Dr. David W. Newton
Office: TLC 2222
836-6512 (please leave a message with the secretary if I am not in)
Office Hours: TR 1:00 – 2:00 pm; TR 4:30 – 5:00 pm
dnewton@westga.edu
http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton

UWG Undergraduate Catalog:  An examination of representative American literary works from the nineteenth century through the Civil War. Prerequisites: ENGL 1101 and 1102.

Description:  From a critical perspective, American Romanticism includes a wide range of literature, music, art, architecture, philosophical ideas, religious beliefs, and social movements that emerge during the earliest decades of the new republic and continue into the contemporary era.  In this course, we will focus on American Romanticism during the first half of the nineteenth century.  Beginning with Ralph Waldo Emerson and the American Renaissance, we will explore the historical sources and philosophical ideas that contributed to the emergence of Romanticism—and the Transcendentalist movement in particular—in America.  Further, we will trace how Romanticism influenced the development of new literary forms and perspectives in America, particularly in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Edgar Allan Poe.  Finally, we will examine how romantic ideas about the nature of the individual and society influenced a variety of popular literary genres in America--such as the historical romance and the sentimental novel--and how it contributed to the formation and development of a variety social movements like abolitionism and women's struggle for equality.  Focusing on works by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Wilson, we will explore how literary texts shaped the direction of literary and social/political discourse in America during the nineteenth century. Reading assignments will alternate between shorter works (essays, stories and poems) and longer novels to afford students the time needed to complete reading assignments for class over the accelerated summer session.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to demonstrate a broad understanding of selected texts from America during the first half of the nineteenth century.
2.  Students will show comprehension of theoretical and critical foundations for the interpretation of literature from America during the first half of the nineteenth century.
3.  Students will reveal in both oral and written work a discipline-specific critical facility through convincing and well-supported analysis of course-related material.
4.  Students will become familiar with a range of literary works representing different genres from America during the first half of the nineteenth century, understanding how these works are related to each other and to the historical literary traditions of European and world literature.
5.  Students will understand how social, political, economic, and historical conditions influence the production of literary works from America during the first half of the nineteenth century.
6.  Students will display their command of academic English and of the tenets of sound composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose, including at least eight pages of research-based writing.

Relationship of Course to Program Goals

1. This course fulfills one of the departmental requirements in literary history for the completion of the English major.
2. This course will contribute to the larger goal of equipping students with a foundation in literary history and the issues surrounding literary study in contemporary culture.
3. In this course students will develop the analytical, oral, and written skills needed to pursue graduate study or careers in teaching, writing, business, and a variety of other fields.
4. In this course students will be able to define and pursue independent research agendas.
5. This course seeks to broaden students' desire and ability to take pleasure in their encounter with literature.

Required Texts (Note: Students should purchase these specific editions).

Ralph Waldo Emerson. Selected Essays are available electronically from the University of Virginia’s E-Book Library at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/Elist.html. Links to specific essays are listed on the Readings and Assignments (below).

Henry David Thoreau. Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Dover, 1995.

Nathaniel Hawthorne. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. Dover, 1992.

Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Elizabeth Ammons, Ed. Norton Critical Edition, 1994.

Harriet Wilson. Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Ed. Vintage Books, 1983.

Edgar Allan Poe. Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Edward Davidson, Ed. Houghton Mifflin Riverside Edition, 1956.

Herman Melville. Moby-Dick. Parker and Hayford, Eds. Norton Critical Edition, 2002.

Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass and Selected Prose. Lawrence Buell, Ed. Modern Library College Edition. McGraw-Hill, 1988.

Emily Dickinson. Selected Poems. Dover, 1990.

Additional materials will be placed on the course website or on reserve in the library.

Course Evaluation

10%  Class Participation (including brief oral presentations and written reports)
15% Daily Reading Quizzes
25%  Midterm Examination
25%  Final Examination
25%  Final Research Paper (10 pages minimum)

Grading Scale

Students will be assigned a letter grade for each assignment ranging from A+ to F based on the following numerical scale. The numerical grade will be used when calculating the final average at the end of the semester.
 

97-100 = A+	87-89 = B+	77-79 = C+	67-69 = D+	below 60 = F
94-96   = A	84-86 = B	74- 76 = C	64-66 = D
90-93   = A-	80-83 = B-	70- 73 = C-	60-63 = D-

Attendance Requirements
Improving your critical thinking and presentation skills requires commitment and concentrated effort. Therefore, careful preparation and active participation are crucial to your success in this course. I expect you to be present and on time for all class meetings. Readings and other assignments should be completed in advance of each class. You should come prepared to participate actively in our class discussions. If you are going to be absent from class, you should let me know, preferably in advance. Late work will not be accepted unless you make arrangements with me in advance and you have a legitimate reason (a serious medical or family emergency) for turning in work after it is due. In the case of excused absences, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to complete assignments you have missed immediately upon your return to class. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in a zero or grade reduction for work not submitted on time. You will not be able to make up missed in-class assignments or quizzes, and you will not receive credit for these assignments.

