ENGL 2130-25H:  Survey of American Literature (MW 2-3:15 TLC 2237)

“American Literature, Backwards and Forwards”

 

Dr. Joshua Masters, TLC 2244

Phone: 678-839-4862

Email: jmasters@westga.edu (and mastersjosh@yahoo.com if UWG mail is being fussy)

Office Hours: Mon 11-12, Tues 10-12 & *1-5, Wed 10-12 & 3:30-4:30, and by appointment.

            *Tuesday from 3-4, Writing Center

 

Description

This honors survey of American literature traces the development of such themes as nature, nationhood, law, gender, race, and identity in our national culture, from first contact to the present day. However, rather than marching across the centuries with the mission of conquering our nation’s literary history, we will “light out for the territories” in a somewhat unconventional fashion. The subtitle of the course, “American Literature, Backwards and Forwards,” is meant to suggest both the intertextual and the transhistorical nature of the class. The writers and texts we will examine speak to shared concerns that reach across American history, and we will imagine the writers engaged in a dialogue and exchanging ideas through their literary works. Section One of the course, “Inventing America,” will examine the idea of American nationhood, from its Puritanical origins to its postmodern reformulations, in the poetry, prose, and fiction of William Bradford, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, John Berryman, and Arthur Miller. Section Two, “Americans in Chains,” will consider the legacy of slavery in the American imagination, featuring an eighteenth-century autobiography by Olaudah Equiano, a nineteenth-century short story by Herman Melville, an early twentieth-century epic poem by Jean Toomer, and a late twentieth century novel by Toni Morrison. Section Three, “The First American Other,” will explore the role Native Americans have played in shaping American history and literature, beginning with short works by Christopher Columbus and George Catlin, and culminating in a postmodern novel by the Laguna Pueblo writer Leslie Marmon Silko. Finally, in Section Four, “The Questing American,” we will consider the Romantic tradition of the American quest narrative—rooted in the need to flee from the America we have collectively invented. Edgar Allan Poe’s 1838 novel Arthur Gordon Pym, Russell Banks’s 1995 novel Rule of the Bone, and Sean Penn’s 2007 film Into the Wild all feature an American youth in search of an alternative American self

 

Required Texts (in order of appearance)

Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

Herman Melville, Benito Cereno

Jean Toomer, Cane

Toni Morrison, Sula

Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

Russell Banks, Rule of the Bone

Sean Penn, Into the Wild (film on reserve)

(Shorter works will be available on electronic reserve as PDFs.)

 

Requirements

Students are expected to complete the day’s reading assignment in advance and come to class prepared to participate in discussion. 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, an oral presentation, 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 (30%); Midterm five page essay (15%); Quizzes (20%); Process-Based Writing Assignments (20%); Midterm exam (5%); Oral Presentation (5%); Participation (5%).  Note: I am always happy to discuss your progress in the class with you and explain my evaluation of your work. You can expect to receive the grade you earn in this class; please refrain from telling me what grade you “need” in the class (for Hope, for athletics, to fulfill a dying relative’s final request, etc.), or what grade you “really want” (presumably an A).

 

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. Once the quiz is distributed, the door to the class will close, and you will have about five minutes to complete the quiz. 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 anytime 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 or twenty-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. 8), 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 develop the ability to recognize and identify significant achievements in American literature.

 

Program Goals

1. To develop the ability to recognize and identify achievements in literary, fine and performing arts;
2. To have an appreciation of the nature and achievements of the arts and humanities; and
3. To develop the ability to apply, understand, and appreciate the application of aesthetics criteria to "real world circumstances.

 

Students with disabilities should meet with me at the beginning of the semester, and we will make any necessary arrangements.

 

 

Schedule (Subject to Revision)

 

8/18: Introductions and the Syllabus

8/20: “The American”: Excerpts from William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, Ben Franklin, Langston Hughes, and John Berryman. PDFs of these excerpts will be emailed to students.

 

8/25: Chapters 1-5 (1-112) in Olaudah Equiano. View excerpts from Death of a Salesman in class.

8/27: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)

 

9/1: Labor Day, No Class.

9/3:  Finish Equiano (113-236). See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)

 

9/8:  Read all of “Benito Cereno” (37-104).

