Leavell 1
ENGLISH 2313
American Literature II
CRN# 11101
TTH 10:50-12:05
Irby Hall 201
Dr. Lori Leavell
Office: 401 Irby Hall
Office Hours: MW 12-2, T/Th 12:15-2:30, and by appointment
Contact: (501) 450-5118; [email protected]
COURSE OVERVIEW
The Undergraduate Bulletin describes English 2313 as a “basic course requirement for majors and minors and, in series with
American Literature I, a charting of the major forms and styles of American literature. The course traces the development
of major figures in post-Civil War American Literature (such as Twain, James, and Crane) to major American writers
between the first and second world war (such as Hemingway, Stevens, Frost, and Faulkner). Lecture, discussion, writing.”
This course provides a survey of American literature spanning 1865 to present. As we examine some of the literature
produced during this time frame, we will consider the relationships of the texts to some of the prominent literary
movements with which they coincide, among them Realism, Naturalism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. We also will
give particular focus to selected historical, political, and cultural contexts.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Not only will this course introduce you to a body of literature that developed during this period, but also it will alert you to
some of the conflicts within and outside the country surrounding its development. It will instruct you in the techniques
and methods of literary studies—tools important to the study of all literature—and also invite you to contemplate the
variety of purposes that literary writing has served in the United States. The following goals will guide our study of
American literature in this course:
• To become familiar with and adept at implementing the principles of literary analysis.
• To trace a history of literature in the United States following the Civil War to the present.
• To recognize some of the historical, political, cultural forces relevant to literary production in the United
States following the Civil War to the present.
• To hone research and writing skills.
TEXTS: The Norton Anthology of American Literature, eighth edition, volumes C, D, and E.
ATTENDANCE, PARTICIPATION, CIVILITY
Attendance: More than two absences/instances of tardiness is considered excessive. Two absences (for whatever reason) will
not alter one’s grade; however, each subsequent absence/tardiness will result in the deduction of five points from the forty
total participation points. Please be aware that six absences, regardless of the reasons, will result in a grade of F for the
course.
Participation and Civility: This course is discussion-based, its success depending on the contributions of the participants. If a
full schedule or personal matters will prevent full participation, please take the course another time. Bring to class the
readings to be discussed. This course expects that participants will extend respect and courtesy to one another and to the
literature. In this spirit, please be on time and remain engaged for the duration of the class. Take care to power down and
put away all electronic devices before class begins. Make it a point to voice comments and questions every class while being
respectful and considerate of others so that no one person dominates the discussion.
REQUIREMENTS
Three papers (4 pages): Before each paper is due, students will receive an assignment sheet, with specific requirements.
Three Workshops: Writing workshops provide the opportunity to offer feedback on your classmates’ writing and receive
feedback on your own. A complete draft of the upcoming paper is required for admittance to the workshops, and
participation is assessed according to the quality of offered feedback.
Leavell 2
Banned Books Week, Participation and Reflection (2-3 pages): Banned Books Week draws attention to the history and ongoing
issue of censorship of books in this country. This year it is slated for September 22-28. The assignment requires you to
participate in the week’s events--either by attending a reading or by volunteering as a reader. Then write a paper that
reflects on the experience and reports briefly on the history of the censorship of the book featured at the event that you
attend.
Two exams: Exams will consist of some combination of quotation identification, short answer, and brief essays.
Blackboard Questions: On Mondays and Wednesdays by 11 pm, students will submit to Blackboard two questions provoked
by the readings assigned for the following day’s class. (On four occasions, students have the option of skipping this
assignment without penalty.) I will use these questions to inform the lecture and discussion. Submitting questions
constitutes the minimal form of participation. Indeed, throughout the semester students should take an active role in
sharing with the class their insights and concerns about the readings.
POINT DISTRIBUTION
Exams: Two @ 60 points each
Papers: Three @ 60 points each
Writing Workshops: Three @ 5 points each
Banned Books Assignment
Participation: Twenty sets of questions @ 2 points each
___________________________________________________
Total Points
=
=
=
=
=
120
180
15
35
40
=
390
Points will be converted to percentages to yield final grades according to the following scale:
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
Below 60% = F
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The University of Central Arkansas affirms its commitment to academic integrity and
expects all members of the university community to accept shared responsibility for maintaining academic integrity.
Students in this course are subject to the provisions of the university’s Academic Integrity Policy, approved by the Board of
Trustees as Board Policy No. 709 on February 10, 2010, and published in the Student Handbook. Penalties for academic
misconduct in this course may include a failing grade on an assignment, a failing grade in the course, or any other courserelated sanction that the instructor determines to be appropriate. Continued enrollment in this course affirms a student’s
acceptance of this university policy.
