RYERSON UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
English 104: The Short Story
Instructor: Dr. Ruth Panofsky
Office: 1039 JOR
Office Hour: By appointment
Telephone: 416 979 5000 ext. 6150
Email: panofsky@english.ryerson.ca
Website: D2L Brightspace

Winter 2016

This is a Lower Level Liberal Studies Course

The Faculty Course Survey will be administered between: 25 March and 4 April 2016
The Examination Period is: 18 to 30 April 2016
Lecture Schedule
ENG104: Monday 4:00 to 6:00 pm (TRS 2149); Thursday 11:00 am to 12:00 pm (TRS 2119)
Calendar Description
As a relatively new genre that burst on the literary scene with the emergence of magazine
culture, the short story is a truly modern form. Its excitement has to do with concision of its
form and the startling turns its narratives can offer. This course explores the history and
conventions of the genre, examining stories from a variety of cultural contexts representing a
range of styles, themes, and social issues.
Detailed Description
This course considers the development of the short story as an artistic form in Canada and asks:
What might be distinctly Canadian about the Canadian short story? To answer this question,
our study may be organized by focusing on major themes, historical, and cultural influences,
literary movements and/or major Canadian literary figures. Students will also concentrate on
developing close reading skills. On occasion, short stories from other internationally acclaimed
authors may be considered comparatively.
Delivery Mode
3 hours lecture/discussion

Course Goal
By reading a selection of short stories and engaging in writing activities, students expand their ideas
about what it means to write as a Canadian, as well as differences between generations, eras, and
identities.
Student Learning Outcomes

Through close textual reading, students identify literary tropes and analyze the literary
significance of short prose works.
By participating in class discussion, students express and/or share their ideas about literary
texts with their peers and the professor.
Through in-class group seminar presentations, students work collaboratively to (i) articulate
an oral argument, (ii) develop that argument with substantiating ideas and illustrative textual
passages, and (iii) engage their fellow students through effective presentation skills.
By writing an in-class term examination (with its attendant time constraints), students
articulate cogent literary arguments and how to develop those arguments with substantiating
ideas and illustrative textual passages.
In the final essay, students refine their argumentative skills acquired through class
participation, in-class group seminar presentations, and an in-class term examination by
writing a comparison and contrast paper of cogent literary analysis founded on a solid thesis.

Required Texts
Available at the Ryerson Bookstore:
Required:
David Bezmozgis, Natasha and Other Stories
Margaret Laurence, A Bird in the House
Alistair MacLeod, The Lost Salt Gift of Blood
Alice Munro, The Moons of Jupiter
Sinclair Ross, The Lamp at Noon and Other Stories
Bronwen Wallace, People Youd Trust Your Life To
Recommended:
Michelle Gadpaille, The Canadian Short Story
Gerald Lynch and Angela Arnold Robbeson, eds., Dominant Impressions: Essays on the Canadian
Short Story
Reingard M. Nischik, ed., The Canadian Short Story: Interpretations
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (current ed.)
Any dictionary of literary terms
D2L Brightspace
Welcome to ENG104. For the sake of clarity, please review and follow the rules and conditions
of the course, as noted below.

Students are expected to consult the course pages on my.ryerson.ca (D2L Brightspace), at
minimum once per week, for all course communication, expectations, and on-going requirements
including, but not limited to, scheduling changes, relevant assigned readings, and other
assignments. Subject to the rules noted below, any and all addenda to the course schedule,
assigned readings, and assignments will be posted on D2L Brightspace. Students are solely
responsible for noting any and all such addenda.
Assessment
Assignment
In-class group seminar presentation (with written
submission)
In-class term examination (2 hours)
Essay (8 pages, double-spaced)

Due Date
variable

Value
25%

28 March 2016
14 April 2016

30%
35%

Participation and attendance

weekly

10%

Seminar grades will be returned weekly to student presenters.

