English 2328 Course Syllabus Addendum Professor: Emily Masterson TEXTBOOKS Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine, eds. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8 th Ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 2013. ISBN: 978-0-393-91885-4 Required course materials are available at the Brazosport College bookstore, on campus or online at http://www.brazosport.edu/bookstore. A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college bookstore. The same textbook is/may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. Students will read important works of literature, discuss them in class, learn the process of and approaches to literary analysis and interpretation, and learn about literary and historical contexts. 2. Students should come knowing how to write a literature paper, but the process and purposes will be reviewed. Use of secondary sources (literary criticism) will be employed as appropriate, and correct documentation (MLA style) will be reviewed and expected. 3. Students will develop critical thinking as they analyze and interpret works, debate meanings, synthesize verbal and written material, and understand relationships between works and their contexts. They will develop their own ideas, opinions, and points of view and articulate informed personal responses to literary works. EVALUATION Daily work (group work, can be revised) Presentations (group or individual) Proposal for final paper, draft & outline participation Quizzes Final paper Final exam COURSE GRADE BREAKDOWN 40% = Daily Grades Group responses Insight presentations Body & mind grade (attendance/discussion participation/discussion leader duties) Quizzes (lowest 3 dropped) 40% = Written work/exams
Response paper Manifesto paper Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 (final exam) 20% = Final Paper 100% Academic Honesty: Brazosport College assumes that students eligible to perform on the college level are familiar with the ordinary rules governing proper conduct including academic honesty. The principle of academic honesty is that all work presented by you is yours alone. Academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion shall be treated appropriately. Please refer to the Brazosport College Student Guide for more information. This is available online at http://www.brazosport.edu. Academic dishonesty violates both the policies of this course and the Student Code of Conduct. In this class, any occurrence of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Dean of Student Services for prompt adjudication. Sanctions may be imposed beyond your grade in this course by the Dean of Student Services. Students with Disabilities: Brazosport College is committed to providing equal education opportunities to every student. BC offers services for individuals with special needs and capabilities including counseling, tutoring, equipment, and software to assist students with special needs. Please contact Phil Robertson, Special Populations Counselor, 979-230-3236 for further information. 1865-1914 Realism & Naturalism WEEK 1 M 1/11 WEEK 1 Course Introduction, syllabus review, D2L Demo, Remind.com sign up, words of the day info., American identity and the Civil War/leaving Romanticism behind Literary realism The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
W 1/13 (1285) Bring to class an example of a post-civil War challenge America faces in 1865. Try to find an image that demonstrates your idea. Why aren t more people writing about the Civil War? Why do you think the age of Romanticism is over? WEEK 2 M 1/18 Literary realism, cont d. A White Heron (1597), The Story of an Hour (1609) Come to class ready to share an observation about today s readings and what these texts seem to be communicating about American identity. WEEK 2 W 1/20 WEEK 3 M 1/25 WEEK 3 W 1/27 Literary realism, cont d. Daisy Miller: A Study (1511-1529) Come to class ready to share an observation, image or specific example about acceptable female behavior. What do we expect today from a well behaved woman? (Think about different social situations like public behavior, dating behavior, attitude toward strangers and friends, etc.) What did James readers expect from a woman during his time? What did these expectations say about American identity? How was this different from British or European identity? Literary naturalism Daisy Miller: A Study (1529-1549) Literary naturalism, cont d. The Storm (1618); To Build a Fire (1812) Bring an image to class that shows a person or persons confronting a powerful, overwhelming natural force.
