Eng 2132
Spring 2009
American
Literature II
Instructor: Dr. Robert Vaughan Office Hours: by appointment
“This process…by
which the intellect, instead of being formed or sacrificed to some particular
or accidental purpose, some specific trade of profession, or study of science,
is disciplined for its own sake, for the perception of its own object, and for
its own highest culture, is called liberal education.”
-John Henry
Cardinal Newman
The Idea of a University
Course Description and Objectives:
This course is a study of American literature, from the post Civil War
fiction of Mark Twain to the modern
era. Our approach will basically be two-pronged:
first, to recognize the unique voices that have influenced American literature:
men and women of various racial and
ethnic backgrounds; and second, to examine how these voices have combined, not
always smoothly, to produce themes and concerns that are distinctly
American. As you read, look for
attitudes and opinions that are similar to or at least have some relation to
your own. At the same time, however, be
open to the voices which are different and unfamiliar, which combine to make
the American heritage one of rich diversity.
Catalog Course
Description:
A
survey of American Literature from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.
Text:
Baym, et al., The Norton Anthology of American Literature,
2nd ed., Vols. C-E. 2007.
Entry Level
Standards:
Students must
be able to plan and write analytical essays and research papers about
literature; students must demonstrate proficiency in standard
English grammar, spelling, and mechanics and in source documentation; in
addition, students should be familiar with basic literary terminology and
genres.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1101
Course Requirements:
First and foremost, you are expected to read the assigned selections, including introductory material. The class will be based on discussion as well
as lecture, and your participation is essential. The way to truly understand and appreciate
literature is to participate in a free exchange of ideas, clarifying your own
viewpoints while learning about those of your classmates.
There will be three tests
during the semester (two unit tests and one final exam); see approximate times
below. The exams will consist of both
objective and essay questions.
Occasionally, you will write short critical papers and work on group
presentations in class.
Attendance Policy: Attendance,
promptness, and participation are essential to success in college courses. To allow for
possible emergencies, students may miss two class meetings without
penalty. Students whose cumulative absences, regardless of the reason,
total more than three class meetings will be penalized for each additional
absence by reduction of their final grade according to the following formula: -
5% for each missed class meeting.
In addition: If you arrive late, it is your
responsibility to make sure I have not marked you absent. Absence marks
in my roll book will not be removed after the date they are recorded. If
you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be counted absent.
Cell Phones: If your cell
phone rings in class and is quickly silenced, I’m not going to embarrass you or
try to make an example of you (it’s happened to me a number of times). On the other hand, using your cell phone
during class either to talk or send text messages is rude and completely
unacceptable.
What is more, if you are found using your cell phone
during a test or exam, whatever the reason, you will receive a grade of zero.
Reading Quizzes: These will be frequent (you’ll probably have one
every week). You may not make up a quiz administered while you were absent,
whatever the reason for the absence. I will, however, drop your lowest
three quiz grades at the end of the semester.
This is a literature course, and those who do
not read will not pass. Whatever your final average, if your reading quiz average is not passing, you will fail the
class.
Grading: 2 Unit Exams 20%
1
Final Exam (Comprehensive) 25%
3
papers 30%
A: 91-100
B+:
87-90
B: 81-86
C+:
77-80
C: 70-76
D: 60-69
Assignments: (subject to change with notice;
specific reading assignments in the longer pieces will be made in advance)
Date
1/15 Course introduction
Unit One
Volume C
1/22 Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Ch. 1-43
1/29 Realism: W. D. Howells: "Editha," http://www.geocities.com/short_stories_page/howellseditha.html; Henry James: "The Beast in the Jungle," 447; Edith Wharton: "Roman Fever," 843
2/5 Kate Chopin, “The Storm,” 531; Stephen Crane: "The Open Boat," 1000; Jack London: "To Build a Fire," 1057; Introduction to Poetry
2/12 Stephen Crane: all poetry in book,
plus the following poems from this website:
http://www.linguatech.com/scrane/index.htm
“In the Desert,” “I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon,” “God Lay Dead in Heaven,” “A God in Wrath,” “A Man Saw a Ball of Gold,” “The Wayfarer,” “The Trees in the Garden Rained Flowers,” “Supposing That I Should Have the Courage,”
And from this website: http://www.geocities.com/mahtezcatpoc/cranepoem5.html
“A
Man Adrift on a Slim Spar”
Volume D
Edwin
2/19 TEST ONE (Test will be administered during the first half of 9/25 class. Please note additional 9/25 assignment under “Unit Two”)
Unit Two
2/19 T.S. Eliot: The Waste Land, 1587; You may also want to try reading it here: http://world.std.com/~raparker/exploring/thewasteland/table/explore6.html
and here: http://eliotswasteland.tripod.com/
2/26 Eliot, The Waste Land, continued
3/5 Eliot, The Waste Land, continued
3/19 F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Babylon Revisited," 1839 ; Ernest Hemingway: "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" http://plato.acadiau.ca/courses/engl/lawson/99w/cwlp.htm; Ernest Hemingway: "Big Two-Hearted River"
3/26 EXAM TWO (Test will be administered during the first half of 10/23 class. Please note additional 10/23 assignment under “Unit Three”)
Unit Three
3/26 William Faulkner: "Barn Burning," 1955; "That Evening Sun," 1126
4/2 John Crowe Ransom: "Bells for John Whitesides' Daughter," "Piazza Piece,” and "The Equilibrists," found on this website: http://www.poemhunter.com/john-crowe-ransom/
“Here Lies a Lady,” found in its entirety about halfway through the essay at this site: http://www.dallasinstitute.org/Programs/Spring%202004/talks/lcowanpoetryandtherapy.htm
“Janet
Waking” http://www.nascitur.com/poems/janet.html,
“Blue Girls”
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/ransom.blue.html;
Allen Tate, “Ode to the Confederate Dead,” http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15303
4/9 Ransom and Tate, continued; Robert Frost: "The Wood-Pile," "Design," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "Desert Places,” “After Apple-Picking”; Robert Frost: "Mending Wall," "The Oven Bird," "Birches";
4/16 Frost continued; William Carlos Williams: “Danse Russe,” http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88v/wcw-danse-russe.html, "The Red Wheel Barrow," "This is Just to Say," "Portrait of a Lady," "Spring and All"
4/23 Wallace Stevens: "Sunday Morning," "Peter Quince at the Clavier," "The Snow Man,"; E.E. Cummings: "in Just," "My Sweet Old Etcetera," “Buffalo Bill’s,” “the Cambridge Ladies,” "Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town," “somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond,”
Volume E
4/30 Flannery O'Connor: “Good Country People,” "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~surette/goodman.html; Joyce Carol Oates: "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" http://dibache.com/text.asp? cat=51&id=995
5/7 FINAL EXAM