EVALUATIONS: Student evaluations of a course and its professor are a crucial element in helping faculty achieve
excellence in the classroom and the institution in demonstrating that students are gaining knowledge. Students may
evaluate courses they are taking starting on the Monday of the twelfth week of instruction through the end of finals week
by logging in to myUCA and clicking on the Evals button on the top right.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES SUMMARY: An Emergency Procedures Summary (EPS) for the building in which
this class is held will be discussed during the first week of this course. EPS documents for most buildings on campus are
available at http://uca.edu/mysafety/bep/. Every student should be familiar with emergency procedures for any campus
building in which he/she spends time for classes or other purposes.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES: If you have questions about the university’s academic policies, guidelines regarding sexual
harassment, or any other matters, please consult the relevant sections of the UCA Student Handbook. UCA adheres to the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need an accommodation under this act due to a disability,
contact the UCA Office of Disability Services at 450-3135.
Leavell 3
Thursday, August 22
--Introduction to course
--Conceptualizing literary history
DAY-BY-DAY SYLLABUS
UNIT ONE: 1865-1914
(The following reading assignments to be found in volume C.)
Week One
8/27 Introduction, 3-19; Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed” (79-85)
8/29 Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (130-68)
Realism, Regionalism, and Naturalism
Week Two
9/3
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (168-207)
9/5
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (207-244)
Week Three
9/10 Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (244-81)
9/12 Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (281-309)
Week Four
9/17 Toni Morrison, from “Introduction to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (321-23) and Shelley Fisher Fishkin,
from “Lighting Out for the Territory: Reflections on Mark Twain and American Culture” (324-25)
9/19 Writing Workshop #1 and Introduction to Research Methods
9/20 PAPER #1 DUE at noon; submit to Irby 401
Week Five (Banned Books Week)
9/24 William Dean Howells, from “Novel-Writing and Novel-Reading: An Impersonal Explanation”; Henry
James, Daisy Miller (421-59)
9/26 James, continued
Week Six
10/1 Chopin, “Désirée's Baby” (550-54) and “The Storm” (557-560)
10/3 Jewett, “The Foreigner” (533-49)
Week Seven
10/8 Banned Books Assignment Due; Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, “A Dash for Liberty” (728-35)
10/10 W. E. B. Du Bois, from The Souls of Black Folk (883-901)
Week Eight
10/15 EXAM #1
10/17 FALL BREAK
Week Nine
10/22 Zitkala Ša, from Impressions of an Indian Childhood (1085-93); from The School Days of an Indian Girl (10931100); “Why I am a Pagan” (1106-8)
10/24 “Realism and Naturalism” (902-3); Frank Norris, “Zola as a Romantic Writer”; Stephen Crane, “The
Open Boat” (990-1006)
Leavell 4
UNIT TWO: 1914-1945
(The following reading assignments to be found in volume D.)
Modernism
Week Ten
10/29 Introduction, 3-18; Writing Workshop #2
10/31 Frost, “Mending Wall,” “The Oven Bird,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “Desert
Places” (230-46)
11/1 Paper #2 Due at noon; submit to Irby 401
Week Eleven
11/5 Marianne Moore, “Poetry” and “To a Snail” (357-62); Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
(365-71)
11/7 Hurston, “The Eatonville Anthology” (528-38) and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” (538-41)
Week Twelve
11/12 Faulkner, “Barn Burning” (800-812)
11/14 Hughes, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “Mother to Son,” “I, Too,” and “Madam and Her Madam”;
(869-80); Brown, selected poems (handout)
UNIT THREE: LITERATURE SINCE 1945
(The following reading assignments to be found in volume E.)
Week Thirteen
11/19 Ellison, from Invisible Man, Prologue and “Battle Royal” (206-224)
11/21 Introduction, 3-18; Bishop, “The Fish,” “In the Waiting Room,” and “One Art” (71-90); Lowell, “Night
Sweat” and “For the Union Dead” (303-21)
Postmodernism
Week Fourteen
11/26 Pynchon, “Entropy” (723-735); Ríos, “Refugio’s Hair” and “Taking Away the Name of a Nephew”
(1113-1120)
11/28 Thanksgiving Holiday
Week Fifteen
12/3 N. Scott Momaday, from The Way to Rainy Mountain (676-686)
12/5 Workshop #3
12/6 Paper #3 due at noon; submit to Irby 401
Final Exam: 11:00-1:00 on Tuesday, December 10