Description of Assignments
1. In-class group seminar presentation (with written submission) Variable
a) Seminar groups will give a 10-minute oral presentation, the topic to be chosen by the student
presenters and approved by the professor TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE of the presentation.
b) If a seminar topic is not approved by the professor TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE of the
presentation date, the presentation grade will be penalized by at least 10 marks.
c) Each group will submit a typewritten copy of the presentation ON THE DAY of the seminar.
A grade for the seminar will not be given to the student presenters until the professor receives the
typewritten submission. Students may expect to receive a penalty of at least 10 marks for the
late submission of the written component of the seminar presentation. The penalty is assigned at
the discretion of the professor alone.
d) The seminar is assessed as an oral presentation; the typewritten submission is for the
professors records and will be returned to the student presenters with a comment and grade.
e) Seminar topics and essay topics MUST NOT OVERLAP and MUST NOT BE SIMILAR and
must be pre-approved by the professor, as noted herein.
2. In-class term examination 28 March 2016
A two-hour term examination will be held in class and will cover all materials studied up to and
including 24 March 2016.
3. Essay (8 pages, double spaced) 14 April 2016
a) The essay must be typewritten. Please be sure to retain a copy for your files.
b) The due date for the essay is firm. A late essay will be accepted only if you have discussed the
matter with the professor beforehand and obtained permission for the extension. Extensions will be
granted in extreme situations only. Students may be asked to furnish documentary evidence related
to reasons for the requested extension. Extensions are granted at the discretion of the professor
alone.
c) Late assignments will be deducted 5 % per day late, including weekends. Assignments that
are more than one week late will not be accepted (except in the case of special accommodation).
Special accommodation is subject to the conditions outlined herein and is given at the discretion of
the professor alone.
d) Essay topics and seminar topics MUST NOT OVERLAP and MUST NOT BE SIMILAR.
4. Participation and attendance Weekly
For all persons contracting for this course, each is expected to:
a) pre-read all texts
b) attend with and utilize all applicable texts in each and every session
c) regularly engage and participate in all discussions
Please note that your physical presence alone, without the text and without familiarity with its
content, does NOT constitute participation.

Week

Date

Topic

Jan. 18

Introduction to
Course

Jan. 21
Jan. 25

Sinclair Ross

Seminar: Introductions
Cornet at Night

Jan. 28
Feb. 1

Sinclair Ross

Seminar
The Painted Door

Feb. 4

Readings (must be completed before class on

date specified)

Seminar

Feb. 8

Margaret Laurence

The Loons

Seminar
READING WEEK NO CLASSES

Feb. 11
Feb. 15
Feb. 18
Feb. 22

Margaret Laurence

Horses of the Night

Feb. 25
Feb. 29

Alice Munro

Seminar
Connection

March 3
March 7

Alice Munro

Seminar
The Stone in the Field

March 10
March 14

Bronwen Wallace

Seminar
Back Pain; An Easy Life

March 17
March 21

Alistair MacLeod

Seminar
The Lost Salt Gift of Blood; The Boat

10

March 24
March 28

11

March 31
April 4

12

April 7
April 11
April 14

IN-CLASS
EXAMINATION

Seminar: The Lost Salt Gift of Blood

IN-CLASS EXAMINATION

David Bezmozgis

Seminar: The Boat

Tapka

David Bezmozgis

Seminar
Roman Berman, Massage Therapist
Seminar
FINAL ESSAY DUE

Course Schedule

Learning and Student Resources

Academic Integrity http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/
Academic Accommodation Support http://www.ryerson.ca/studentlearningsupport/academicaccommodation-support
Counselling (free + confidential) http://www.ryerson.ca/counselling/index.html
Financial Assistance http://www.ryerson.ca/currentstudents/financialaid/
Learning Support http://www.ryerson.ca/studentlearningsupport/index.html
Medical Centre http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/medicalcentre/
Ryerson Student Union http://www.rsuonline.ca/index.php
Student Services http://www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/
Writing Support http://www.ryerson.ca/studentlearningsupport/writing-support/index.html
Ryerson calendar and student guide http://www.ryerson.ca/currentstudents/calendars/
University Policies
Students are required to familiarize themselves with and adhere to all of the following University
policies:
1. For the student code of Academic Conduct (including policies on plagiarism), please see:
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf
2. For the student code of Non-Academic Conduct, please see:
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol61.pdf
3. Final Examinations: For general Ryerson policies regarding examinations, see:
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol135.pdf Policy 135 - Examination Policy
4. Ryerson policy on student email: Students are required to use and maintain their
Ryerson email address as their official communication with the Instructor.
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol157.pdf Policy 157 - Student email Policy
5. Academic Consideration:
Students must submit assignments on time and write all tests and exams as scheduled.
Normally, assignments submitted for grading will be handed back within approximately two
weeks, except for the final exam.
There will be no penalty for work missed for a justifiable reason. Students need to
inform the instructor of any situation that arises during the semester that may
have an adverse affect on their academic performance, and request any necessary
considerations according to the policies well in advance, if possible. Failure to do so will
jeopardize any academic appeals.

