SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH 204 001
Survey of American Literature II
Summer II 2006, M-F 8-9:50 a.m., PA 208

Instructor: Todd M. Bunnell
Phone: 329-7392
Office/Hours: 210 Painter, by appointment
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

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 (3-5 pages). Each student will be required to watch a movie from the list of possible works to be handed out later. One critical paper will be assigned concerning a list of possible themes that I will hand out as well. Papers will be due at the end of the semester. 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 -- 80%
*Critical paper -- 15%
*Homework, quizzes, in-class activities -- 5%

GRADING SCALE: 100-95 A 94-92 A- 91-89 B+ 88-86 B 85-83 B- 82-80 C+ 79-77 C 76-74 C- 73-71 D+ 70-68 D 67-65 D- 64-0 F

ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is very important. Each student will be allowed to miss six (6) classes without penalty. On the seventh absence, the student will automatically receive a failing grade for the course. 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 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:
July 13 -- Last day to drop a course without receiving a grade of WP/WF
July 17-- Last day a course may be dropped
July 26 -- Last day to withdraw from the university

July 6 -- Introduction to the course. Critical paper discussion. Realism. Naturalism.

July 7 -- TWAIN, "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" (www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/CorrHadl.shtml); BIERCE, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"; FILM SHORT: "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

July 10 -- CHESTNUT, "The Goophered Grapevine"; GILMAN, "The Yellow Wall-paper." CRANE, "The Open Boat."

July 11 -- LONDON, "To Build a Fire"; ROBINSON, "Luke Havergal," "Richard Cory," "Miniver Cheevy," "Mr. Flood’s Party"; CATHER, "Neighbour Rosicky."

July 12 -- 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'."

July 13 -- 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."

July 14 -- 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." Review.

July 18 -- The Lost Generation. FITZGERALD, "Babylon Revisited," MOVIE: The Last Time I Saw Paris.

July 19 -- Continue movie.

July 20 -- FAULKNER, "Barn Burning"; HEMINGWAY, "Big Two-Hearted River" (xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/hem_river.html).

July 21 -- 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"; WELTY, "Petrified Man";

July 24 -- T. WILLIAMS, A Streetcar Named Desire.

July 25 -- CHEEVER, "The Swimmer"; ELLISON, from Invisible Man: Chapter I ("Battle Royal"); Jewish-American tradition; SINGER, "Gimpel the Fool" (handout). Review.

July 27 -- O’CONNER, "Good Country People"; MORRISON "Recitatif"; KINGSTON, from Tripmaster Monkey (" I. Trippers and Askers").

July 28 -- PYNCHON, "Entropy"; POWERS, from Galatea 2.2; Beat Generation and

Post-Modern American Poetry; GINSBERG, "Howl."

July 31 -- Begin PALAHNIUK, Fight Club.

August 1 -- PALAHNIUK, Fight Club continued.

August 2 -- CRITICAL PAPERS DUE; Fight Club continued. O’HARA, "The Day Lady Died"; PLATH, "Daddy"; Review.