ethnography
7TH – 10TH 6. Translating and Editing Texts: Accuracy Issue Journal 3: Two Vistas: Synthesis
MEETING 7. Literary “UNIQUENESS” and Literary of Difference! (15 points, 11th
(WEEK TWO – “SURGERY – the Writer vs. the Critic: Two Meeting)
THREE) VISTAS
8. Thematic Anthology of Literary Texts by
Literary Survey and Research (in Group)

INDIVIDUAL/GROUP ASSIGNING of TASKS

12TH MEETING WRITE SHOP 1: Literary Survey and Research – Thematic Anthology
(WEEK FOUR)

13TH MEETING WRITE SHOP 2: Literary Survey and Research – Finalizing, Organizing, and
(WEEK FOUR) Encoding Texts
 Compendium 1 : Thematic Anthology of Filipino Literature

FIRST ORAL DEFENSE (25 points, 16th meeting)

PRELIM EXAMINATION (35 points, 18th Meeting)

WEEK FIVE TO
SIX Summary of Scores for the Prelim Period

Journals 1-3 40 points

First Oral Defense 25 points
Prelim Exam 35 points
SUBTOTAL 100 points
MIDTERM
PERIOD MIDTERM PERIOD
General LENSES used as GUIDE to SHAPE LITERARY INTERPRETATION

1. Professor’s Discussion on:

(L1) Literary Concepts in Binary Opposition:
a. Literary Theory vs. Literary Criticism
19TH – 26TH b. Objectivity vs. Subjectivity of BEAUTY
MEETING c. Literary Themes: Singular, or Plural, or
(WEEK NINE) Multiple?
d. Textuality vs. Intertextuality
e. Contextualization vs. De-contextualization

2. Professor’s Discussion on:

(L2) Literary “UNIQUENESS” and Literary
“SURGERY – the Writer vs. the Critic: Two VISTAS
Student’s Presentation, Discussion amd Formative
Assessment on:
 Author-Dependent Theories: Pre-
Critical or Traditional VISTAS for
Literary Criticism
 Text-Dependent Theories: VISTAS
from the Literary Traditions of
Formalists and Structuralists
 Reader-Dependent Theories: VISTAS
from the Literary traditions of Post-
Structuralists like the
Deconstructionsts and
Phenomenlogists, etc.
 VISTAS from the Three Waves of
Feminism, Queer Theories, Pink, Chic,
Diaspora Literature
28Th MEETING  VISTAS from metamorphosing
(WEEK NINE) Theories: The Case of Freud’s
Psychoanalysis, Jung’s Archetypes,
Sartre’s Existentialism, Marxism
Journal 5: Students’ Grand
SYNTHESIS: Literary
Interpretation in UNIFIED
HIERARCHY!
(10 points, 27th Meeting)
 Critical Issues for
Literary Interpretation
 Critical Theory:
Downsides and
Milestones
Journal 6: Literary Interpretation:
In a nutshell – a Dialectical Fusing
(10 points, Today)
Journal 7: Before Equivocal, Now
Univocal! (10 points, Today)
 Professor’s Discussion on:
 Literary THEME: Sine Qua Non of
Literary Interpretation
29TH MEETING  Central Ideas and Recurring Themes in
(WEEK TEN) Literary Texts: De-BONE(ing) and
FLESH(ing) Texts
Journal 8: Literary Theme: Bone
and Flesh! (10 points, Today)
Journal 9: My Mental Trajectory!
(10 points, Today)

 Critical Theory: Transforming Literary Minds-on for De-boning and

Principles into Processes of Literary FLESHing of:
Interpretation

 Frameworks for Thematic Extraction: Literary Specimen 1: THE,

TH
30 METING Matters for guiding Literary BRIGHT, CENTIPEDE by Jose
(WEEK TEN) Interpretation Garcia Villa (15 points, Today)