Except in cases of accommodations for disabilities, where documentation is handled directly

by Academic Accommodation Support, students must fill out an Academic Consideration
form and submit it to their own program office. BA English students should submit the
form to Wendy Francis, Program Administrator in JOR 1042. Other program students
must submit directly to their program office. For non-program students enrolled in
courses at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, please submit to
the Chang School.
You can access the form at
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/forms/academic_consideration_document_submis
sion.pdf
The following procedures must be followed for all Academic Consideration Requests:
Medical certificates In the case of illness, a Ryerson Medical Certificate, or a letter on
letterhead from a physician with the student declaration portion of the Ryerson Medical
Certificate attached, is required to be submitted to the office of the students own program
within 3 working days of the missed assignment deadline, test or examination. For nonprogram students enrolled in courses at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing
Education, the Ryerson Medical Certificate is required to be submitted to the Chang School.
(See www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the certificate.) The program office will
notify the instructor that the documents have been received. It is your responsibility to
make arrangements with your instructor for a make-up assignment/test/examination.
Retrospective medical certificates (i.e., where doctors can only state that the student reported
having symptoms at an earlier date rather than observing the symptoms) may not necessarily
be accepted by the English Department/instructor. BA English students who submit more
than three medical certificates over the course of the program are expected to meet with the
Undergraduate Program Director to discuss how best to manage ongoing/recurring medical
issues.
Religious observance Students are strongly encouraged to make requests within the
first two weeks of class. Other requests for accommodation of specific religious or spiritual
observance must be presented to your program office (or the Chang School for nonprogram students) no later than two weeks prior to the conflict in question (in the case of
final examinations within two weeks of the release of the examination schedule). To make
this request, you must submit a Request for Accommodation form
(http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf) to your program office. The
office will notify the instructor when they have received the request form.
Other requests for Academic Consideration that are not related to medical or religious
observation must be submitted in writing together with the Academic Consideration form
to your program office (or the Chang School for non-program students). The letter must
clearly state the reasons for the request and describe the events or circumstances that
seriously impair your ability to meet your academic obligations, and that were beyond your
control. When possible, supporting documentation must be attached to the letter. The
program office will notify the instructor when they have received the request. It is your
responsibility to make arrangements with your instructor for a make-up
assignment/test/examination.

Students with disabilities In order to facilitate the academic success and access of students
with disabilities, these students should register with Academic Accommodation Support
http://www.ryerson.ca/studentlearningsupport/academic-accommodation-support/. It is the
students responsibility to ensure that instructors are notified of their individual
accommodations by Academic Accommodation Support (through Clockwork)
Regrading or recalculation These requests must be made to the instructor within 10
working days of the return of the graded assignment to the class. These are not grounds
for appeal, but are matters for discussion between the student and the instructor.
Submission of the Academic Consideration form and all supporting documentation to your
program office does not relieve you of the responsibility to NOTIFY YOUR
INSTRUCTOR of the problem as soon as it arises, and to contact the instructor again after
the documents have been submitted in order to make the appropriate arrangements.
If you do not have a justifiable reason for an absence and/or have not followed the
procedure described above, you will not be given accommodation nor credit or marks
for the work missed during that absence.

For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to Senate Policy 134 at
(Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals) and Senate Policy 150 (Accommodation
of Student Religious Observance Obligations). Both can be found at
www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/.
English Department Policies
Use of Technology in Classroom:
The misuse of technology, which includes texting, web browsing, online gaming, video and
movie watching, will not be permitted in any English Department courses. If approved by
individual instructors, electronic devices may be used during lectures or seminars (tutorials)
strictly for course-related purposes note-taking, online reading, and assignments/exercises.
Refusal to comply with this policy may result in the loss of electronic privileges for the term and
the dismissal of a student from a lecture. Mobile phones and tablets must be fully turned off for
the duration of each class.
Late Policy:
The penalty for late submission is 5% per day, including weekends, up to a maximum of seven
days. Assignments submitted more than seven days after the due date will not be reviewed and
will receive a grade of zero, unless there is a documented medical reason or an extension has
been granted on the basis of documented compassionate grounds. Academic consideration for
late or missed assignments must be requested as outlined in the Senate Academic Consideration
Policy http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/policies/pol134.pdf
See online English Department Student Handbook at
http://www.ryerson.ca/english/students/current-students/resources/english-studenthandbook/index.html for other policies specific to the Department of English.

Other Course/Instructor Policies

1. Students must have LARGE, LEGIBLE name tags on their desks at all times. The
professor needs to read these identification tags from the front of the classroom.
2. Laptop computers may only be used in the front three rows of the classroom, and for
course work only. The use of computers and smart-phones for reasons other than course
work may result in the professor requesting that the student excuse her/himself from the
class.
3. Cell phones are not permitted in class. They must be out of sight and turned off.
4. Assignments must be submitted in hard copy during class time.
5. Attendance will be recorded during the second half of each three-hour class.
6. Use of D2L Brightspace is mandatory in this course.
7. The professor responds within 48 working hours to email messages sent only from
Ryerson University email accounts. Email messages will be answered between the hours
of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, Monday to Thursday.
NB: Changes to the rules and regulations noted herein may be made within the classroom setting
and may not be posted herein. Your attendance is therefore mandatory and the expectation is that
all students will follow the rules and conditions of the course as noted herein, as well as
delivered orally within the classroom setting.