ENGLISH 367:00

THE CANADIAN SHORT STORY TO 1969

 Instructor: Afra Kavanagh

Office: CC 257

Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. ; Tues. & Thurs.: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

 Course Description: English 367 traces the development of the short story form in Canada during the first seven decades of the twentieth century. Besides covering a broad reading list of stories, the course will attempt a (re)definition of the short story, and a (re)consideration of the elements of the genre and of the major “Canadian” thematic concerns—as identified by Fry, Atwood, Moss and more recent critics—such as a sense of place or isolation and fear of the natural elements. 

Course Evaluation: Students will be required to write two major papers (value 25% each) between 1800 (plus or minus 100) words in length which will address topics generated by class discussion and containing a critical component. They will also write an in-class essay at mid-term (value 10%). The remaining 10% is for class participation and for reading tests designed to encourage students to complete all reading assignments. There will also be a final exam worth 30% of the term mark.  

Texts required: (available at the CBU bookstore)

Robert Weaver, ed. Canadian Short Stories. Oxford UP, Copyright 1960, reissued with new Introduction in 2008.  

Fall Term Schedule: Students are asked to read the stories before class and to be ready for discussion. 

September 13              Welcome and Introduction to the course and to the short story in Canada; introductions by Toye and Weaver, pp. ix-xvii

Sept. 15                       E. W. Thomson’s “The Privilege of the Limits,” p.1 &  “Old Man Savarin”

Sep. 20                        C.G.D. Roberts, “Strayed” p. 10 & “The Young Ravens that Call upon Him” (handout); Catherine Parr Traill, “The Old Doctor,” a sketch (handout)

Sep. 22                        Ernest Seton Thompson, “Lobo, or the King of Carrumpaw” (Handout)

Sep. 27                        Duncan Campbell Scott, “Paul Farlotte,” p. 15, & “The Worker in Sandalwood” by Marjorie Pickthall (Handout)

Sep. 29                        Thomas H. Raddall, “Blind MacNair,” p.137 & “The Wedding Gift,” (Handout)

October 4                    Raymond Knister, “The Mist-Green Oats,” p. 111 & “the Strawstack,” (Handout)

October 6, First essay due (value 25%); Frederick Philip Grove, “Snow,” p. 51 & “Lazybones” (handout)  

October 11                 Thanksgiving, no classes

October 13                  Morley Callaghan, “Last Spring They Came Over,” p. 155 & “A Sick Call,” p. 166

October 18                  Sinclair Ross, “The Painted Door,” p. 188 & Sinclair Ross, “A Field of Wheat,” p. 97

October 20                  Hugh Garner, “One, Two, Three little Indians” p. 267;

Robertson Davies, “Louisa’s Last at Home” (Handout)                   

October 25                 In-class essay (value 10%)

October 27                  Ethel Wilson, “Mrs. Golightly and the First Convention,” p. 64 &

                                    “We Have to Sit Opposite,” (handout)

November 1                Joyce Marshall, “The Old Woman” p. 281 & Edward McCourt, “Dance for the Devil” (Handout)

November 3                W. O. Mitchell, “The Owl and the Bens,” p. 297

November 8                Alden Nowlan, “The Fall of a City” (Handout); Hugh Hood, “Getting to Williamstown” (Handout);

November 10, 2nd essay due (value 25%): Students will have received a handout describing the nature of the assignment. The essay should deal with more than one story, or more than one author.

For discussion, Mavis Gallant, “The Legacy,” p. 348           

November 15              Mavis Gallant, “The Ice Wagon Going Down the Street” (handout)           

November 17              Alice Munro, “The Time of Death,” p.395 & “Thanks for the Ride” (handout)

November 22              Margaret Laurence, “The Drummer of All the World” & “The Loons” (handouts)

November 24              Audrey Thomas, “The Man with Clam Eyes” (handout); Marian Engel, “What do Lovers Do?” (handout)

November 29              Mordecai Richler, “Benny, the War in Europe, and Myerson’s daughter, Bella,” p. 408 & Mordecai Richler, “Some Grist for Mervyn’s Mill” (handout)                      

December 1                 Ray Smith, “Cape Breton Is the Thought Control Centre of the World” (Handout)

December 3                Last day of classes, review____________________________

NOTE:

The Following article and books have been placed on 3- hour reserve for your use:

-Michelle Gadpaille. The Canadian Short Story. Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press, 1988. 

-Hermanson, Casie. “Canadian in the End?” University of Toronto Quarterly 68.4(Fall 99).

-Carl F. Klink, General editor. Literary History of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1965.*

-John Metcalf and J.R. (Tim) Struthers, eds. How Stories Mean. Erin, Ont.: Porcupine's Quill, c1993.

-W.H. New. Dreams of Speech and Violence: the Art of the Short Story in Canada and New Zealand. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c1987.

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