Journal Entry 10: Literary Vistas: WHICH is the MOST Effective Lens or Underpinning
for Literary Interpretation? (10 points, Next Meeting)

Summary of Scores for the Midterm Period

Journals 4-10 70 points MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Minds-on 15 points (Minds-on)
Midterm Exam 15 points CUMULATIVE SCORES
SUBTOTAL 100 points Literary Specimen 2:
(15 points, Today)

FINAL PERIOD
FINAL PERIOD
PRACTICE of LITERARY RESEARCH and INTERPRETATION:
LITERARY CULMINATION

Professor’s Discussion of the Term Paper Frameworks:

1. The Process of Writing my Literary Paper
 Exploration of Hegelian Dialectics as Framework for idea development
 Exploration of the assigned literary text
 Selection of the appropriate critical theory
 Pigeon-holing of the literary text and critical theory vis-à-vis central theme
 Coming up with the theoretical paradigms
 Searching for related literature
 Organizing parts of the term paper
 Encoding the term paper
 Term paper proposal defense
 Incorporating comments in final form
 Second term paper in complete form
WEEK  Final submission of term for public output dissemination to all English
majors
ELEVEN  Planning for the public colloquium to all English majors – intellectual
showcasing
 2. The Parts of my Literary Paper
 My Introduction
 My Author-Dependent Interpretation
 My text-Dependent Interpretation
 My Reader-Dependent Interpretation
 My Literary Conclusion and Synthesis
 Credits

ASSIGNING OF TEXT by THEME

WRITESHOP 3: Thematic Anthology of Literary Text by Literary Survey and Research

(in Group)
(10 points, Today)

Second ORAL DEFENSE: Finalizing Anthology of Literary Texts – Thematic

Congruency! (10 points, Today)

WEEK WRITEHOP 4: Pigeon-holing of the literary text and critical theory vis-à-vis central
theme
TWELVE
Coming up with the theoretical paradigms

Third ORAL DEFENSE – Theoretical Paradigms (20 points)

WEEK
THIRTEEN NB: If theoretical paradigms are not approved, YOU CANNOT PROCEED to
WRITESHOP 2, and so on. That is the principle of PREREQUISITE. Be WARNED

WRITESHOP 5:
 My Introduction
 My Author-Dependent Interpretation
 My text-Dependent Interpretation
 My Reader-Dependent Interpretation
 My Literary Conclusion and Synthesis
 Credits
Writing and Organizing the WHOLE – Teaching and Learning (In GROUP)
 Fourth ORAL DEFENSE: (10 points Next Meeting)

Encoding by Parts and the Whole (Draft 1)

Proofreading and Editing of Format, Style, Language and Content

Encoding for Draft 2

FINAL WRITESHOP (Submission of Written OUTPUTS for Evaluation)

NB: If the whole literary paper is not approved, YOU CANNOT PROCEED to the
FINAL ORAL DEFENSE and PUBLIC COLLOQUIUM. Not only is it the principle of
PREREQUISITE that is emphasized, but also is the CRITERION of ACCEPTABILITY.
Be WARNED, again!
Fifth ORAL DEFENSE: Final SUBMISSION of LITERARY COMPENDIUM: Soft and
WEEK Hard Copies (25 points, Today)

FIFTEEN Six ORAL DEFENSE: 25 points, Today

Final EXAMINATION

ORAL DISCOURSE: Public Literary Colloquium – The Ultimate Challenge!

