Literature in English 1880-Present

East Carolina UNIVERSITY

Department of English

ENGLISH 3020: HISTORY OF LITERATURE IN ENGLISH, 1880 - Present

Spring 2005

Instructor	Dr. Bryan Giemza	E-mail	bgiemza@email.unc.edu
Phone	328-6413	Office	GC/Bate 1041
Class Time	T/TH 11:00-12:15	Office Hours	T/TH 3:15-5:00; and by appointment
Classroom	GC/Bate 2015	Web	http://www.unc.edu/~bgiemza/3010.htm

Test taking powerpoint

Groupwork assignment

Syllabus

Description:

This course surveys English in literature in two canons, interrelated and yet distinct: American and British. (A truly comprehensive history of literature in English would consider literature written in English-speaking colonies—but our time is short enough!) The banner under which we gather, broadly stated, is “Empire.” The twentieth century has been dubbed “the American century,” and many have argued that America is the ascendant empire in terms of geopolitical power. The theme of Empire invites us to consider especially the career of American literature over the past 120 years. We will also ponder how it came to pass that the “best English” came to be spoken in Ireland. Naturally we will consider both British and American English.

We will read closely and immersively the works of major figures in the Western canon, both British and American, and discuss their themes, techniques, values, and styles. Recurring themes will include but not be limited to the following: social acceleration, the century of death, social contracts, moral horizons, and art’s relation to society. Your essays and exams should have clear theses, well-organized points that are supported with textual citations, and powerful introductions and conclusions. The best work will go beyond the assignment to speculate on how the literary work at hand enlarges and enriches us as human beings.

I hope that it will fire your imagination and your passion for literature, and give you some of the competencies that will help you succeed as a scholar of the written word.

Requirements:

Students are expected to demonstrate professional conduct, including active participation in class and support for the work of others. Class participation is not graded, but full participation is expected. Participation includes doing the assigned readings and vigorously taking part in classroom discussion. Poor participation will hurt your grade in borderline situations; strong participation will help your grade in those cases.
My grading is not based upon effort, but quality. It is incumbent upon you to make the measure, and depending upon your competencies, that may require expending considerable effort. You must be comfortable with college-level essay writing to do well in this class. You have to do considerably more than simply show up and try to pass this class. Of course, if you do not attend regularly, your chances of failing are very high, but even if you attend every class and try very hard, you are not guaranteed to pass. While I appreciate and expect your utmost effort, I do not grade on effort.
Very few students make A’s in my courses; the vast majority of them make between a “B” and a “D” and some fail this course every time I teach it. Reading averages about 50 pp per class meeting.
NB: If you do not carry out the readings, you will fail this course. You will be tested by unannounced pop quizzes; I will call on you in class; and your exams will require reading identification. Therefore, if you do not read, it will redound on your grade in many ways.
So please be on time and ready to engage; do not prepare to leave until class has concluded, and turn off electronics before you come in. Entering class after attendance has been taken will count as a tardy, and two tardies will count as an absence.
I will take attendance at each class meeting. The first three absences will not count against your grade; I will not enquire into whether they are excused or unexcused. Thereafter, each absence will drop your final grade by a letter. In other words, if you miss seven classes (1/4 of our meetings), you will fail the course. Therefore, I advise you to save your absences for real emergencies and to attend class whenever you can.
Assignments are to be handed in on time, without exception. Work is only taken up in class the day it is due and cannot be received after that class period. If you will not be present the day an assignment is due, make arrangements to turn it in to me in person before that class period. Assignments also cannot be emailed to me; I must receive them in person. Outside sources will not be accepted for this course. Plagiarism will result in a “zero” on the assignment at the minimum.
I intend to be your ally in learning. Please come see me during office hours whenever the spirit moves you! I will be happy to skim drafts in advance and offer preliminary comment.
I will provide the exact format of exams to you in advance of their administration.
The syllabus is always available online.
East Carolina University seeks to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must go to the Department for Disability Support Services, located in Brewster A-117, to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur. The telephone number is 328-6799.

Texts:

1. LAB. Damrosch, David, et al. The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Second Compact Ed. Volume B. 2004.

2. NAM. Baym, Nina, et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 6^th ed. Vols. C, D, E. 2003.

Evaluation:

25%: Midterm Exam

25%: Final Exam

15%: Group presentations

15%: Quizzes

20%: Papers (5 pp. each)

Class schedule:

Boldface text signals a day when an assignment is due. This schedule subject to change.

Class meeting	Topics and readings	Assignments
1. T 11 Jan	Introduction
2. Th 13 Jan	Joel Chandler Harris Charles W. Chesnutt	NAL C 590-595; 780-797
3. T 18 Jan	W.E.B. Dubois	LAB 921-931; NAL C 876-900
4. T 20 Jan	Kate Chopin	NAL C 620-656; LAB 932-942
5. Th 25 Jan	William Butler Yeats Black Elk	LAB 1113-1129 NAL C 1087-1099
6. T 27 Jan	Stephen Crane	NAL C 901-950
7. T 1 Feb	E.M. Forster D.H. Lawrence	LAB 1261-1272; 1315-1330
8. Th 3 Feb	Sherwood Anderson Edgar Lee Masters Edwin A. Robinson Robinson Jeffers	NAL D 1212-1228; 1100-1104; 1104-1111; 1320-1324
9. T 8 Feb	E.E. Cummings Jean Toomer	NAL D 1623-1635; 1635-1641
10. Th 10 Feb	Ernest Hemingway	NAL D 1846-1864
11. T 15 Feb	Catch-up day.	Paper I Due
12. Th 17 Feb	Midterm review.
13. T 22 Feb	MIDTERM	MIDTERM
14. Th 24 Feb	Overview of the moderns.
15. T 1 Mar	William Faulkner	NAL D 1790-1803
16. Th 3 Mar	Faulkner cont.	NAL D 1693-1741
17. T 8 Mar	Faulkner cont.	NAL D 1742-1790
18. Th 10 Mar	Catch-up day.
SPRING BREAK	SPRING BREAK	SPRING BREAK
19. T 22 Mar	Meet in groups.
20. Th 24 Mar	James Joyce Handout	Paper II Due
21. T 29 Mar	Ralph Ellison NAL E 2064-2092	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
22. Th 31 Mar	Zora Neale Hurston NAL D 1506-1526	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
23. T 5 Apr	Flannery O’Connor NAL E 2203-2224	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
24. Th 7 Apr	Thomas Wolfe NAL D 1864-1885	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
25. T 12 Apr	F. Scott Fitzgerald NAL D 1641-1672	GROUP PRESENTATIONS
26. Th 14 Apr	Catch-up day.
27. T 19 Apr	Evaluation, wrap-up, and exam prep.
28. Th 21 Apr	FINAL EXAM (in-class portion)	FINAL EXAM

New York City after the blackout.

1104-1111;

1320-1324

Catch-up day.

SPRING BREAK

Paper II Due

GROUP PRESENTATIONS

GROUP PRESENTATIONS