ENGLISH 349 - Fall 2011- ECTR 107 - MW 3:20-4::35 PM

The American Novel to 1900

J. Michael Duvall
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
22A GLEBE ST. #103 843.953.4833 [email protected] Ofce Hours: M 10:30-12:00, Tu 1:30-:300, and by appointment: Schedule an appointment: tungle.me/MikeDuvall

A study of key examples of the novel as it developed in the United States from the late 18th century through the turn of the 20th century, with attention to the literary history of the genre. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate the ability to: relate prominent theories about the development of the novel genre and discuss the history of the novel in the US before the 20th century dene the key elements and concerns of the sentimental novel, the romance, and the realist novel compare genres and particular novels for how they address and represent American culture, history, and life dene and explain key literary, theoretical, and historical terms and concepts for the study of the American novel to 1900 effectively summarize, present, and discuss contemporary criticism on the 18th and 19th American novel develop and articulate a sustained argument about one of the novels studied in the form of a lengthy paper that analyzes the novel and synthesizes relevant current criticism and scholarship

This course fullls the "Theme-, Genre-, or Author-Centered Approaches" course requirement for the English major. For majors who declared prior to 2010-11, it fullls the pre-1900 American Literature requirement. This course will use OAKS (Online Academic Knowledge System) for schedules for upcoming reading and other assignments, to collect assignments, post grades and feedback, and so on. To log in to OAKS, open MyCharleston <my.cofc.edu> in a browser and click on the acorn image at the top of the web page on the right, just beneath the MyCharleston banner. When you log in, you should easily nd a the link to the ENGL 349 course page.

Novels & Other Readings

All the novels, with the exception of Davis's novella, which will be handed out, are available at the college bookstore: Susanna Rowson, Charlotte Temple (Penguin) Fanny Fern, Ruth Hall (Penguin) Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, The Silent Partner (Course Packet 1) James Fenimore Cooper, Last of the Mohicans (Penguin) Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables (Penguin) Rebecca Harding Davis, Life in the Iron-mills (handout) William Dean Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham (Penguin) Thomas Dixon, The Clansman (Course Packet 2) Frank Norris, McTeague (Signet Classics)

Outside readings will be handed out and/or posted on OAKS. Critical articles for the summary and presentation assignment (see below) will be posted on OAKS.

Assignments

Due dates for the assignments described can be found on the Google course calendar on OAKS and on the nal page below.

Test on the Novel as Genre and History of the American Novel to 1900 (10% of the class grade) - a test for comprehension of any assigned reading and the lectures for the rst three days of class. Short Miscellaneous Assignments & Quizzes (10% of the class grade) - short in-class and out-ofclass writing, reading quizzes, and other assignments designed to help you think about the readings, formulate problems and questions for class discussion, respond to the readings, and so on. Please note: grades for in-class assignments cannot be made up.

Letters to Novelists (3) (20% of the class grade) - 2 to 3-page "personal" letters written to novelists we have studied, demonstrating your grasp of genre concerns in their texts. One letter will be addressed to a sentimental novelist, another to a writer of romance novels, and another to a realist writer. Assignment sheet forthcoming. Final Examination (25% of the class grade) - a cumulative examination emphasizing content knowledge, analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of connections between texts across the entire semester, with a focus on genre-related questions. The last day of class will be dedicated to review. Summary of a Critical Article and Presentation (SCAP) (10% of the class grade) - a summary of one critical article from a list of selected articles*, and a brief presentation to the class (no more than 7 minutes) based on the summary. Researched Critical Paper (RCP) (25% of the class grade) - an 8-10 page argumentative, thesis-driven researched essay focused on interpretation of one of a list of 7 novels we will read this semester.* "Process" is included: a proposal stage and a group draft workshop with feedback from both the instructor and fellow students prior to the submission of a nal draft.
* Sign ups for the SCAP and RCP and due dates: in the rst week of the semester, you will sign up for a group that is focused on a particular novel (there are 10 groups of 3 students each). The due dates for your SCAP and RCPs will be determined by your group membership (as indicated on the following page). Summaries and presentations are due on either the next-to-last or the last class period in which we are covering a novel. The nal version of the critical paper will typically be due around four weeks after we complete class coverage of the novel. For instance, those who choose to write on Ruth Hall, which we will complete on Sept. 19 will turn in the nal versions of their papers on Oct.10.

