ENGL 1590 - Introduction to Literature
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43934,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Dolores Sisco
Email: dvsisco@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
Course Readings: Required To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Additional Course Materials: Various short stories and essays will be posted on Blackboard weekly.
Désirée’s Baby; How to Talk to Girls at Parties; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Ethics of Living Jim Crow; A Perfect Day for Bananafish; A&P; Battle Royal
Spunk; Sweat; The Unnatural Mother; Mother to Son; Dear Mama
A Good Man Is Hard to Find; Good Country People; A Rose for Emily; Madam to You; The Passing of Grandison; Me and My Captain/We Wear the Mask
Butcher Rogaum and His Theresa; A Ghetto Wedding
The Devil and Tom Walker; Young Goodman Brown: Feathertop
The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington; The Goophered Grapevine
Poetry by Langston Hughes; Remembering the Great Depression in the Rural South 1929-c1939.
Class, Race and the Moral Center
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Reading & Class Discussion Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | The Tell-Tale Heart; The Black Cat; The Monkey's Paw | ENGL 1590 Lecture I: Why Study Literature | |
| 8/31 | Désirée’s Baby; How to Talk to Girls at Parties; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | ENGL 1590: Lecture II Understanding the Text – Plot |
Syllabus Quiz: 9/4 Discussion Forum I: Due 9/6 |
| 9/7 | The Ethics of Living Jim Crow; A Perfect Day for Bananafish; A&P; Battle Royal Writing About Literature | ENGL 1590: Lecture III: Understanding the Text – Narration & POV | Discussion Forum II: Due 9/13 |
| 9/14 | : ENGL 1590: Lecture IV A: Understanding the Text – Theme in Literature | Writing About Literature | Discussion Forum II: Due 9/13 |
| 9/21 | The Unnatural Mother; Mother to Son; Dear Mama Writing About Literature | ENGL 1590: Lecture IV B: Understanding the Text – Theme in Literature | Reading Quiz I: 9/25 |
| 9/28 | A Good Man Is Hard to Find; Good Country People; A Rose for Emily; Madam to You; The Passing of Grandison; Me and My Captain/We Wear the Mask | ENGL 1590: Lecture V: Understanding the Text – Character | Discussion Forum III Due 10/4 |
| 10/5 | Butcher Rogaum and His Theresa; A Ghetto Wedding | : ENGL 1590: Lecture VI: Understanding the Text – Setting | Reading Response II: 10/11 |
| 10/12 | The Devil and Tom Walker; Young Goodman Brown: Feathertop | : ENGL 1590: Lecture VII: Understanding the Text – Symbol, Allegory & Myth | Discussion Forum IV Due 10/18 |
| 10/19 | The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington; The Goophered Grapevine Poetry by Langston Hughes ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Character List ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview |
ENGL 1590: Lecture VII: Understanding the Text – Symbol, Allegory & Myth | Reading Quiz II: 10/23 |
| 10/26 | ENGL 1590 Remembering the Great Depression in the Rural South 1929-c1939. ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Character List ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview ENGL 1590 Class, Race and the Moral Center Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 1-11 | ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview | Discussion Forum V Due 11/1 |
| 11/2 | Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 12-20 | ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview | Discussion Forum VI Due 11/8 |
| 11/9 | Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 21-25 | ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview | Reading Response III Due 11/15 |
| 11/16 | Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 26-31 Writing About Literature | ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview | Mandatory Office Visits/in Office & Virtual |
| 11/23 | Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 26-31 Writing About Literature | ENGL 1590 Class, Race and the Moral Center | 11/23 -11/24 Mandatory Office Visits/in Office & Virtual |
| 11/30 | Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 26-31 Writing About Literature | ENGL 1590 To Kill a Mockingbird Overview ENGL 1590 Class, Race and the Moral Center | Reading Quiz III 12/1 |
| 12/7 | Writing About Literature | Final Essay Due 12/9 |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.