(50 points, Today)
WEEK
The LITERARY RESEARCH COMPENDIUM: Soft and Hard Copies
SIXTEEN (50 points, Today)

Summary of Scores for the Final Period

Write Shops and Oral Defense 100 points
Oral Discourse 50 points
Literary Research Compendium 50 points
SUBTOTAL 200/2 points

YOUR cumulative scores described and interpreted as follows

Cumulative Score Scale Equivalent Grade Qualitative Description

(Numerical)
291-300 1.00 Excellent/Outstanding
270-290 1.25 Highly Superior
250-269 1.50 Superior
229-249 1.75 Low Superior
208-228 2.00 Above Average
187-207 2.25 Average
166-186 2.50 Below Average
145-165 2.75
124-144 3.00 FAIR
123 or lower 5.00 FAILED
Important Footnotes

1. Our syllabus has spelled out all the standards for performance that must be achieved within a
certain level of acceptance. Despite suspensions, these standards must be ensured. Time has
become everybody’s enemy; therefore, everyone must be serious to reach these standards of
performance. Therefore, all must comply with the mandates enumerated in the Gantt Chart of
Instructional Activities

2. All our activities are developmental because they followed the principle of prerequisite,
recency, and primacy. Thus, never will you receive any point if prerequisite activities have not
been approved. My approval gives you the clear signal that you have to proceed to the next
activity/ies. You cannot have any point in Write Shop 2, if Write Shop 1 has not been approved.

3. All activities must be done and submitted on time because the first activity is a prerequisite of
the next. Be warned: actions have ripple effects which are subsequently very despising! To pass
the course, all activities must be accomplished within standards set. Otherwise, you will fail.

4. You may be absent. You will suffer from it anyway, for there will be no special treatment;
unless just cause is proven otherwise. Absences are not special privileges. You will lose
significant things; hence, efforts must be done to regain losses. Remember that assessment is
always meritocracy – if no points earned, it is FAILURE.

5. Instructional activities are heavily skills and tasks based, which are the only bases for your
grades. You may be very good, but that must be behaviorally manifested in the class, otherwise,
you will fail. Personal claims must always be supported by concrete evidences. Journals,
academic discussions, tests are the pieces of evidence.

6. Important dates for the implementation of the teaching and learning activities are set in place.
They must be followed, no matter what magnitude of the effects of the disturbances. You are
advised to submit course requirement on the dot as expressed in the Gantt Chart of instructional
Activities. Be warned, for hardly there is any other time for indolence and indifference.

7. In-class writing activities are done within time parameters; try to finish and submit the same on
time. On the other hand, there could be no prize for a deafening silence during oral recitations,
for they are important components of the periodical grading system. You are encouraged to
participate, but only relevant thoughts are accepted. No points are given to irrelevant thoughts –
no braggadocios and feigning that you know something, but actually nothing at all.

8. You are encouraged to work collaboratively for complementation. However, this

encouragement must not lead you overdependence on somebody else until you become a
parasite. Remember that learner autonomy is the be-all and the end-all of this course. Manifest
it, for if this would not be evident in you, there will be other semesters for you, see you then
again!

9. Academic advisements and consultations will be set in place. However, students who are gifted
are encouraged to share their expertise to others, but within acceptable bounds. Stinginess is
discouraged, for this group is envisioned to embark on an academic journey unified by the spirit
of good will and sharing.

10. Misdemeanors are subject to serious administrative procedures. Again, English students must
have imbibed desirable values from what they read. Be warned, too. Remember: “I have seen
heaven, for I have gone to hell twice!” Don’t ever dare.
11. You are reminded to be serious in your studies all the time. Aiming for a passing grade (2.75,
2.50, 2.25) is already a hard climb, hitting for excellence (1.50, 1.25 1.0) is seven hills away.
Thus, indulge into serious reading and writing – the only formula to pass a subject of this kind!
Take note: you are likewise enrolled in other courses with equal great demands. Manage your
time. Worldliness will be later.

12. Acceptance of academic responsibilities is a quantum jumpstart for the sake of your academic
journey. Many have failed, for the road towards success was not taken. Begin your journey
here, if you have not begun. Just do it. Believe in yourself, unleash the inner power in the name
of academic excellence. I will always be there along the way, TO LEAD AND STIR YOU.

13. This is Prof. Chester “Chez” Derequito.

Technical Writing SOURCE

https://study.com/academy/course/technical-writing-syllabus-resource-lesson-plans.html