20th Century American Lit (ENGL 4/5160-01W): MW 2:00–3:15 pm , Humanities 208
“Modern American Fiction in Black and White”
Note: Registered students not attending the first class and not contacting Dr. Masters prior to the second class will be administratively withdrawn.
Dr. Joshua Masters, TLC 2244
Phone and Email: 678-839-4862 jmasters@westga.edu and mastersjosh@yahoo.com
Office Hours: Mon 10-1, Tues 1-4, Wed 10-1, Thurs 1-2, and by appointment.
Course Description
This course, subtitled “Modern American Fiction in Black and White,” will explore the myths, themes, and political controversies that have shaped the development of modern American fiction and film, with a particular eye towards the troubled status of racial identity in the American imagination. As we survey such literary movements as Realism, Modernism, and Post-modernism, we will pay attention to the way that new literary forms and movements responded to dramatic social and historical events and shifting cultural attitudes about race, particularly our attitudes towards the categories of “whiteness” and “blackness.” We will also consider the role of American fiction, including film, in shaping those attitudes. The works we will read demonstrate a wide a range of perspectives and narrative techniques, and each suggests new ways to imagine the status of the individual, the boundaries of nationhood, and the meaning of such categories as race, ethnicity, class, and gender in America. While examining the works’ shared interests in history, identity, and human agency, we will also bear in mind the unique nature of the individual writers and their texts.
Required Texts (in order of appearance): Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson, James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Flannery O’Connor’s The Complete Stories, Charles Johnson’s Middle Passage, Scott Bradfield’s The History of Luminous Motion, and Toni Morrison’s Love. Several critical readings will be on electronic reserve, and three films will be on reserve at the library: Birth of a Nation, Imitation of Life, and Killer of Sheep.
Requirements
Students must maintain a reading-quiz average of 65% or higher and miss no more than four classes in order to pass the class. Other requirements include a series of short responses and process-based writing assignments, a five-page paper, a mid-term exam, and a ten-page final project. Students in this class must complete the day’s reading assignment in advance and come to class prepared to participate in discussion. If you cannot keep up with the reading, you will fail the class.
Explanation of Course Requirements
Final Grade: To pass the course, students must turn in all assigned written work, have no more than four absences, and earn a passing quiz grade. If you average less than 65% on quizzes, you will not pass the course. Your final grade is comprised of the following: Final Paper (35%); Quizzes (20%); Process-Based Writing Assignments (15%); Midterm essay (15%); Midterm Exam (15%).
Essays: Your basic task for each paper is to produce a well-written, coherent essay whose central argument is both interesting and significant. Your essays will be thesis-driven, argumentative papers, and your grade will be determined by the complexity of your central argument, the structure of your paragraphs, the logic of your organization, and the strength of your prose (i.e. your writing). Your papers, especially your final research project, will also be evaluated in terms of their use of secondary sources and the originality of your scholarship. Emailed papers will not be accepted; you must turn in a hard copy of the paper, along with all process-based writing assignments, in a two pocket folder.
Late Essays: I will accept late essays, but always with a penalty. A paper will be considered one day late if I do not receive it at the beginning of (or before) class. For each weekday that a paper is late, 1/3 of a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade. For instance, if the paper is due on Tuesday and you turn it in before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, you will lose 1/3 of a grade (i.e. a C+ becomes a C). If you turn it in on Thursday, 2/3 of a grade is deducted (a C+ becomes a C-). Although I do not accept emailed papers, a student who needs to establish a date and time of completion can send an attachment. However, the student, not the teacher, is responsible for any computer or internet problems.
Reading Assignments: Consult the online syllabus for the schedule of reading assignments, which can be found on Dr. Masters’ website (http://www.westga.edu/~jmasters/). All reading will be due on Monday, and you can expect to read about 100-150 pages each week. All quizzes are open note (but not open book), so you should always assemble some reading notes once you’ve completed the assignment—names of characters, important events, central ideas, etc. (Slight changes and modifications are always a part of the semester, so plan to consult the online syllabus regularly. All changes will be announced in class.)
Quizzes: At the beginning of each Monday class, you will take a comprehensive, fact-based quiz on the week’s reading assignment. If you arrive late, you will not be allowed to take the quiz, and you must wait outside until the quiz is completed. If you are absent for whatever reason, you will not be allowed to retake a quiz. Under no circumstances will I give make-up quizzes. However, each student can arrange to take one quiz in advance. If at any time during the semester it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to earn a passing quiz score (at least a 65%), he or she will be told to stop coming to class. This policy is absolutely and utterly inflexible. Each quiz is worth 10 points, and at the end of the semester, assuming that you've earned the required 65%, I will then drop your lowest quiz score when determining your quiz average and quiz grade. All quizzes are open note (but not open book), and you are encouraged to bring notes based on the reading to class.
