SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH 204 004/005
Survey of American Literature II
Spring 2005, TR 9:30-10:45 a.m./TR 11-12:15 p.m.; PA 208/PA 206

Instructor: Todd M. Bunnell
Phone: 241-6235
Office/Hours: 411 Reneau, MW 9 a.m. - Noon
E-mail address/web site: tbunnell@muw.edu <www2.muw.edu/~tbunnell>

TEXTS AND MATERIALS:
*The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Sixth Edition -- Volume C/D/E
*Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
*Material to be found on the Internet

COURSE CONTENT:
The aim of this course is to give the student an overview and survey of texts, print and non-print, of American writers, literature, and literary trends from the 1880s to the present. The readings will reflect social, political, religious, and artistic changes in American thought.

GOALS:
To promote the reading and comprehension of writings from the time period
To create an awareness of that part of a student’s cultural heritage found in the literature from the period after the American Civil War to the present
To promote an appreciation for American literature and culture
To encourage critical thinking and exploration of ideas
To provide historic perspective on literature produced in this time period
To show how politics and history affected social thought as seen through the literature of this time period To show the creation and development of writing as an art form and as a way of expressing the self
To create an awareness of the search for some meaning in life after all institutions have been torn down which was the driving force that guided many writers during this time frame

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Three tests. The first two tests will focus on short paragraph responses to the material read in class. The final will be similar to the first two tests but will include a comprehensive section as well. Missed tests can be made-up but will not be the same as administered in class. Make-up tests will usually be more involved and will be given at MY convenience. The student is responsible for meeting with me to arrange a make-up date.

2. Critical paper and group class presentation. Each student will be required to read an outside novel from the list of possible works to be handed out later. One critical paper will be assigned concerning a list of questions I will hand out as well. Also, during presentation week (April 19-21), students who have read the same novels will be asked to give brief presentations (as groups) to the class concerning the chosen novels. Papers will be due at the time of the class presentations. Late papers will be docked ONE LETTER GRADE for EACH DAY I have not received them. NO EXCEPTIONS!

3. In-class activities, homework, and quizzes. Any in-class activity or quiz CANNOT be made-up for any reason.

METHOD OF EVALUATION:
The final grade will be determined by the following:

*Three tests -- 75%
*Critical paper -- 15%
*Group presentation -5%
*Homework, quizzes, in-class activities -- 5%

ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is very important. Each student will be allowed to miss eight (8) classes without penalty. On the ninth absence, the student’s final grade will be lowered five percentage points, and with each subsequent absence, the final grade will continue to be lowered by five percentage points. You are responsible for being aware of your own absences. I will not notify you of the number of absences you have, but you are welcome to check with me. Note: There is no difference between an excused absence and an unexcused absence. Also, please come to class on time and prepared. Excessive tardies will add up to an absence.

EXPECTATIONS:
This is a sophomore level literature class. A prerequisite of this class is that every student must have already passed English 101 with a grade of C or better and should be able to read difficult material and to comprehend complicated lectures concerning American literature. Each student should read ahead and should come to class prepared to discuss and evaluate the given material. Also, each student is expected to produce writing that is grammatically correct, coherently structured, and reasonably substantive.

PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas or writing as your own without giving credit to that individual or source. Since the paper you will write in this class is a critical paper that needs no outside sources, you are not expected to use any source other than the movie or the work that you are addressing. Any outside source should be documented, though. When in doubt, ask me.

DISABILITIES:
It is the responsibility of students who have professionally diagnosed disabilities to notify the instructor so that necessary and appropriate modifications can be made to meet any special learning needs.

CELL PHONES
Please be considerate of your classmates and of the instructor by turning off all cell phones before entering class. If there is a special circumstance, please notify me in advance.

IMPORTANT DATES:
February 4 -- Last day to drop a course without receiving a grade of WP/WF
February 25 -- Last day a course may be dropped
April 15 -- Last day to withdraw from the university

WEEK 1 (January 11-13) -- Introduction to the course. Critical paper discussion. Realism. Naturalism. TWAIN, "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" (www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/CorrHadl.shtml).

WEEK 2 (January 18-20) -- BIERCE, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"; FILM SHORT: "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"; CHESTNUT, "The Goophered Grapevine"; GILMAN, "The Yellow Wall-paper." Mixed media.

WEEK 2 (January 25-27) -- CRANE, "The Open Boat"; LONDON, "To Build a Fire"; ROBINSON, "Luke Havergal," "Richard Cory," "Miniver Cheevy," "Mr. Flood’s Party"; CATHER, "Neighbour Rosicky."

WEEK 3 (February 1-3) -- FROST, "Mending Wall," "Home Burial," "The Road Not Taken," "Birches," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"; ANDERSON, from Winesburg, Ohio:"The Book of the Grotesque," (www.pagebypagebooks.com/Sherwood_Anderson/Winesburg_Ohio/THE_BOOK_OF_THE_GROTESQUE_p1.html), "Adventure," "'Queer'."

WEEK 4 (February 8-10) -- SANDBURG, "Chicago," "Fog," "Grass"; STEVENS, "Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock"; "Sunday Morning"; "Emperor of Ice-Cream"; WC WILLIAMS, "The Young Housewife," "Spring and All," "The Red Wheelbarrow," "This is Just to Say"; POUND, "In a Station of the Metro," from The Cantos (I -- "And then went down to the ship"); ELIOT, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."

WEEK 5 (February 15-17) -- Review. TEST 1.

WEEK 6 (February 22-24) -- The Lost Generation. FITZGERALD, "Babylon Revisited," MOVIE: The Last Time I Saw Paris.

WEEK 7 (March 1-3) -- FAULKNER, "Barn Burning"; HEMINGWAY, "Big Two-Hearted River" (www.shortstories.computed.net/hemingwaybigone.html) and

(www.shortstories.computed.net/hemingwaybigtwo.html); cummings, "in Just-," "Buffalo Bill’s," "i sing of Olaf glad and big"; HUGHES, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Harlem" (handout); WRIGHT, "The Man Who Was Almost a Man."

WEEK 8 (March 8-10) -- WELTY, "Petrified Man"; T. WILLIAMS, A Streetcar Named Desire.

WEEK 9 (March 15-17) -- CHEEVER, "The Swimmer"; ELLISON, from Invisible Man: Chapter I ("Battle Royal"); Jewish-American tradition; SINGER, "Gimpel the Fool" (handout)

WEEK 11 (March 29-31) -- Review. TEST 2.

WEEK 12 (April 5-7) -- O’CONNER, "Good Country People"; MORRISON "Recitatif"; PYNCHON, "ENTROPY"; KINGSTON, from Tripmaster Monkey (" I. Trippers and Askers").

WEEK 13 (April 12-14) -- POWERS, from Galatea 2.2; Beat Generation and Post-Modern American Poetry; GINSBERG, "Howl."

WEEK 15 (April 26-28) -- PALAHNIUK, Fight Club.

WEEK 16 (May 3-5) -- Fight Club continued; O’HARA, "The Day Lady Died"; PLATH, "Daddy," "Lady Lazarus"; Review.