Syllabus
English 2130 American Literature, Spring 2024
Section 02: MWF 10:00-10:50 a.m., Arts & Sciences 342
Section 01: MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m., Arts & Sciences 336
Section 3: MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m., Arts & Sciences 239
Professor
Dr. Alex E. Blazer
478.445.0964
Office Hours: MWF 12:00-12:50 p.m. and W 3:00-4:45 p.m., Arts & Sciences 330 and Microsoft Teams
The undergraduate course catalog describes English 2130 as "a survey of important works of American literature from settlement through the present." This course will survey five general periods of American literature (beginnings to 1820, 1820-1865, 1865-1914, 1914-1945, and 1945-1965) and highlight works by significant authors such as Anne Bradstreet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, T.S. Eliot, and Thomas Pynchon. Students will informally respond to a selected text, formally analyze a selected text, and research a literary period and literary work's place within the period, and compare and contrast topics and themes across works and periods in two essay exams.
This course's Academic Assessment page describes our topics:
- The general outline of American literarature in its historic context from initial settlement by the English through at least the 1960s;
- A basic introduction to the various genres prevalent in American literature during that time and the aesthtic values that shaped them;
- A basic introduction to the major figures of American literature and certain representative texts;
- A basic application of the procedures and language of literary criticism.
as well as course outcomes:
- Understand and articulate the basic chronology of American literature from settlement through the mid-late 20th century, including the authors and dates of key works;
- Speak and write knowledgeably about particular works drawn from those periods;
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of major genres of American literature during the periods in question;
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of American history during the period, in particular as it relates to the literature.
The skills you will practice include:
- critical thinking
- analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information
- written and oral communication
- research
- teamwork
- time management
Finally, the USG Core Impacts Orienting Question, Career-Ready Compentencies, USG Core Learning Outcome, and GCSU Core Learning Outcomes are here.
required (Amazon or University Bookstore)
Levine, The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter 10th ed., 2 vol.
required (GeorgiaVIEW)
recommended (Amazon)
MLA Handbook, 9th ed.
Assignments and Grade Distribution
response, 5%
The informally written and presented response will summarize, respond to, and ask questions about significant issues in a work of literature.
close reading, 20%
The close reading essay will rigorously analyze a short section of a literary work.
annotated bibliography, 15%
The annotated bibliography will research and present on a literary period and an author's work within the period.
midterm exam, 25%
The in class midterm essay exam will compare and contrast topics across literary works and periods.
final exam, 35%
The take home final essay exam will compare and contrast topics across literary works and periods. Use the grade spreadsheet to calculate your course grade.
Technology
We will use the course site for the syllabus schedule and assignment prompts; supporting documents include an attendance record, a course grade calculation spreadsheet, FAQ, a GeorgiaVIEW walkthrough, a guide to literary analysis, a research methods guide, and paper templates. We will use GeorgiaVIEW for assignment submission and the course packet; if you experience technical issues with GeorgiaVIEW, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@gcsu.edu or 478.445.2520. Check your university email for course-related messages. Use an online backup or cloud storage service to not only save but also archive versions of your work in case of personal computer calamities.
Attendance
Because this liberal arts course values contemporaneous discussion over fixed lecture, regular attendance is required. In courses that meet one day per week, such as ENGL 6685, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond two; furthermore, any student who misses four or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. In courses that meet two days per week, such as ENGL 1101, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond three; furthermore, any student who misses seven or more classes for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be dropped from the course and fail. In courses that meet three days per week, such as ENGL 2130, there will be a one letter final grade deduction for every unexcused absence beyond six; furthermore, any student who misses ten or more classes for any reason will be dropped from the course and fail. I suggest you use your skip days both cautiously and wisely; and make sure you sign the attendance sheets. Habitual tardies, consistently leaving class early, texting, and web surfing will be treated as absences. Unexcused absences include work, family obligations, and scheduled doctor's appointments. Excused absences include family emergency, medical emergency, religious observance, and participation in a college-sponsored activity. If you have a medical condition, extracurricular activity, or job that you anticipate will cause you to miss more than four days of class, I suggest you drop this section. The university absence policy can be found here. You can check your class attendance record here.
