Southeastern Louisiana University
English 232-Syllabus
Spring 2016
Class Day/Time: MW 2:00-3:15 pm
Course Section: 08
Instructor: Dr. April Kathleen Lenoir
Room: DVIC 313
Office:
D. Vickers 359
e-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: MW 3:30-5:00 pm and TTH 12:30-1:30 pm
Electronic Office Hours: MW 9:30-11:00 am and Fridays 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Required Texts:
Lauter, Paul et al. Ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 6th Edition. Volumes
A-F. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.
Prerequisites:
Eng 102 or 122H or 124H
Description:
A course in the study of prose, drama, and poetry by major writers of American
Literature. Emphasis on the development of appreciation. This course is broken up into
five units, centered on time periods and introduced in chronological order. Students will
follow the progress of American Literature from the early beginnings of Native American
folklore through the Civil War and into the contemporary period. The readings in this
course reflect the diversity of American life and literature.
Learning Outcomes:
1. To introduce representative works of American Literature within their historical
and cultural contexts.
2. To develop close reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through the study of
literature, and to demonstrate these skills through a variety of assignments such as
essays, test discussion questions, student presentations, journals/reflections,
analytical responses, or other written assignments [at least 3,500-4,000 words].
3. To stimulate thought and initiate discussion about important themes and issues
that connect these works in an ongoing dialogue, enabling the student to
appreciate the power of language to shape thought and represent the world.
4. To interpret and enjoy not only those literary works discussed in class, but to
foster life-long learning and cultural engagement.
Policy on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:
“The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during
examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student and similar behavior
that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work is unacceptable. Cheating on
examinations, plagiarism, improper acknowledgement of sources in essays and the use of
a single essay or paper in more than one course without permission are considered very
serious offenses and shall be grounds for disciplinary action.”
Students with Disabilities:
“To receive accommodation, students with disabilities must self-identify by providing
current documentation from an appropriately licensed professional on official stationary
regarding the nature and extent of the disability and the recommended accommodation(s).
Detailed self-identification, documentation, and accommodation request information is
available from the Office of Disability Services. Documentation must address the specific
diagnosis, tests used in making the diagnosis, and test scores, where appropriate.
Once all documentation has been received and approved, the Office of Disability
Services will provide individual letters to instructors outlining the recommended
accommodation(s). Faculty shall not grant accommodations based on disabilities without
this letter.
It is the student’s responsibility to identify their needs to the Office of Disability Services
and request services and accommodations each semester. As many accommodations may
require time and resources to arrange, students are encouraged to self-identify as soon as
possible.”
Attendance Policy:
Students are expected to attend class regularly and punctually.
“Class attendance is regarded as an obligation as well as a privilege, and all students are
expected to attend regularly and punctually all classes in which they are enrolled. Failure
to do so may jeopardize a student’s scholastic standing and may lead to suspension from
the university.”
Policy on Late Papers and Make-up Assignments:
Late papers will be accepted only with proper documentation. Students must provide a
legitimate reason for turning in the assignment late and get permission to do so. Late
assignments will not be accepted more than one week from the original due date.
Students may make up missed exams, but not in-class writing assignments or quizzes. To
make up an exam, students must provide proper documentation of a legitimate excuse
prior to the date of the exam. At this time the student and instructor will schedule a makeup date for the exam.
Disaster Recovery/Operational Plan:
In the event of a disaster that causes campus to close, students in this course should
continue to follow the assigned readings on the syllabus. For each day of reading,
students should write a brief ½ page to 1 page response, in lieu of daily quizzes and
writing assignments.
Policy on Classroom Conduct:
Students are expected to behave in a manner that is conducive to a learning environment
and appropriate in the college classroom. Any behavior that is disruptive to either the
students or instructor is unacceptable. Such behavior may include, but is not limited to:
texting, cell-phone ringing, talking out of turn, being disrespectful to either the instructor
or another student. Disruptive behavior may result in removal from the classroom or
referral to the Office of Student Conduct.
“Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that supports the educational
mission and functions of the University, as well as to comply with federal, state and local
laws. The procedure followed in disciplinary matters is outlined in the current issue of the
student handbook or on the University’s website.”
Contacting the Instructor:
The best way to contact the instructor is through e-mail. All e-mails should be sent from the
student’s university e-mail. E-mails should be written in a professional manner, which includes a
subject, complete sentences, correct capitalization and punctuation, a greeting or salutation and an
ending with your name/signature. If a response is expected then there should be a clear question
asked in the body of the e-mail.
Format for Assignments:
All essays should conform to MLA format and be written in a standard 12 point font,
double-spaced, with one inch margins and be printed out in hard copy, as well as
submitted electronically through Moodle.
Important University Dates:
January 13 and 14, 2016: Drop/Add Period – Students may make schedule adjustments
without receiving a “W” grade for dropped classes; however, a student may not drop all
classes without resigning from the university and receiving a “W” grade for the last class
left on their schedule.
March 11, 2016, 12:30 pm: Last day to withdraw from classes.
May 17, 2016: Last day to return rental textbooks without a fine.
May 20, 2016, 12:30 pm: Rental books must be purchased if not returned.
Course Requirements and Grading:
A total of 1000 points are available in the course. The point distribution is shown in the chart.
A
B
C
D
F
450-500 pts
400-449
350-399
300-349
Under 300 pts
Assignments:
The major writing tasks engage a range of genres. You will identify a theme to guide and unify
your writing. A separate handout and/or verbal explanation that describes the purpose and process
for each major assignment as well as its grading criteria will be presented and discussed in class.
