English 359/Fall 2014
American Regionalism, Realism, Naturalism Prof. A. Tucker [email protected] Office: Klapper 735; office hours: 12:30-­‐1:30, and by app’t. Phone: 718. 997.4705 or 4600 to leave a message w/ Dept. secretary Description: Our reading of criticism and fiction this term will explore the variety of “realisms”—including Literary Naturalism and Regionalism—in post-­‐bellum American literature, concluding with a look at later iterations of American realism in contemporary writing. We’ll consider the debates surrounding definitions of literary realism, along with the historical and social contexts that influence an author’s strategies for representing the material world in fiction, keeping in mind how language both reflects and participates in the construction of “reality.” In the words of literary historian Amy Kaplan, “Realists do more than passively record the world outside; they actively create and criticize the meanings, representations, and ideologies of their own changing culture.” Texts: These books have been ordered for you at the QC Bookstore; but wherever you purchase them, please make sure you get the specified editions, as the notes and annotations will help you with the material. NB: Readers/online texts are not acceptable substitutes in class; you must bring hard copy of each text. 1.
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O’Neill: Long Day’s Journey into Night (Yale ISBN-13: 978-0300093056)
Wharton: The Custom of the Country (Bantam ISBN-13: 978-0553213935)
Cather: Coming, Aphrodite! and other stories (Penguin ISBN-13: 978-0141181561)
James: Selected Tales (Penguin ISBN-13: 978-0140436945)
London: The Call of the Wild (Dover ISBN-13: 978-0486264721)
London: Jack London on Jack London: John Barleycorn + The Road (Sabino Falls ISBN13: 9780985750121)
7. Chesnutt: The Marrow of Tradition (Bedford Cultural ed. ISBN-13: 978-0312194062)
8. Saunders: Tenth of December (Random House trade paper ISBN-13: 978-0812984255)
Recommended: The Cambridge Companion to American Realism and Naturalism, ed. Donald Pizer and The Social Construction of American Realism by Amy Kaplan are good critical introductions. If you do not have a good style manual outlining the MLA format for researched papers, please purchase one. Requirements: Your active participation in class, including a brief presentation, is the mainstay of the course and an important component of your final grade (20%). Please keep a journal of your questions and responses to the assigned readings; occasionally you will be asked to write informal responses in class and to share these thoughts with us. Your formal written work will include two essays (20% each), a midterm and a final exam (20% each). Papers are to be typed, double-­‐
spaced, with numbered pages; any sources consulted should be documented according to MLA citation format. Late papers are not accepted. Please stop by during my office hours (or by appointment) to discuss your essays and any other matters pertaining to the course. Expectations: You are expected to attend on time, to have read the material by the date assigned, and to contribute to group discussions. Attendance will be recorded for each class session at the top of the hour: more than three late arrivals or absences will lower your grade substantially. Since much of our class work depends on close readings of assigned texts, you must bring hard copy of the text to each class session. Cell phones, beepers, text messages and like nuisances must be turned off before class and remain so for the period. Please take care of all personal business before class begins so that you do not disrupt our discussions by dashing out of the classroom. Objectives: Through close reading and analysis of the assigned literary, critical and historical documents, you will -­‐-­‐become familiar with and write knowledgeably about the range of theories and techniques American authors devised for representing their world during the decades following the Civil War; -­‐-­‐understand the ways in which literary realism and regionalism both responded to and shaped social, intellectual and political transformations in the U.S. between 1865 and 1914; -­‐-­‐draw connections between literary movements and practices of the period and subsequent expressions of regionalism and realism throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. Very Tentative Class Schedule:
08/28 Introductory
09/02 James: Selected Tales
09/04 James: Selected Tales
09/09 James: Selected Tales
09/11 London: The Call of the Wild
09/16 The Call of the Wild
09/18 London: The Road (1st 3 chapters)
09/23} No class—follow Friday schedule
09/25} No class—Rosh Hashanah
09/30 London: The Road
10/02 The Road
359 Class Schedule, continued:
10/07 Chesnutt: The Marrow of Tradition/ presentations
10/09 The Marrow of Tradition/ presentations
10/14 The Marrow of Tradition/ presentations
10/16 The Marrow of Tradition/ presentations
10/21 Cather: Coming, Aphrodite!
10/23 Coming, Aphrodite!
10/28 London: John Barleycorn
10/30 John Barleycorn
11/04 midterm exam
11/06 Wharton: The Custom of the Country
11/11 The Custom of the Country
11/13 The Custom of the Country
11/18 O’Neill: Long Day’s Journey into Night/ presentations
11/20 Long Day’s Journey into Night/ presentations
11/25 Long Day’s Journey into Night + filmed excerpts
11/27 No class—Thanksgiving
12/02 Cather: “Paul’s Case”
12/04 Saunders: Tenth of December
12/09 Tenth of December
12/11 Tenth of December