JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
COURSE OUTLINE
A. GENERAL INFORMATION:
COURSE NUMBER & TITLE: 603-103-MQ section 06
LITERARY THEMES:
Being Alive: the Musical Theatre of Stephen Sondheim

DAY(S) and TIME: Mondays, 8:30-12:30

CLASSROOM NUMBER: HO-002

COURSE HOURS PER WEEK: 2 hours theoretical work, 2 hours practical work, 3 hours
homework

NUMBER OF CREDITS: 2.33

COMPETENCY AND CODE: To apply a critical approach to a literary theme (4EA2)

PREREQUISITE: 603-101-MQ

SEMESTER: Fall 2023

TEACHER’S NAME: David Bourgeois

OFFICE: P-142

CONTACT: MIO: send me a Message in Omnivox (MIO)

Email: [email protected]

AVAILABILITY TO STUDENTS: In office: Mondays and Thursdays, 8:00-8:30 and 12:30-1:30.

Other times available on Teams chat.
ALL AVAILABILITY IS BY APPOINTMENT.

B. INTRODUCTION:
Stephen Sondheim is not only the most important writer of American Musical Theatre, but he is also one
of the most important contemporary writers of any sort of theatre. Part of this is contextual. Early writers
like Rogers and Hammerstein had already merged the music hall revue, vaudeville, and opera to create
the American Musical. However, it was Sondheim who more than any other writer rejected simplistic,
stereotypical plots, characters, and themes, and began to dramatize human psychology in all its
complexity and ambiguity. This course will focus on Sondheim’s middle and late plays, with particular
emphasis on how his plays use language, staging, and music to create rich, complex characters, whose
passions, confusions, anxieties, and ambivalences are so much at the heart of human experience.
ROLE IN GENERAL EDUCATION:
“Literary Themes” is a post-entry level course in the A-Block component of English with a special
emphasis on understanding the thematic aspects of literary works.

In addition to helping students develop their reading and writing capacities, teachers in the John Abbott
English Department initiate students into the experiences of beauty, pleasure, imagination, and ethical
reflection that are inherent in an encounter with cultural and literary expressions.

C. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Language of Instruction and Literature Objectives for Literary Themes (0006):
1. Recognize the treatment of a theme within a literary text.
2. Situate a literary text within its cultural context.
3. Detect the value system inherent in a literary text.
4. Write an analysis on a literary theme.
5. Revise the work.

D. COURSE CONTENT:
The course will begin with an overview of the genre of musical theatre and its history in order to give
context to our discussions. Students will then read, watch, and listen to three plays from Sondheim’s
middle to late career: Company, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods. Discussions and evaluations will
centre on the specific rhetorical, poetic, and musical strategies Sondheim uses to develop his characters
and themes. By the end of the term, students should be able to appreciate and articulate the ways in which
Sondheim’s plays generate richness in characterization and thematic development, and recognize his use
of ambiguities (linguistic, musical, and thematic) as hallmarks of his artistic style.

E. REQUIRED TEXTS:
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, Company – approx. $20
Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd – approx. $25
Stephen Sondheim and James Lepine, Into the Woods – approx. $25
PLEASE NOTE: Viewings of these plays is NOT a substitute for the text. Students who rely only on viewings
routinely produce poor work and consequently receive poor grades.

COURSE COSTS IN ADDITION TO TEXTS:

Evaluations for this course will all take place in class. Students are therefore required to always have at
least two comfortable pens with them, as well as a notebook for note-taking. Students may also wish to
purchase a good college-level portable dictionary for use during these evaluations.

F. ADDITIONAL SOURCES:
Company (Concert version) … also here
Company (Original Broadway Cast recording) and Company (2018 London revival cast recording)
Sweeney Todd (Concert Version)
Sweeney Todd (Original Broadway Cast recording)
Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)
Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast recording)

G. TEACHING METHODS:
Methods will include lecture, class discussion, group work, multimedia, and viewings of the plays in
performance.
H. DEPARTMENTAL AND TEACHER POLICIES:
I. The College expects students to attend all class sessions. Attendance plays a critical role in their academic success and
attainment of competencies. While grades are based on the demonstration of competencies and not directly on attendance,
excessive absences may have consequences affecting the final course grade, including possible failure.
Policy No. 7 – IPESA, Institutional Policy on the Evaluation of Student Achievement
https://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Policy-No.-7-IPESA-FINAL.pdf
Students who are absent for in-class work or evaluations will receive a ZERO unless they provide
medical documentation. No exceptions.
However, for flexibility, the lowest grade in some evaluation categories will be dropped (see Evaluation
Plan below). Students who are repeatedly absent due to illness should consider requesting a medical
withdrawal through the Registrar’s Office.
II. A teacher may refuse to accept a late assignment, but if accepted, it cannot be penalized more than 10% for each day
beyond the due date.
Since all evaluations will take place in class, there will be no late assignments.