WEEK 4 M 2/1 Seeking liberation from Up from Slavery (speech from 1633-1636); The Wife of his Youth (1649) Come to class ready to give an example of complicated racial tensions during the time period of our texts. WEEK 4 W 2/3 Seeking liberation, cont d. from The Souls of Black Folk (1727-1731); We Wear the Mask (1808); Sympathy (1809) Come to class ready to give an example of complicated racial tensions--this time, a present-day example. WEEK 5 M 2/8 Seeking liberation, cont d. -- Mrs. Spring Fragrance (1760) Bring an image to class that depicts an important feature of American identity from this time period and be ready to talk about your image. Don t forget that art, architecture and other visuals can be powerful, as well. WEEK 5 W 2/10 WEEK 6 M 2/15 Seeking liberation, cont d. The Yellow Wallpaper (1669) Come to class ready to share: 1 important fact about feminism during this time period. A present-day Internet meme about feminism Unit 1 Test today. Response paper due via D2L by 11:59 p.m. Directions for response paper: In your textbook, turn to the table of contents. Now, read any selection we didn t discuss in class (anything between pages 20-149). In your paper, discuss your reading in the following sections: I. Introduction II. A brief summary of what you read
III. Your reaction to the text (i.e., ideas you noticed, questions you had, ideas you found strange or odd, etc.) IV. Research you conducted on this text (MUST be credible, academic research or points deducted 2 sources, ideally) V. How this text fits in to the formation of American identity VI. Conclusion 1914-1945 Modernism WEEK 6 W 2/17 Come to class ready to weigh in on Trifles is this text still relevant? Or, as a society, do you feel we ve outgrown a play like this one? Be ready to support your answer. Discussion of final paper ; Trifles (1927) WEEK 7 M 2/22 Modernist poetry: Richard Cory (1858), Miniver Cheevy (1858); Tender Buttons (skim only 1900); Frost poem (your choice, but have an observation about the poem you select from pages 1911-1925) WEEK 7 W 2/24 Bring to class an example of art (painting, sculpture, interior design, architecture, etc.) from this time period. We ll chat about how what art and our texts have in common. Modernist poetry: may i feel ( find online); Fog (1949); The Red Wheelbarrow (1968); Theme for English B (2228); In a Station of the Metro (1974)
WEEK 8 M 2/29 WEEK 8 W 3/2 Modernist poetry: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (2006) Unit 2 Test today. Manifesto paper due via D2L by 11:59 p.m. Directions for paper: Read a manifesto (see your textbook s table of contents, pg. xx). Don t forget to add in-text documentation and a works cited page. Please make sure your paper is organized clearly and adheres to good essay practices. Use the Writing Center or ask questions if you are unsure. I: Introduce manifesto you read and why you chose it. II: Issues author raises in the manifesto III. Your opinions/assessment of the author s ideas IV. How this manifesto relates to American identity V. If YOU wrote your personal manifesto, what would it look like? What ideas would you address? VI. Conclusion/final thoughts/any recommendations for readers/goals for yourself as a reader, etc. WEEK 9 M 3/7 WEEK 9 R 3/9 Post 1945 Postmodernism WEEK 10 M 3/14 Spring Break Spring Break Postmodern prose: A Streetcar Named Desire (scenes 1, 2) **Bonus opportunity: Many critics see a re-emergence of literary naturalism in the film noir films of the 1940s and 50s. Watch a famous example of film noir for an extra 8 points added to your final exam grade. Consider The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, the hard-boiled detective) or Double Indemnity or Hitchcock s Strangers on a Train, Notorious, or Shadow of a Doubt. To prove your watched the film, take a few notes and give me a few informal
thoughts about what you saw. WEEK 10 W 3/16 WEEK 11 M 3/21 WEEK 11 W 3/23 WEEK 12 M 3/28 Postmodern prose: A Streetcar Named Desire (scenes 3, 4) Postmodern prose: A Streetcar Named Desire (scenes 5, 6, 7) Postmodern prose: A Streetcar Named Desire (scenes 8, 9, 10, 11) Roethke: My Papa s Waltz (2274), The Waking (2274) WEEK 12 W 3/30 Bishop: The Fish (2289) Final paper topic proposal due WEEK 13 M 4/4 Cheever: The Swimmer (2363) WEEK 13 W 4/6 Come to class with an image from the 1960s. Ginsberg: Howl (2540); No need to read the entire poem. Skim this one and mark sections that interested you so you can share them with the class.
WEEK 14 M 4/11 Morrison: Recitatif (2587) King: I have a dream (2579) WEEK 14 W 4/13 Come to class ready to share your ideas about individual identity. WHO are you? What elements of your experience (your faith, upbringing, parents, family belief/cultural beliefs, ethnography, regional loyalties, etc.) is part of your core identity? Do you think our concepts of ourselves changes as we age? Roth: Defender of the Faith (2619) WEEK 15 M 4/18 Plath: Daddy (2605) Graphic novel: Maus (2736) Bring an example of the Internet as postmodern social commentary. WEEK 15 W 4/20 WEEK 16 M 4/25 WEEK 16 W 4/27 Creative nonfiction: Crawford: The Last True Story I ll ever Tell (2817) Creative nonfiction: Lahiri: Sexy (2834) Unit 3 Test/Final Exam (date and time subject to change) Final paper due by 11:59 p.m. in D2L
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR ENGLISH 2322, 2323, 2327, 2328, 2331, 2342, 2343 BRITISH LITERATURE I & II, AMERICAN LITERATURE I & II WORLD LITERATURE, FORMS OF LITERATURE I & II (OBJECTIVES) 1. Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities Assessment: Written assignments covering works from the appropriate literary era 2. Understand those works as expressions of individual and human values within an historical and social context Assessment: Written assignments analyzing the effects of historical and social changes on the works of literature 3. Respond critically to works in the arts and humanities Assessment: Written assignments analyzing aspects of the works of literature 4. Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities Assessment: Written assignments analyzing an appropriate work of literature chosen by the student, including a clear articulation of reasons for the choice; informed participation in class discussion 5. Develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide or govern the humanities and arts Assessment: Written assignment analyzing aesthetic aspects of literary works. 6. Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of literature, philosophy, and/or the arts or intercultural experiences Assessment: Research assignment exploring the influence of literature