HUMS 639
Summer 2012
Sean McCann
[email protected]
x3596
Office hours by appt
American Literature, 1865-1919
Texts
All assigned books are on order at Broad Street Books. Alternative editions are
acceptable.
Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward (Penguin 0-14-039018-9)
Willa Cather, My Antonia (Penguin 0-14-018764-2)
Charles Chesnutt, The Marrow of Tradition (Norton 978-0393-93414-4)
Kate Chopin, The Awakening and Selected Stories (Penguin 0-14-243732-8)
Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie (Penguin 0-14-018828-2)
Robert Frost, A Boy’s Will and North of Boston (Dover 0-48-626866-7
William Dean Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham (Penguin 0-14-039030-8)
Henry James, Daisy Miller (Penguin 0-14-144134-8)
Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country of the Pointed Firs
Mark Twain, Puddn’head Wilson (Penguin 0-14-043040-7)
Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome (Penguin 0-14-018828-2)
Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie
Requirements
More complete descriptions of the assignments can be found on the course Moodle site.
•
Two response papers, 3-5 pp. each; sign up for dates on Moodle wiki; (40% of
final grade)
•
A final project(50% of final grade), 10-15 pp., or equivalent, which can be
completed in either of two ways:
o A critical and synthetic essay on any three works included in the course
syllabus; no more than one of these works can be drawn from subjects
treated in your response papers; at least one must come from works listed
as “recommended”;
o An original research essay;
o An alternative project—possibilities including:
•
§
a webpage, podcast, or video which synthesizes and presents for a
public audience valuable insight and information on a subject
which was included or could have been included in the course;
§
an exhibition design, explaining how insight and information on a
subject which was included or could have been included in the
course might be presented to a museum-going public;
§
a lesson plan, explaining concretely and in depth how insight and
information on a subject which was included or could have been
included in the course might be presented to teachers of college or
high school students.
Class participation (10% of final grade).
Students with Disabilities
It is the policy of Wesleyan University to provide reasonable accommodations to students
with documented disabilities. Students, however, are responsible for registering with
Disabilities Services, in addition to making requests known to me in a timely manner. If
you require accommodations in this class, please make an appointment with me as soon
as possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. The procedures for registering
with Disabilities Services can be found at http://www.wesleyan.edu/deans/disabilitystudents.html
.
Schedule
7/2 course introduction
Bellamy, Looking Backward
Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham, first half
7/6
Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham, second half;
Henry James, Daisy Miller
7/9 Jewett, The Country of the Pointed Firs
Recommended: Mary Wilkins Freeman, “A New England Nun,”; “The Revolt of
Mother”; Hamlin Garland, “Up the Coulee”; Bret Harte, “The Luck of Roaring
Camp”
7/11 Chesnutt, The Marrow of Tradition
7/16 Twain, Puddn’head Wilson
7/23 Chopin, The Awakening; Wharton, Ethan Frome
7/25 Dreiser, Sister Carrie
7/30 Frost, North of Boston
Susan Glaspell, “Trifles”
Wallace Stevens, “Sunday Morning,” “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”
Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme,” “In a Station of the Metro,” “The Rest”
E. A. Robinson, “The House on the Hill,” “Luke Havergal,” “Miniver Cheevy,”
“Richard Cory”
8/1 Willa Cather, My Antonia
8/6 Final projects due