MLA Style and Length Requirements
Part of writing in a discipline is adhering to the field's style guide. While other disciplines use APA or Chicago style, literature and composition follows MLA style. Assignments such as in-class exams, discussion board responses, informal/journal writing, and peer review may be informally formatted; however, formal assignments and take-home exams must employ MLA style. One-third of a letter grade will be deducted from a formal paper or take-home exam for problems in each of the following three categories, for a possible one letter grade deduction total: 1) margins, header, and heading, 2) font, font size, and line-spacing, and 3) quotation and citation format. A formal paper or take-home exam will be penalized one-third of a letter grade if it does not end at least halfway down on the minimum page length (not including Works Cited page) while implementing 12 pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1" margins. Each additional page short of the minimum requirement will result in an a additional one-third letter grade penalty. Before you turn in a formal paper, make sure your work follows MLA style by referring to the MLA style checklist. Feel free to use these templates that are preformatted to MLA style.
Late Assignments
We're all busy with multiple classes and commitments, and adhering to deadlines is critical for the smooth running of the course. There will be a one letter assignment grade deduction per day (not class period) for any assignment that is turned in late. I give short extensions if you request one for a valid need at least one day before the assignment is due. I will inform you via email if I cannot open an electronically submitted assignment; however, your assignment will be considered late until you submit it in a file I can open. Because your completion of this course's major learning outcomes depends on the completion of pertinent assignments, failing to submit an assignment that is worth 15% or more of the course grade within five days of its due date may result in failure of the course. Failing to submit a final exam or final paper within two days of its due date may result in failure of the course.
Academic Honesty
The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The Honor Code defines plagiarism as "presenting as one's own work the words or ideas of an author or fellow student. Students should document quotes through quotation marks and footnotes or other accepted citation methods. Ignorance of these rules concerning plagiarism is not an excuse. When in doubt, students should seek clarification from the professor who made the assignment." The Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog define academic dishonesty as "Plagiarizing, including the submission of others’ ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own. When direct quotations are used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline" and "Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course," among other false representations. As plagiarism is not tolerated at GCSU, "since the primary goal of education is to increase one's own knowledge," any student found guilty of substantial, willful plagiarism or dishonesty may fail the assignment and the course. This course uses plagiarism prevention technology from TurnItIn. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.
Writing Center
Writing consultants will work with any student writer working on any project in any discipline. To learn more about Writing Center locations, hours, scheduling, and services, please visit https://www.gcsu.edu/writingcenter. Send questions to writing.center@gcsu.edu.
Required Syllabus Statements
Additional statements regarding the Religious Observance Policy, Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability, Student Rating of Instruction Survey, Academic Honesty, Student Use of Copyrighted Materials, Electronic Recording Policy, Academic Grievance or Appeals, and Fire Drills can be found here.
COVID-19 Statement
The WHO recommends getting vaccinated to protect yourself against COVID-19 ("Getting Vaccinated") and wearing a mask if COVID-19 is spreading in your community ("When and How to Use Masks"). The CDC COVID Data Tracker assesses community transmission. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, stay home and contact Student Health Services. If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home and contact Student Health Services. GCSU has a decision path for students. Do not attend class while symptomatic or testing positive. During isolation, retrieve class notes from a classmate and consult with me about make up work. Absences due to isolation will be considered excused if appropriate documentation from Student Health Services or Academic Advising is provided. If you continue to test positive after the date the university gave you for an excused absence, your positive test counts as an excused absence.
- Most readings are in The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1: Beginnings to 1865 (NAAL1) and The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume 2: 1865 to Present (NAAL2). Linked readings are available in the GeorgiaVIEW course packet.
- This schedule is subject to change, so check back in class and online for possible revisions.