Process-Based Writing Assignments: At the beginning of each week, I will post Wednesday’s writing assignment at the bottom of the online syllabus. All writing in this class submitted for credit must be typed. Your papers for this class will be written over a period of weeks rather than in one, long sleepless night. Expect Wednesday assignments to be fairly involved affairs that take you through the process of writing a thesis-driven, critical essay. These assignments will be graded on a ten, twenty, or thirty-point scale (depending on how involved they are), and the grade will be based on their level of completeness and the degree to which they follow my directions. Late assignments will penalized three points for each weekday that they are late.
Discussion and Preparation: Students are expected to attend every class and arrive on time, prepared, and eager to discuss the day’s reading. Your participation grade is based upon your performance in the class in terms of group work, discussion, and attendance habits. You are expected to demonstrate genuine engagement with the material, actively contribute to discussion topics, show adequate preparation for each class, and respect the ideas of your classmates. You must bring the text under discussion to every class, including a print-out of any reserve reading.
Cellphones and Sleeping: Don’t ever, ever fall asleep in this class, and I never want to see a cellphone. As soon as you see me, get the thing out of sight. If you fall asleep or use your cellphone in class (such as text-messaging and/or message checking), you will be asked to leave class and considered absent for that day.
Email: All official email correspondence must take place through UWG accounts; however, I will also be establishing a class list using your preferred email address for other forms of communication. Your emails should be proofread and written in full sentences.
Tardiness and Leaving Early: If you arrive at class late or have to leave early, it counts as ½ of an absence. On Mondays, after quizzes are collected, the doors will be opened and late arrivals will be allowed to find a seat. If you are more than three minutes late, you will be marked as tardy.
Absences: I understand that illnesses and emergencies are a part of life, and therefore you are allowed to miss four classes. However, there are consequences for missing more than one class, such as missing quizzes or having assignments counted as late. (Note: Wednesday writing assignments can be sent to me in advance to avoid a late penalty, and I will allow each student to take one quiz early, but remember, no make-ups.) I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences unless the absence is due to participation in an official University activity (such as band, sports, debate, etc.). Students will be administratively withdrawn from class based on the following attendance policy. Once a student exceeds four absences—even if that occurs at the end of the semester—the student will be withdrawn. If the withdrawal occurs prior to the withdrawal date (Oct. 6), the student will receive a grade of W. If the withdrawal occurs after the withdrawal date, the student will receive a grade of WF.
* If you add the class after the first day of class, you will not be counted as absent. However, you are responsible for contacting me and being prepared for the next class.
My Plagiarism Policy: If a student is caught plagiarizing (and this includes short writing assignments) or cheating on a quiz, he or she will automatically fail the course. No exceptions. Also, I consider Cliffnotes, Sparknotes, and other similar “resources” out of bounds. You must complete the reading on your own and do your own thinking in the class. Quizzes will be designed in such a way that these “sources” will be of no use to you.
Departmental Plagiarism Policy: The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects 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.
Reporting Procedures for Plagiarism:
Each incidence of plagiarism is subject to review and consideration by the
instructor, and is subject to a range of penalties including but not limited to
failing the assignment, failing the course, and referral to the
disciplinary review board (which may ultimately result in the expulsion,
suspension, or disciplinary removal of the student from the university). In
order to facilitate the prevention and detection of plagiarism the Department of
English and the University of West Georgia will maintain records of plagiarized
assignments and those who prepare and/or submit them.
Course Goals
Students will demonstrate their ability to understand, analyze, and critique selections of twentieth-century American literature.
Students will recognize distinct aesthetic movements in the twentieth century in order to gain familiarity with the content and defining qualities of the literary period.
Students will develop an understanding of different critical approaches to the interpretation of works of twentieth-century American literature.
Students will demonstrate in both oral and written work a discipline-specific critical facility through convincing and well-supported analysis of related material.
Students will demonstrate their command of academic English and the tenets of sound composition by means of thesis-driven analytical prose.
Students will learn to use discipline-specific computer technologies related to the study of language such as listservs, word processing, and internet research.
Program Goals
This course fulfills one of the departmental requirements for the completion of the English major.
Students will develop the analytical, oral and written skills to pursue graduate study or careers in teaching, writing, business and a variety of other fields.
Students will be able to define and pursue independent research agendas.
This course contributes to the program goal of equipping students with a foundation in literary history and the issues surrounding literary study in contemporary culture.
This course broadens students' desire and ability to take pleasure in their encounter with literature.
Students with disabilities should meet with me at the beginning of the semester, and we will make any necessary arrangements.
The reading schedule and assignment due dates are posted on the online syllabus. Slight changes and modifications are always a part of the semester, so plan to consult the syllabus regularly (before each class). All changes will be announced in class well in advance.
Schedule (Subject to Revision)
8/17: Introduction to class, syllabus, and discussion of “Girl.”
8/19: Puddn’head Wilson, “Whisper to Reader” and Chapters 1-8 (don’t read the intro). Bring Bluebook.
8/24: Finish Wilson. Read Toni Morrison Pdf (link at bottom of online syllabus: http://www.westga.edu/~jmasters/)
8/26: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)
8/31: Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, Chapters 1-9.
9/2: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)
9/7: Labor Day, No Class.
9/9: Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man to end, Birth of a Nation (on reserve at library).
9/14: Their Eyes, Chapters 1-10.
