“Books can only reveal us to ourselves, and as often they do us this service we lay them aside.”
–Henry David Thoreau, 1857
English 398-400: American Literature I
Writing Nation:
Race, Gender, and the Early American Imagination
Course Syllabus
Clemson University, Department of English, Summer II, 2012
Instructor Information
Prof. Kristen Proehl
E-mail: [email protected] (best way to reach me)
Clemson Office: 511 Strode Tower
Clemson Mailbox: 815 Strode Tower
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course offers an extensive survey of early American literature from the pre-contact period to
the Civil War. From Native American creation stories to Herman Melville’s “Benito Cereno,” we
will explore a diverse array of perspectives on early American life, history and culture. We will
focus especially upon the intersections race and gender as portrayed in American literature from
the seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries. As we explore multiple genres, including novels,
autobiography, short stories, and poetry, we will examine key historical, literary, and cultural
influences of this period, such as colonialism, slavery, the Enlightenment, antebellum reform
movements, transcendentalist philosophy, the Great Awakening, sentimentalism, Romanticism,
and Manifest Destiny, among others. Mary Rowlandson, Phillis Wheatley, Edgar Allan Poe,
Harriet Wilson, Black Hawk, Hannah Foster, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Nathaniel
Hawthorne are just a few of the key authors included in our readings.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course aims to…
Introduce you to a variety of different genres and historical literary periods from the pre-contact
era to the American Civil War.
Explore the constellations of race, gender, class, and sexuality in the early American literary
imagination.
Introduce you to key literary and historical terms from this period, such as the American
Renaissance, oral traditions, the contact period, captivity narratives, the Great Awakening, and
transcendentalism, among others.
Improve your close reading, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills.
Introduce you to the diversity of American voices and perspectives in early American literature.
Examine key issues of dialogue and debate among early American writers.
REQUIRED BOOKS
By the 27th of June, you are required to have the following THREE books:
The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Beginnings to 1865, Shorter 7th Edition,
Vol 1. Ed. Nina Baym et al. Isbn: 9780393930566 It's very important to get this exact
edition (check the ISBN number if you are ordering online).
Harriet Wilson, Our Nig. Penguin. Isbn: 9780143105763 (order this exact edition, as
well).
Hannah Foster, The Coquette. Isbn: 9781438528212 (any edition is okay for this one).
Important Note: To avoid confusion throughout the semester, please purchase the following
editions of the Norton Anthology of American Literature (Shorter 7th edition) and Our Nig, which
are easily available via online booksellers (such as Amazon) or the Clemson University
Bookstore. Check to be sure the ISBN numbers match up. You may purchase any edition of The
Coquette. Because this course is fast-paced, I’d strongly advise you to have all books in-hand by
June 27th; keep in mind that you will not be excused from any assignments simply because you
do not have the books.
GRADED COMPONENTS
I. Class Participation/Discussion Posts (20% of grade)
Together, we will discuss and analyze our readings via Blackboard’s online Discussion
Forum; your participation in this forum is mandatory and constitutes your participation
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grade for this course. See the Discussion Forum for more detailed assignment guidelines,
but here’s a brief summary. Discussion posts are due as noted on the syllabus schedule
(typically, Tuesdays and Thursdays by 10pm EST). Length: 350-500 words per post. On
Tuesday, you will normally respond to one of my questions listed at the start of the
thread. On Thursday, the topic will be open: you may post on a topic of your choice
and/or respond to another student's post. Be polite and open to other students' ideas even
if they may differ from your own. [If your post is disrespectful to others, it will be
deleted and will negatively impact your participation grade.] On the weekends, I’ll post
the prompts for the coming week, so you may work on these over the weekend if you
wish. Good discussion posts are original, specific, include direct quotes from our
readings, and may pose some additional questions for class discussion. You will be
graded upon the quality and quantity/timely completion of your posts.