III. A teacher may forbid the use of electronic devices and other behaviour that is disruptive to the class or indicates a lack of
respect for the teacher or other students.
Use of computers, phones, and other technologies will generally be restricted. Students will be expected to
take their notes on paper during any lecture or discussion in class. Studies suggest this is better for student
learning and information retention. Common sense suggests it is better for students’ attention spans and
the overall respectfulness of the classroom environment.
IV. A teacher may offer the possibility of rewrites.
There are numerous provisions in the evaluation plan to encourage student success. Rewrites and “make-
up” assignments will therefore NOT be offered.

HONOURS PORTFOLIO:
Students who have a combined average of at least 85 for three English courses are eligible to apply for the
English Honours Portfolio. Students who have not met this 85 average but agree to take on the extra work to
improve their writing may participate in the Portfolio if they find a supervisor willing to help them reach the
requisite level of excellence. Students who fulfill the Honours Portfolio requirements will receive a certificate
and a letter of attestation from the English Department upon graduation. Speak to the teacher for more
information.

I. EVALUATION PLAN:
Evaluation: Dates and Deadlines: Weight: Course Objectives:
Reading Quizzes (3) * throughout the term 10 1, 2
Round Table Preparation (6) throughout the term
Group Brainstorming * 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
In-class Response (300 words) * 25 1, 2, 3
Round Table Participation 5
Analysis #1 (500 words) † week 6 10 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Analysis #2 (750 words) † week 10 15 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Ministerial Essay (1000 words) † week 15 30 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Total 100
*In the Quiz , Group Brainstorming and In-class Response categories the lowest grade will be dropped.
Additionally: quizzes take place at the time stated in the course schedule. Students who arrive late will not be given extra time.
Students who miss the quiz (or other in-class work) entirely will receive ZERO unless medical documentation is provided.
†Students should demonstrate appropriate revision and editing strategies as part of their writing tasks.
†The Ministerial Essay and the Analysis assignments together comprise the Final Evaluation.
J. COLLEGE POLICIES:
Policy No. 7 - IPESA, Institutional Policy on the Evaluation of Student Achievement
https://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Policy-No.-7-IPESA-FINAL.pdf

Changes to Evaluation Plan in Course Outline (Article 5.3)

Changes require documented unanimous consent from regularly attending students and approval by the
department and the Program Dean.

Religious Holidays (Articles 3.2.13 and 4.1.6)

Students who wish to miss classes in order to observe religious holidays must inform their teacher of their
intent in writing within the first two weeks of the semester.

Student Rights and Responsibilities: (Articles 3.2.18 and 3.3.6)

It is the responsibility of students to keep all assessed material returned to them and/or all digital work
submitted to the teacher in the event of a grade review. (The deadline for a Grade Review is 4 weeks after
the start of the next regular semester.)
Students have the right to receive graded evaluations, for regular day division courses, within two
weeks after the due date or exam/test date, except in extenuating circumstances. A maximum of three (3)
weeks will apply in certain circumstances (e.g. major essays). For evaluations at the end of the
semester/course, the results must be given to the student by the grade submission deadline (see current
Academic Calendar). For intensive courses (i.e. intersession, abridged courses) and AEC courses, timely
feedback must be adjusted accordingly.

Academic Procedure: Academic Integrity, Cheating and Plagiarism (Articles 9.1 and 9.2)
Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable at John Abbott College. They represent infractions against
academic integrity. Students are expected to conduct themselves accordingly and must be responsible for
all of their actions.

College Definition of Cheating:

Cheating means any dishonest or deceptive practice relative to examinations, tests, quizzes, lab
assignments, research papers or other forms of evaluation tasks. Cheating includes, but is not restricted to,
making use of or being in possession of unauthorized material or devices and/or obtaining or providing
unauthorized assistance in writing examinations, papers or any other evaluation task and submitting the
same work in more than one course without the teacher's permission. It is incumbent upon the department
through the teacher to ensure students are forewarned about unauthorized material, devices or practices
that are not permitted.

College Definition of Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It includes copying or paraphrasing (expressing the ideas of someone
else in one's own words), of another person's work or the use of another person's work or ideas without
acknowledgement of its source. Plagiarism can be from any source including books, magazines,
electronic or photographic media or another student's paper or work.
For PowerPoint on cheating and plagiarism refer to the JAC Portal:
My JAC Communities→Academic Council→Curriculum Validation Committee (CVC)→Course Outlines - Reference Documents→Academic
Integrity
For link to interactive tutorial on how to cite sources correctly:
http://citeit.ccdmd.qc.ca