Syllabus

Schedule

Assignments

Extras

English 3564 is a course for students desiring a comprehensive overview of American Literature from the Civil War to the present day. As a survey course, it includes works by a wide range of authors and attempts to place them within a clear context of historical developments that tie this period together. Along the way, this course should also give students a grasp of the major aesthetic and philosophical movements of the time period-realism, naturalism, modernism, and postmodernism-and relate them to the historical developments that have influenced their development.

The time period is vast, and the reading load is quite heavy. It can be as much as 50 Norton Anthology pages for some class meetings. Completing this reading will give you a solid foundation upon which to base your understanding of literature in the United States from the past 150 years.

Course Objectives

Over the course of the semester, students should achieve the following goals:

• To read and understand a wide variety of American texts from the Civil War to the present day.

• To gain a basic understanding of various critical approaches to the study of these texts ranging from the textual to the historical.

• To present convincing arguments about literary texts whether writing about them or discussing them.

• To able to situate literary texts from this time period within a larger context of historical, cultural and technological changes that surround them.

Expectations

In order to reach these goals, students will have to do the following things this semester:

• Show up to class on time and prepared to discuss the assigned reading for that day. Ask questions in class about the materials that we are discussing. By the way, please turn off your cell phones before coming to class.

• Write clear, persuasive analyses of assigned texts. This includes careful revision and proofreading and correct use of the MLA documentation style.

• Bring working drafts to class for peer-editing on the days dedicated to this activity.

• Study carefully before exams in order to gain a mastery of concepts and factual information about the texts involved.

Assignments

1. Write an analysis of a brief passage from the assigned works. 3-5 typed pages. DUE OCTOBER 2ND.

2. Write an essay interpreting a longer text. DUE DECEMBER 4TH.

3. Complete a mid-term examination including identification, short-answer and longer essay questions. ON OCTOBER 23RD.

4. Complete a final examination covering the material from the entire semester and following a similar format. ON DECEMBER 16TH FROM 4 TO 5:55PM.

5. Attend class regularly and contribute to class discussion and group activities.

6. Bring a typed, completed draft to class on peer-editing days, and provide classmates with carefully considered comments on their own drafts on those days (working drafts are due in class one week before the final draft is due).

   Grade Breakdown

   Passage Analysis	10%
   Literary Analysis	35%
   Mid-term	15%
   Final	30%
   Participation	10%

   Your grade will depend primarily on your written work and the understanding of the material that you convey through that work. A command of standard written English and the ability to present an argument will also contribute to the determination of your grade. Any infractions against UMD's Scholastic Dishonesty provisions in the Student Conduct Code as stated in the UMD catalogue will receive serious attention and appropriate penalties.

   Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might influence their capacity to perform in this class, are encouraged to inform me at the start of the semester. I can make special adaptations of teaching methods, assignments, materials, or testing as required to provide for equitable participation in the course. The Access Center is also available to assist students with disabilities. It is located in 138 Kirby Plaza and on the web at <http://www.d.umn.edu/access>.

   Required Texts

   Baym, Nina, et. al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Sixth Edition. Vols. C, D, E. New York: W. W. Norton, 2003.

   West, Nathanael. 1933. Miss Lonelyhearts. New York: New Directions, 1962.