[Important Note: You are required to do own, original work for ALL assignments in this
course and this includes the Discussion Board. If you copy ideas or writing from other
sources (i.e. websites, sparknotes, other students, articles, books, etc.), and present them
as your own without acknowledging the TRUE source, that counts as plagiarism. In
accordance with Clemson’s Academic Integrity Statement, any act of plagiarism will be
reported and will most often lead to a failing grade in the course].
II. TWO Close Analysis Essays, approx. 5-6 double-spaced pages per essay (total 60% of
grade). Submit to [email protected] and Turnitin.com.
In contrast to your Discussion Posts, your Close Analysis Papers will require you to
develop formal academic writing and original analysis. I will distribute more detailed
assignment guidelines later in the semester, but here is a brief overview. First, you will
select a passage from several options that I’ll distribute to you and identify it at the start
of your essay. In the first few paragraphs of your paper, you will need to work to develop
a thesis statement and support it with close analysis of your selected passage. Then, you
may consider how the passage operates within the larger framework of the text, draw
evidence from other relevant passages, and develop additional close analysis. As you
formulate a conclusion, try to reflect upon the larger significance of your argument. As
you refer to and quote other passages from the text, include page numbers in parentheses
at the end of the sentence. If you draw from any outside sources, provide MLA citations.
For further advice about close analysis papers and MLA guidelines, review the handouts
on the blackboard website. Failure to turn in a paper on time will jeopardize your
ability to pass this course. Please also keep in mind that Paper 2 will be due shortly
after Paper 1 due to the condensed time schedule for our Summer II session course,
so you’ll want to plan ahead carefully.
See Blackboard for more detailed assignment guidelines. Each paper will have a separate
assignment guideline sheet.
III. FINAL: Comparative Analysis Paper (20% of grade), approx. 7 pages, double-spaced.
Submit to [email protected] and Turnitin.com.
Your final paper will ask you to comparatively analyze 2-3 of our assigned texts and incorporate
secondary sources, such as literary criticism. Works Cited page required. More details TBA.
COURSE POLICIES
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A. Late Paper Policy: Papers will be marked down 10% for every day that they are late (for
example, an 85% to an 75%). Papers will not be accepted a week after the due date. Failure to
submit a paper will jeopardize your ability to pass the course and will, at the very least,
significantly lower your grade (for example, you might drop from a B to a D).
B. Late Discussion Posts: Discussion posts must be submitted by 10pm Eastern Standard
Time (EST) or “Clemson Time” (this holds true regardless your current time zone). If
currently you reside in another time zone, I’d encourage you to set a spare clock to
“Clemson Time,” to avoid any confusion. Late discussion posts will not be accepted.
C. Email Account: I often send out course updates via email, so you’ll need to check your
Clemson email account regularly. You’ll also need to submit some assignments via email, so it’s
important that you have a working email account.
D. Back up your work: If papers are late due to computer issues, they will be marked down
according to the above “late paper policy.” Late discussion posts will not be accepted. Therefore,
it is crucial that you back up your work as you write. A good way to do this is via email or USB
“flash” drive.
E. Computer Issues: You will also need to be sure you have access to a reliable computer and
internet connection M-F (and, ideally, 7 days per week). In the first week of class, you should
work out a back-up plan if your computer breaks down (locate a computer terminal at a public
library or internet café). Computer and/or wifi/internet failure will not be accepted as an excuse
if you fail to complete required work for this course.
F. Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability that may require modification in course
requirements and policies, please contact me (if needed, we can talk via phone or email) and/or
get in touch with Student Disability Services
(http://www.clemson.edu/sds/) during the first week of classes. Students with disabilities who
need accommodations should make an appointment with Arlene Stewart, Director of Student
Disability Services, to discuss specific needs at the start of Summer Session II. Please submit a
Faculty Accommodation Letter from Student Disabilities Services to me at the start of the session
(please let me know if you’ll be submitting it via email or regular mail). Student Disability
Services is located in G-20 Redfern (telephone number: 656-6848; e-mail: [email protected]).
Please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive and new Faculty Accommodation
Letters must be presented each term.
G. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is when you present ideas, text, images, information, or
phrases as if they’re your own without acknowledging the true source. If you are unsure about
how (or, whether or not to) credit a source, contact me, the Writing Center, and/or a Clemson
reference librarian. You are expected to do original work for this course; you may not submit
papers to this course that you have previously written for other courses. Plagiarism will result in a
“0” for the assignment and, in most cases, an “F” grade in the course. Please familiarize yourself
with Clemson University’s Academic Integrity Statement, as listed at
http://www.clemson.edu/academics/academic-integrity/ and here: “As members of the Clemson
University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson’s vision of this institution as a
‘high seminary of learning.’ Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness,
honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others.
Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson
degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.”
H. If you have questions: Send me an email and/or set up an appointment with me.
Assignment and Reading Schedule
Note: this schedule is subject to minor change as needed; any changes will be
noted via email and blackboard.
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Week 1
W, 6/27: Read Syllabus
TH, 6/28: “Beginnings to 1700,” “The Iroquois Creation Story,” “Pima Stories of the Beginning
of the Word”/”The Story of Creation” (Norton Anthology, 1-24); Post Self-Introduction to
Blackboard Discussion Forum (Under Discussion)
F, 6/29: Christopher Columbus, “Letter to Luis de Santangel,” “Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella”
(Norton, 24-27)
Week 2
M, 7/2: Anne Bradstreet (Norton 97); “The Prologue” (98-99); “Contemplations” (99-106), “The
Author to Her Book” (106-107); “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
(109-110)
T, 7/3: Mary Rowlandson, From A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration (117-125); DP Due
by 10pm, EST
W, 7/4: No Class! Happy Independence Day!
TH, 7/5: Rowlandson, From A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration (125-134); DP Due by
10pm, EST
F, 7/6: “American Literature, 1700-1820” (Norton 151-161); Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God” (194-205); Cotton Mather, “The Wonders of the Invisible World” (143149)
Week 3
M, 7/9: Olaudah Equiano, From The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or
Gustavas Vassa, the African, Written By Himself (Norton, 355-368)
T, 7/10: Equiano, 368-end; DP Due by 10pm, EST
W, 7/11: Phillis Wheatley (Norton 419-420), “On Being Brought From Africa to America” (420421); Native Americans: Removal and Resistance (Norton 570); “Black Hawk” (570-571);
“From Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk” (571-574)
TH, 7/12: Work Day (because this is your first paper of the session, I will leave this day open for
you to work on the assignment)
F, 7/13: Paper 1 Due to [email protected] and Turnitin.com (under Course Content) by
10pm EST
Week 4
M, 7/16: Hannah Foster, The Coquette, Letters I-XVII; selections from Elizabeth Barnes, States
of Sympathy
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T, 7/17: The Coquette, Letters XVIII-XLVII; DP Due by 10pm EST
W, 7/18: Finish The Coquette; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature (492-504)
TH, 7/19: Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Birthmark” (631-643); Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young
Goodman Brown” (Norton 605-614); Edgar Allan Poe, “The Black Cat” (705-711)
F: 7/20: Paper 2 Due to [email protected] and Turnitin.com by 10pm EST
Week 5
M, 7/23: Harriet E. Wilson, Our Nig, “Introduction,” Chapters I-IV
T, 7/24: Finish Our Nig; DP Due by 10pm EST
W, 7/25: Herman Melville, “Benito Cereno” (Norton 1118-1140)
TH, 7/26: Finish “Benito Cereno”; Henry David Thoreau, “A Plea for Captain Brown”
(blackboard); DP Due by 10pm EST
F, 7/27: Herman Melville, “The Portent” (Norton 1174); Emily Dickinson (1197-1200), Poems
(1201-1219); Walt Whitman, “The Wound-Dresser” (1069-1070); selection from Franny
Nudelman, John Brown’s Body: Slavery, Violence, and the Culture of War
Final Paper Due: 8/3/12, 10pm EST to [email protected] and to Turnitin.com
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