 If you find it unavoidable to miss class, be aware of the following guidelines:

a) Two absences are allowed during the course. Every absence thereafter will result in a one-third letter grade reduction of your final grade in the course, regardless of the nature of the absence. No distinctions will be made between excused and unexcused absences.
b) Roll will be taken during every class period at the beginning of class. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to let us know so you are not counted absent.
c) It is your responsibility to keep up with your absences and tardies.
d) You should use your allotted absences wisely. Unplanned or unexpected occurrences are likely, so be prepared to use absences for these events only.
e) Entering class late and leaving class before it is over is distracting for me and others taking the course and will count as an unexcused absence, unless you have a legitimate excuse for doing so.

NOTE: Excessive absences or tardiness from class may result in your administrative withdrawal from this course with a grade of F.

NOTE: Please turn off all cell phones and pagers before entering class.

Homework Assignments, Presentations and Classroom Activities
Throughout the course, you will be expected to complete outside reading and homework assignments, written and oral classroom presentations, and other classroom activities. These assignments are designed to reinforce the information presented in reading assignments and lectures. Some of these assignments will be collaborative (group work). Others will give you an opportunity to present information to the class for consideration and discussion. In-class and out-of-class writing assignments are designed to assist you with your reading and to help you generate ideas for your critical essays. You should keep these assignments in a loose-leaf notebook (or folder). You will not be able to make up assignments that are missed due to unexcused absences. Throughout the course you also will be assigned individual and group reports to be presented to the entire class. These presentations will focus on the reading assignments or topics we are discussing in class. Presentations will be assessed on the basis on organization, clarity, and presentation style. I will provide you with instructions for these assignments as the course progresses.

Quizzes
A short quiz (4-5 questions) will be given at the start of every class. It will cover the reading assignments for that day. The questions will be objective (identification of characters, significant events, etc.) and will assess reading comprehension. I will drop one quiz grade from the final average. Students who arrive late to class or who miss class will not be able to make up quizzes they miss.

Midterm and Final Examinations
Examinations will be based on readings assignments, course lectures, and other materials presented in class. For each examination students will be expected to know the major terms and figures, concepts and theories related to the study of the literature that will be presented in reading assignments and course lectures. Consequently, students should be thoroughly familiar with each reading assignment and be prepared to take notes during class. Examinations cannot be taken late or scheduled at an alternate time unless you have a serious medical emergency or another legitimate reason for doing so. In the event that such circumstances arise, you must let me know in advance to schedule an alternate time to take the examination. Otherwise, late exams will be marked down one letter grade for each day they are taken late. I will provide you with a brief study guide prior to each exam.

Final Research Paper
The final research paper (a minimum of 10 pages of type-written research-based analysis) will represent the culmination of your study in this course. Your paper can focus on any aspect of the literature we have studied in this course, pending my final approval.  I will provide you with more specific details about the requirements for the paper in the weeks ahead. The paper is due on the date listed in the syllabus.  Papers turned in late will be marked down one letter grade for each day they are late. I will be glad to meet with you outside of class to discuss specific research topics. The project is a formal academic assignment and will be assessed on the basis of structure, content, grammar, writing style, proper paper format, and documentation of sources.

Technology
You need to be familiar with finding sources online and other aspects of computer technology for this class. I will assist you if you have questions. Also, information can be found online at the UWG Technology / Surfing Guide:

http://www.westga.edu/~techlife/

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty
 UWG defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. I expect that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course.  Any student caught submitting materials (in part or whole) as their own work from online websites will fail the course automatically and be referred to the Academic Discipline Council.

For additional information, please see http://www.westga.edu/~engdept/Plagiarism/index.html

Conferences and Outside Assistance
I will be glad to meet with you outside of class to discuss your work in this class, the writing assignments or the texts we are studying. If you are having trouble with the material in this class or have questions and/or concerns you would like to discuss, please set up a time a meet with me. You can also schedule an appointment with the university writing center (located on the first floor of the TLC).

NOTE: Please make a xerox copy of all written work you turn in to me, in case it is misplaced or lost. Save your work on a computer disk! I will not give you credit for work you claim to turn in but that I do not have in my possession.

Readings and Assignments

NOTE: The last day to withdraw with a grade of W is July 2, 2003. Withdrawal prior to this date must be completed through the Registrar. After that date you must apply for a hardship withdrawal from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and withdraw from all of your courses.

NOTE: Readings and assignments are due on the day they are listed in the syllabus.  Changes or additions to the readings will likely occur throughout the course.  I will announce these in class and post them on the course homepage (http://www.westga.edu/~dnewton/engl4140).

NOTE: Each class will consist of two 70 minute sessions with a 10 minute break in between.