Assignment
Points Worth
Unit Exams (5 total)
375 (75 points each)
In-class writing/Quizzes
125
TOTAL
500
Class Schedule:
This schedule is subject to revision. Such revisions will be discussed in class. You are responsible
for keeping track of schedule revisions. All assigned reading is to be completed before the date
of our class meeting. Readings will be found in The Heath Anthology of American Literature.
Please bring your textbook to every class session.
Unit 1 (Beginnings to 1800):
Jan 14
Course Introduction and Review of Syllabus, Discussion of Native American
stories
HW: Read John Winthrop’s bio and the excerpt from “A Modell of Christian
Charity,” pages 332-342
Jan 18
(No Classes – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday)
HW: Read John Winthrop’s bio and the excerpt from “A Modell of Christian
Charity,” pages 332-342
Jan 20
Discussion of Winthrop
HW: Read Thomas Paine bio and excerpt from Common Sense, pages 989-997
and Thomas Jefferson bio and “Query VI” from Notes on the State of Virginia on
p 1022-1031
Jan 25
Discussion of Paine and Jefferson
HW: Read Phillis Wheatley bio on pages 1297-1299 and “To the Right
Honourable William . . .” p 1302-1303, “On Being Brought from Africa to
America” p 1306-1307, and “A Farewell to America” p 1307-1308
Jan 27
Discussion of Wheatley
HW: Read Mary Rowlandson bio and excerpt from her Narrative on pages 462474; and Briton Hammon bio and excerpt from his Narrative on pages 1197-1203
Feb 1
Discussion of Rowlandson, Hammon, and captivity and slave narratives
HW: Study!!
Feb 3
Exam #1
HW: Read Henry David Thoreau bio and “Resistance to Civil Government” on
pages 1859-1876
Unit 2 (Early 19th Century):
Feb 8
(No Classes – Mardi Gras Holiday)
Feb 10
(No Classes – Mardi Gras Holiday)
Feb 15
Discussion of Thoreau
HW: Read Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” on
pages 2102-2120
Feb 17
Discussion of Douglass
HW: Read David Walker bio and excerpt from his Appeal, pages 1982-1993
Feb 22
Discussion of David Walker
HW: Read Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” on pages 2527-2539
Feb 24
Discussion of Poe
HW: Read Walt Whitman’s bio, p 2992-2995, and the poems, “I Hear America
Singing” p 3062-3063, and “Beat! Beat! Drums!” p 3081-3082; and Emily
Dickinson bio, p 3125-3129 and the poems, “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” p
3135 and “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church,” p 3139
Feb 29
Discussion Whitman and Dickinson
HW: Study!!
Mar 2
Exam #2
HW: Read the African American Folktale “Why Mr. Dog Runs Brer Rabbit,” p
38-39 and “Fox and Rabbit in the Well,” p 43, and Joel Chandler Harris’s bio and
stories on pages 105-108
Unit 3 (Late 19th Century):
Mar 7
Discussion of Harris and African American Folktales
HW: Read Charles Chestnutt’s bio, p 117-118, and his story, “The Wife of His
Youth” on pages 152-159
Mar 9
Discussion of Chestnutt
HW: Read “Sheaf: New Orleans and America” on page 378-379, Grace King’s
“The Little Convent Girl,” p 397-403, Alice Dunbar Nelson’s “Mr Baptiste,” p
409-412, and Kate Chopin’s “The Storm,” p 419-423
Mar 14
Discussion of New Orleans women writers
HW: Read Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s bio and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” pages
672-685
Mar 16
Discussion of Gilman
HW: Read Anna Julia Cooper’s excerpt from A Voice from the South, p 655671, and Ida B. Well’s excerpt from A Red Record, p 935-939
Mar 21
Discussion of Cooper and Wells
HW: Study!!
Mar 23
Exam #3
HW: Read Booker T. Washington’s bio and his “Atlanta Exposition Address,”
pages 1130-1131 and 1149-1156; and W.E.B. Du Bois’s bio and Chapter III, “Of
Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others” from The Souls of Black Folks, pages
1156-1158 and 1164-1172
Mar 28
(No Classes – Spring Break)
Mar 30
(No Classes – Spring Break)
Unit 4 (Modern Period):
April 4
Discuss Washington and Dubois
HW: Read Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, pages 1317-1327
April 6
Discussion of Glaspell
HW: Read the E.E. Cummings poems “[I like my body when it is with you]” p
1573-1574, “[Picasso]” p 1577, ‘[anyone lived in a pretty how town]” p 15771578, and “[pity this busy monster, manunkind]” p 1580-1581
April 11
Discussion of Cummings
HW: Read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited,” p 1616-1631
April 13
Discussion of Fitzgerald
HW: Read “Sheaf: Blue Lyrics,” p 1930-1931 and Langston Hughes bio, p 17731774, and his poems, “The Weary Blues,” 1931-1932, and “I, Too,” 1778
April 18
Discussion of Hughes and the Blues
HW: Study!!
April 20
Exam #4
HW: Read Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” pages
2567-2578
Unit 5:
April 25
Discussion of O’Connor
HW: Read James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” pages 2544-2566
April 27
Discussion of Baldwin
HW: Read Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk about When We Talk about
Love,” pages 3013-3022
May 2
Discussion of Carver
HW: Read Anne Sexton bio, 2832-2833 and her poems, “Her Kind,” p 28332834 and “Young,” p 2834-2835; and Audre Lorde bio, p 2891-2892, and her
poems, “Power,” p 2892-2893 and “Never Take Fire from a Woman,” p 2895
May 4
Discussion of Sexton and Lorde
HW: Study for Final Exam!!
May 11, 8-10:00 am: Exam #5/Final Exam
*Syllabus is subject to revision