M, 1-8 |
Introductions |
|
Beginnings to 1820 Introduction and Timeline (NAAL1 3-28) The Iroquois Creation Story (NAAL1 31-4) from The Winnebago Trickster Cycle (NAAL1 35-7) "Cherokee War Song" (NAAL1 42) "Lenape War Song" (NAAL1 43) "Two Cherokee Songs of Friendship" (NAAL1 44) |
||
F, 1-12 |
Bradford, from Of Plymouth Plantation (NAAL1 79-100) Bradstreet, poems (NAAL1 120-38) |
|
M, 1-15 |
No Class: Martin Luther King Day |
|
Rowlandson, from A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (NAAL1 138-58) (GeorgiaVIEW) |
||
F, 1-19 |
Mather, from The Wonders of the Invisible World (NAAL1 165-71) Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (NAAL1 172-184) (GeorgiaVIEW) In Class Activity: Selecting and Analyzing a Significant Passage |
|
M, 1-22 |
No Class: Instructor Medical Appointment Paine, from Common Sense and The Crisis, No. 1 (NAAL1 305-19) Jefferson, from The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson (NAAL1 320-7) |
|
The Federalist, No. 1 and No. 10 (NAAL1 328-37) Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (NAAL1 338-84) |
||
F, 1-26 |
Equiano, continued Wheatley, poems (NAAL1 399-409) |
|
M, 1-29 |
No Class: Instructor Medical Appointment American Literature 1820-1865 Introduction and Timeline (NAAL1 489-510) Emerson, Nature, "The American Scholar," and "Self-Reliance" (NAAL1 503-562) |
|
Emerson, concluded Thoreau, "Resistance to Civil Government" and from Walden, or Life in the Woods (NAAL1 879-940) |
||
F, 2-2 |
Thoreau, from Walden, or Life in the Woods (NAAL1 940-969) |
|
M, 2-5 |
No Class: Instructor Medical Appointment Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister's Black Veil" (NAAL1 600-3, 617-25, 634-42) |
|
Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (NAAL1 970-1004) |
||
F, 2-9 |
Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (NAAL1 1004-49) In Class Activity: Narrative of the Life of an Enslaved Transcendentalist |
|
|
M, 2-12 |
Whitman, Preface to Leaves of Grass, "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" (NAAL1 1044-61, 1109-17) |
Whitman, concluded Dickinson, poems (NAAL1 1220-45) In Class Activity: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry with Walt Whitman |
||
F, 2-16 |
||
M, 2-19 |
||
F, 2-23 |
American Literature 1865-1914 Introduction and Timeline (NAAL2 1-20) Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL2 79-81, 86-147) |
|
M, 2-26 |
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL2 147-210) |
|
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NAAL2 210-270) |
||
F, 3-1 |
Jewett, "A White Heron" (NAAL2 407-14) Freeman, "The Revolt of 'Mother'" (NAAL2 426-37) |
|
M, 3-4 |
James, The Turn of the Screw (NAAL2 328-402) |
|
Crane, "The Open Boat" (NAAL2 565-83) London, "To Build a Fire" (NAAL2 592-604) |
||
F, 3-8 |
Washington, from Up from Slavery (NAAL2 438-447) Du Bois, from The Souls of Black Folk (NAAL2 530-48) |
|
M, 3-11 |
American Literature 1914-1945 Introduction and Timeline (NAAL2 619-44) Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (NAAL2 760-66) |
|
Eliot, "The Waste Land"(NAAL2 769-81) |
||
F, 3-15 |
Eliot, "The Hollow Men" (NAAL2 782-83) |
|
M, 3-18 |
No Class: Spring Break |
|
No Class: Spring Break |
||
F, 3-22 |
No Class: Spring Break |
|
M, 3-25 |
McKay, poems (NAAL2 865-69) Hughes, poems (NAAL2 1068-77) |
|
Hughes, concluded Porter, "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" (NAAL2 883-917) |
||
F, 3-29 |
Fitzgerald, "Babylon Revisited" (GeorgiaVIEW) Hemingway, "Indian Camp" and "Soldier's Home" (NAAL2 1058-67) |
|
M, 4-1 |
O'Neill, Long Day's Journey into Night (NAAL2 784-25) |
|
O'Neill, Long Day's Journey into Night (NAAL2 726-64) |
||
F, 4-5 |
American Literature since 1945 Introduction and Timeline (NAAL2 1009-30) Ginsberg, Howl, Footnote to Howl, and "A Supermarket in California" (NAAL2 1327-37) |
|
M, 4-8 |
||
Miller, Death of a Salesman (NAAL2 1205-39) |
||
F, 4-12 |
Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues" (NAAL2 1277-1299) Roth, "Defender of the Faith" (NAAL2 1510-32) |
|
M, 4-15 |
Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (NAAL2 1418-48) |
|
Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (NAAL2 1448-86) |
||
F, 4-19 |
Carver, "Cathedral" (NAAL2 1549-59) Silko, "Lullaby" (NAAL2 1599-1606) |
|
M, 4-22 |
Brooks, poems (NAAL2 1249-53) Lorde, poems (NAAL 1541-43) |
|
Cisneros, "Woman Hollering Creek" (NAAL2 1638-46) Lahiri, "Sexy" (NAAL2 1707-23) |
||
F, 4-26 |
Rich, poems (NAAL2 1344-56) |
|
R, 5-2 |
||