9/16: Discussion.
9/18: Paper Proposal for Essay #1 Due. (10 points)
9/21: Their Eyes to the end.
9/23: Complete Mountain of Notes due, no less than three single-spaced pages. (20 points)
9/28: O’Connor stories: “Good Man,” “Displaced Person,” “Artificial.”
9/30: Complete Outline due (20 points), Midterm Exam.
10/5: “Everything that Rises,” “Revelation,” and Imitation of Life (on reserve at library).
Last day to Withdraw with “W” is 10/6.
10/7: First Essay Due.
10/12: Middle Passage, to page 119.
10/14: Absolutely nothing is due!
10/19: Middle Passage, to end.
10/21: Killer of Sheep (on reserve at library).
10/26: The History of Luminous Motion, Chapters 1-16 (1-136 in most editions).
10/28: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)
11/2: The History of Luminous Motion, Chapters 17-28 (137-274).
11/4: Cultural artifact assignment due. (20 points)
11/9: Love, Chapters 1-4 (to 106).
11/11: Proposals for final research paper due. (10 pts)
11/16: Love, to end.
11/18: Prospectus for final research papers due. Begin Mountain of Notes. (20 points)
11/23: Complete Mountain of Notes and Rough Outline due. (30 points)
11/25: Thanksgiving, No Class.
11/31: Rough Drafts are due. (30 points)
12/2: Evaluations and Workshop.
Wednesday, August 26th
For Wednesday, write a single paragraph on a thematic element (or sign) in Twain's novel that interests you. Choose something fairly specific for your focus. (I'll give you a few random examples to give you a sense of what I mean by a "thematic element": Roxy's dialect; Wilson's visual aids in the courtroom; the twins' Indian knife; Luigi as the "dark" twin; Roxy's beliefs about blood and heritage; the untold story of Chambers; Tom as both slave owner and slave.) Your goal should be to develop an interesting claim or argument about your chosen thematic element/sign, which you then establish at the outset of your paragraph. Your paragraph must be typed and double-spaced and meet the following guidelines: 1) Make sure you keep it to one paragraph, and that you put some thought into the structure and organization of the paragraph. 2) Open the paragraph with an idea, argument, or interpretive position of your own design. 3) Cite a specific passage from Pudd'nhead using MLA citation and punctuation rules (see "MLA Template" on my website, and go over pages two and three). 4) Include a works cited page (which you can print at the bottom of your paragraph or on the back to save paper) that looks just like the one on page 5 of the MLA Format Template--double-spaced, hanging indents, etc. Follow the basic formula for citing a complete work by a single author (first entry). Keep in mind that I'm much more interested in your ideas, thoughts, and interpretations than in the MLA and sentence-level stuff; however, your actual score on these assignments is quantitative rather than qualitative.
Please bring a hard-copy of the assignment to class.
Wednesday, September 2nd
Write a "Mountain of Notes" entry on a single passage from Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man that resembles the one we started in class (see below). Fill up at least a half page with single-spaced thoughts, insights, and interpretations of the quotation you've chosen.
Mountain of Notes Entry
I know that in writing the following pages I am divulging the great secret of my life, the secret which for some years I have guarded far more carefully than any of my earthly possessions; and it is a curious study to me to analyze the motives which prompt me to do it. I feel that I am led by the same impulse which forces the unfound-out criminal to take somebody into his confidence, although he knows that the act is liable, almost certain, to lead to his undoing. I know that I am playing with fire, and I feel the thrill which accompanies that most fascinating pastime; and, back of it all, I think I find a sort of savage and diabolical desire to gather up all the little tragedies of my life, and turn them into a practical joke on society. (1)
Context
Novel’s opening statement, an implication of the book’s intent, confessional
Analysis/Interpretation
-“criminal”: suggests guilt? And yet he’s “thrilled”? He’s labeling himself something that he’s not? Eliciting fascination? Are we voyeurs of his crime? American outlaw?
-His life as a savage joke.
-Identity Theft!!!! Theft of whiteness.
-Passing: What does it reveal about the society that he’s “practically done” his joke upon?
-Whiteness as an “earthly possession”? (Insert several smart sentences on this.)
Connections
-“Savage” scenes, like the widow’s death.
-Discussion of Native American genocide and African American survival.
Compare to Tom’s criminality? Theft
Writing Assignment for 9/18
The first step in this arduous journey towards a final draft is finding something you want to write about and convincing yourself that it actually matters. With that in mind, write a one page (double-spaced) narrative about the paper that you envision yourself eventually writing. This is a purely speculative endeavor, of course. What's your unique angle into the novel you've chosen to write about? What do you want to investigate and explore in it? And for goodness sake, why? The writing can be fairly informal (although it should be proofread and edited); consider it a letter or memo to yourself that describes the project you're envisioning. This is also a good opportunity to define and shape some of the central questions you eventually hope to answer, so a series of questions might also be helpful. Please email the proposal to me as an attachment by 5 p.m. on Friday. If you don't receive confirmation that I've received it by Saturday at noon, please send it again to: mastersjosh@yahoo.com