9/10:  Paper Proposal for first essay due on Friday 9/12, submitted by email. (10 points)

 

9/15:  Mountain of Notes due. (20 points)

9/17:  Outlines due. (20 points)

 

9/22: Selected poems from Cane

9/24:  Rough Drafts (no less than four pages) due.  (20 points)

 

9/29:  Cane part 1: 1-35, "Theater" (50-53), part 3 ("Kabnis"): 81-116.

10/1:  First Essay Due.

 

10/6:  Part One of Sula (1-85) and Part Two of Sula (87-174).  20 point quiz.

10/8:  Midterm Exam. Last day to Withdraw with “W.”

 

10/13: Excerpt from Christopher Columbus. Begin Ceremony, to page 120 (or 130 in old edition).

10/15: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)

 

10/20: Excerpt from George Catlin. Finish Ceremony (120-244).

10/22: See online syllabus for writing assignment. (10 points)

 

10/27: Arthur Gordon Pym, Chapters 1-13 (to page 133).

110/29:  Arthur Gordon Pym, Chapters 18-24, and final “Note” (162-221).

 

11/3: Rule of the Bone, Chapters 1-8 (1-151).

11/5: Rule of the Bone, Chapters 9-13 (152-239).

 

11/10: Rule of the Bone, to the end (240-390).

11/12: Be sure to have watched Into the Wild by this date. Proposals for final research paper due. (10 pts)

 

11/17: Prospectus for final research papers due. Begin Mountain of Notes. (20 points)

11/19: Complete Mountain of Notes due. (20 points)

 

11/24: Oral Presentations, part 1. Outlines are due. (20 points)

11/26: Thanksgiving, No Class.

 

12/1:  Oral Presentations, part 2. Rough Drafts are due. (20 points)

12/3: Evaluations and Workshop.

 

Writing Assignment for 8/27

For Wednesday, please prepare a typed paragraph that focuses on a what you think is a significant passage from Equiano's Interesting Narrative. I ask for four things: 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 The Interesting Narrative using MLA citation and punctuation rules. (Note: your quotation should not be a block quote.) 4. Include a works cited page (which you can print on the back to save paper) that looks just like the one on page five 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). See "MLA Template," page 2, on my homepage for citation and punctuation rules. Please keep you paragraph to less than a page.

 Keep in mind that I'm much more interested in your ideas, thoughts, and interpretations than in the MLA stuff; however, your actual score on these assignments is quantitative rather than qualitative.

Writing Assignment for 9/10

Since you were all in class yesterday (phew!), not too much explanation of Wednesday's writing assignment is required. This exercise is meant to give you some practice creating your "mountain of notes" due next week. I will be giving you the first essay assignment in class tomorrow (you will be writing a 5-8 paper on either "Benito" or Equiano), but for now, here is the part of the assignment that explains the "mountain of notes":

"You will be writing this paper in a series of stages. Stage one involves collecting a mountain of textual evidence, ideas, thoughts, and interpretations. You will create a typed, single-spaced document, at least three pages in length, consisting of a series of numbered entries /in no particular order/. Most will be quotations from the texts—your novel and your secondary source(s)—but these entries can also be general thoughts and musings, ideas you wrote down during discussion that you want to develop, and questions you have that you know you will have to answer. Under each typed passage or big idea, type out a series of notes (I find it helps to assign each sub-note a letter). What does the passage reveal? What is the significance of a particular word, phrase, or image? Where do you think the passage (or the idea) might fit into your larger argument?"

So, for tomorrow _type_ out what you think is a significant, challenging, and interesting passage from "Benito Cereno." Format it as a block quotation. (See the MLA Format Template on my website, and carefully consult page 2.) Below the block quotation, type out a series of thoughts and ideas about the passage. You should have at least three (a, b, and c), and I'd like one to be about a connection you see between the passage you've chosen and another moment in the story.

Writing Assignment for 9/12

 

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 text 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.

Mountain of Notes Sample

Sample Outline

Writing Assignment for 10/16

Think up an interesting point of connection or comparison between Sula and Ceremony and type a brief, double-spaced paragraph about it. Open your paragraph with a a clearly formulated claim (or argument) about why this connection or comparison is significant. In other words, indicate what the connection is but also provide a sense of why you think it is important or meaningful. Follow your opening argument with a few sentences of clarification; however, this doesn't need to be a fully formed, perfectly structured paragraph with textual analysis, examples, etc. A "big idea" followed by a few additional points and remarks will suffice. (No titles or works cited pages required.)