Attendance, Preparation for Class, and Missed and Late Assignments

There is no grade penalty in this class for failure to attend a certain number of classes. If you are serious about your education and I am serious about offering something that goes beyond what you could just as easily do on your own, then the attendance issue will sort itself out. Nonetheless, attendance will be taken, and I will expect you to come to class on time. Please note: the problem with missing classes goes beyond missing things, in the sense of missing material or content delivered on a particular day. When you are not here, you miss out on the conversation about the ideas, the texts, the assignments, and so on, and thus you miss out on the very process of the course itself. For me, the process is also, in many ways, a signicant content of the course. Since the conversations we will be having in this class are so important, I feel its also worth saying a few words here about the kind of class climate we all need to cultivate in order to have productive (and, I hope, enjoyable) meetings. We will inevitably broach controversial issues in this class: religion, race, gender, politics, ideology, sexuality, and more. (Literary studies puts everything on the table.) I will do my best to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect, openness, and fairness, balanced with high intellectual standards for articulating and backing up the positions we may take. I ask you to do the same. As for late assignments, I penalize late major assignments at the rate of 10% off the nal grade per calendar day late. Other late assignments I will take on a case-by-case basis, offering some credit for late work or no credit, depending on the nature of the assignment. Please also note, I offer no make-ups for missed inclass writing (another argument for being in class each day).

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

I treat plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty with utmost seriousness. If I suspect an assignment is plagiarized or in some other way not the student's own work, I assign the grade of zero for the assignment and report the violation to the Honor Board for further review and action. Please consult The Honor System, available online at <http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/>, for a full statement on the colleges honor code. The College makes appropriate accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students who would like these accommodations should apply at the Center for Disability Services located on the rst oor of the Lightsey Center, Suite 104. Students approved for accommodations are responsible for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week before accommodation is needed. Should you have questions about disability services at the College of Charleston, please contact the Center for Disability Services at 953-1431 or visit their website at <http://disabilityservices.cofc.edu/>.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

ENGL 349 Syllabus and Course Policies- Page 2

English 349 Due Dates

Please note: for reading assignments and day-to-day information, you should consult the Google calendar available through OAKS (or through Google itself). You are responsible for keeping up with the calendar. Also, please understand that changes may need to be made to both the dates below and to the online course calendar, but if changes are needed, they will be made will ample warning. Assignment Due Dates for the Whole Class M 9/5 M 9/26 W 10/26 M 11/28 M 12/12 Test on the History of the Novel in America to 1900 Letter to Novelist 1 (Rowson, Fern, or Phelps) Letter to Novelist 2 (Cooper or Hawthorne) Letter to Novelist 3 (Davis or Howells) Final Examination (12-3 PM) Charlotte Temple Group W 9/14 F 9/23 Week of 9/26 M 10/3* Presentations, Article Summaries, and Paper Proposals Paper Draft Group Draft Workshop (TBD) Revised Paper W 11/2 Week of 11/7
* Revised paper due dates are approximations. The date listed represents the earliest the revised paper would be due.

Last of the Mohicans Groups (2) W 10/5 M 10/10 Presentations & Article Summaries (group 1) Presentations & Article Summaries (group 2) and Paper Proposals (both groups) Paper Draft Group Draft Workshops (2) (TBD) Revised Paper

W 10/19 Week of 10/24 M 10/31*

House of the Seven Gables Groups (2) W 10/19 M 10/24 Presentations & Article Summaries (group 1) Presentations & Article Summaries (group 2) and Paper Proposals (both groups) Paper Draft Group Draft Workshops (2) (TBD) Revised Paper

M 11/14*

Ruth Hall Groups (2) M 9/19 W 9/21 Presentations & Article Summaries (group 1) Presentations & Article Summaries (group 2) and Paper Proposals (both groups) Paper Draft Group Draft Workshops (2) (TBD) Revised Paper W 11/9 Silent Partner Group W 9/28 F 10/7 Week of 10/10 W 10/19* Presentations, Article Summaries, and Paper Proposals Paper Draft Group Draft Workshop (TBD) Revised Paper
ENGL 349 Syllabus and Course Policies- Page 3

Life in the Iron-mills Group M 10/31 W 11/9 Week of 11/14 M 11/21* Presentations, Article Summaries, and Paper Proposals Paper Draft Group Draft Workshop (TBD) Revised Paper

F 9/30 Week of 10/3 M 10/10*

Rise of Silas Lapham Group Presentations, Article Summaries, and Paper Proposals Paper Draft Group Draft Workshop (TBD) Revised Paper

F 11/18 11/21 or 11/22** M 11/28*

** The draft workshop for this group, may need to be moved to the following week, which is the week we return from the Thanksgiving break.